Chapter 14 - Isabel)
Isabel Duarte had lived in Portugal her entire life.
Public records showed a quiet existence.
Architect.
Divorced.
No children.
No criminal record.
No visible connection to the Morgan family.
Her mother, however, had once worked for Samuel Morgan.
Maria Duarte.
Executive translator.
Employed from 1985 to 1988.
Ethan was born in 1988.
The Lisbon photograph dated 1987.
Claire looked at the timeline spread across Reeves’ conference table.
“Everyone was in Portugal.”
“Almost everyone.”
“Grandma. Victor. Grandpa’s employee. Possibly Grandpa himself.”
“Samuel traveled there twice that year.”
“And Mom?”
“Margaret visited in November.”
Claire laughed without humor.
“It was a family reunion before we were a family.”
Reeves received preliminary DNA results that afternoon.
He read them once.
Then again.
Claire watched.
“What?”
“The sample attributed to Victor is degraded.”
“Can they still determine anything?”
“Enough.”
“Is Ethan his son?”
Reeves looked at her.
“No.”
Claire exhaled.
“Then Dad is Ethan’s father.”
“Most likely.”
“Why did Grandma write that Victor couldn’t claim him?”
“We may have misunderstood the word claim.”
Claire frowned.
“How else could she mean it?”
“Financially. Legally. Professionally.”
Claire thought.
Then the answer emerged.
“Victor wanted Ethan as an heir.”
“Possibly.”
“Not because he was his biological son.”
“Right.”
“Because Ethan was Charles’ firstborn.”
Reeves nodded.
“And therefore potentially useful for controlling Morgan assets.”
Claire felt another piece lock into place.
Victor had shaped Ethan from childhood.
Private internships.
Financial education.
Access to family offices.
He had not needed to father Ethan.
He had groomed him.
“What about Isabel?”
“Her DNA is more important.”
“Can we contact her?”
“We’re trying.”
They were too late.
Isabel’s apartment was empty.
Her employer said she took emergency leave two days earlier.
A neighbor saw her enter a black vehicle with a woman matching Chloe’s description.
Claire stared at the surveillance still.
“Chloe found her.”
“Yes.”
“For Victor?”
“Unknown.”
Then Chloe called.
Claire answered with Reeves listening.
“Where are you?”
“Portugal.”
“Is Isabel with you?”
“Yes.”
“Is she safe?”
A pause.
“For now.”
Claire’s skin prickled.
“Where is Victor?”
“Not here.”
“Where is my mother?”
Another pause.
“Not here.”
“Chloe, stop giving me half answers.”
“I don’t have time.”
“You disappeared from federal protection.”
“I had to.”
“No, you chose to.”
“Because Victor threatened my mother.”
Claire almost laughed at the endless chain of leverage.
“Isabel is your sister?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know before Ethan?”
“No. Victor told me last year.”
“Why?”
“Because he needed me to approach her.”
“So Ethan was part of a plan.”
“Yes.”
“Was your engagement real?”
Silence.
“Chloe.”
“It became real.”
Claire looked toward Reeves.
He wrote something down.
“What does Victor want from Isabel?”
“A signature.”
Of course.
Always a signature.
“What document?”
“She won’t tell me everything.”
“Then why are you with her?”
“Because I helped her escape.”
Claire frowned.
“From Victor?”
“Yes.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“You shouldn’t.”
At least that answer sounded true.
Chloe continued.
“But Isabel knows what Harbor Infrastructure owns.”
“The tunnels.”
“Not just tunnels.”
“What else?”
“I don’t know.”
“Chloe.”
“She calls it the archive.”
Claire looked at Reeves.
“What archive?”
“I don’t know. She says Samuel showed her mother something before he died.”
“Where?”
“New York.”
“What?”
“Records. Original contracts. Names.”
“Harbor Seven?”
“No.”
Claire’s pulse accelerated.
“Something bigger?”
“Yes.”
“What does Victor call it?”
Chloe inhaled.
“The Black Registry.”
Reeves’ expression changed.
He recognized the phrase.
Claire saw it.
“You know what that is.”
He did not answer.
Chloe heard the silence.
“Claire, listen to me. Victor believes the registry proves ownership relationships that were never recorded publicly. Politicians. Banks. Development companies. Foreign investors. If it exists, it could expose people far beyond your family.”
“Where is it?”
“Isabel says only a Morgan descendant can access it.”
Claire looked down at Grace.
“Which descendant?”
“I don’t know.”
“Isabel?”
“Maybe.”
“Ethan?”
“Maybe.”
“Me?”
Chloe whispered.
“Maybe that’s why Victor has spent years making sure all of you remained under his control.”
A sound interrupted the call.
A door.
Chloe gasped.
Then whispered, “Someone’s here.”
“Leave.”
“I can’t.”
“Chloe.”
The line went silent.
Claire stood.
“Trace it.”
Reeves was already moving.
Then Chloe returned.
Her voice was barely audible.
“It’s Margaret.”
Claire froze.
“My mother is there?”
“Yes.”
“Put her on.”
“No.”
“Chloe.”
“She says she came to help.”
Claire almost laughed.
“Do not believe her.”
Margaret’s voice appeared faintly in the background.
Claire could not hear the words.
Then Chloe whispered.
“She says Victor lied about Eleanor.”
“What does she mean?”
“I don’t know.”
Another pause.
May you like
Then Chloe spoke the sentence that changed their entire understanding again.
“She says Eleanor created the Black Registry.”
