Chapter 7 - WHAT THOMAS LEFT BEHIND
The photograph changed the room.
Damian looked at it again.
The child in Thomas's arms had dark hair.
A familiar chin.
But the age was wrong.
Lily pointed again.
“Daddy.”
Hannah's hands shook.
“Lily, sweetheart, how do you know?”
“He showed me.”
“Who?”
“Daddy.”
Hannah crouched.
“When?”
Lily frowned.
“In my dream.”
Evelyn gently touched Hannah's shoulder.
“Let her speak.”
Lily looked at the photograph.
“Daddy said the little boy was sleeping.”
Damian stared.
Then he noticed the necklace around Clara's neck.
A gold sun.
The same symbol.
Underneath the photograph was a wooden box.
Inside was a small tape recorder.
Damian pressed play.
Thomas's voice emerged.
“If you found this, then Vincent failed.”
Everyone froze.
Thomas continued.
“Damian, if you're hearing me, you are old enough now to know the truth.”
The recording crackled.
“Your father did not die naturally.”
Evelyn covered her mouth.
“He was killed.”
Damian stared at his mother.
Thomas continued.
“Clara discovered the money transfers. She believed your father was preparing to expose the wrong people.”
A pause.
“He trusted Vincent.”
Damian's jaw tightened.
“Vincent betrayed him.”
Evelyn whispered,
“No.”
The tape continued.
“Not because Vincent wanted the money.”
Thomas's voice became quieter.
“Because Vincent believed the family needed a stronger ruler.”
Damian closed his eyes.
Thomas had suspected it.
But there was more.
“He wanted you, Damian, to inherit everything.”
Renata frowned.
“That doesn't make sense.”
Thomas continued.
“Vincent believed fear was the only way to preserve the Cross family.”
Hannah looked at Damian.
“So he wasn't trying to destroy the family.”
“No,” Damian said.
“He was trying to own it.”
The tape clicked.
Then Thomas said something that made everyone's blood run cold.
“And I am not the only person who knows.”
A second voice appeared.
Clara.
“If Damian wakes, tell him I am sorry.”
The recording ended.
They searched the house.
Behind a loose floorboard, they found a metal box.
Inside were bank records.
Photographs.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
Political donations.
Bribes.
But no direct evidence linking Vincent to Thomas's death.
There was one final item.
A child's drawing.
A yellow sun.
Beneath it, four figures.
Clara.
Thomas.
Damian.
And another child.
On the back:
THE SECOND CROSS.
Damian stared.
“Who is the fourth child?”
Evelyn went pale.
“I don't know.”
Margaret whispered,
“I do.”
Everyone turned.
Margaret looked terrified.
“Your father had a daughter.”
Damian's face changed.
“My father?”
“Before you.”
“Where is she?”
“I don't know.”
Evelyn stood.
“Margaret.”
“You knew?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“I knew there had been rumors.”
Margaret's voice broke.
“Her name was Grace.”
That evening, Vincent returned.
Not secretly.
He walked through the front gates and surrendered his weapon to security.
He asked to see Damian.
Hannah watched from the hallway.
Damian was sitting in the library.
Vincent entered alone.
“You found the house.”
“Yes.”
“You found Thomas's records.”
“Yes.”
Vincent sat.
“I knew you would.”
Damian looked at him.
“Why did you poison me?”
Vincent's expression hardened.
“I didn't.”
“Then who?”
“I don't know.”
“Who put the device under my bed?”
Vincent said nothing.
Damian leaned forward.
“You manipulated everyone.”
“Yes.”
“You lied about Thomas.”
“Yes.”
“You destroyed records.”
“Yes.”
“Then why not admit the poisoning?”
“Because I didn't do it.”
Silence.
Damian studied him.
For the first time, he believed him.
Not because Vincent looked innocent.
Because he looked exhausted.
“What do you want?”
Vincent reached into his coat.
He placed a photograph on the table.
A young woman.
Dark hair.
Blue eyes.
The same gold sun necklace.
“Grace.”
Damian stared.
“Where is she?”
Vincent shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“Then why show me?”
“Because she knows who poisoned you.”
Hannah stepped forward.
“Where is she?”
Vincent looked at her.
“Close.”
“How close?”
His eyes moved toward the servants' wing.
Hannah's stomach dropped.
Vincent whispered,
“She has been inside this house for years.”
Everyone turned toward Margaret.
Margaret went pale.
“No.”
Vincent shook his head.
“Not Margaret.”
Then he looked toward the doorway.
Renata was standing there.
Vincent said,
“Renata Hale.”
Renata froze.
Damian stared at her.
“You?”
Renata's face drained.
“I don't know what he's talking about.”
Vincent looked at Damian.
“She isn't who she says she is.”
Renata took one step backward.
Then Lily appeared behind her.
The little girl held Bunny.
She looked at Renata.
“Mommy says you're nice.”
Renata's eyes filled with tears.
She crouched.
“Lily…”
Lily pointed at her necklace.
“You have Daddy's sun.”
Renata looked down.
Around her neck was a tiny gold pendant.
Identical to Thomas's symbol.
Damian stood.
“Take it off.”
Renata did not move.
“Renata.”
Slowly, she removed the necklace.
Inside the pendant was a tiny folded photograph.
Damian opened it.
It showed Thomas.
May you like
And beside him—
a young Renata.
