Chapter 10 - Caleb’s Place at the TableDaniel waited in the mansion’s dining room when Richard returned.
The old birthday banner was still hanging crookedly over the fireplace.
Caleb sat at the table with a bowl of ice cream in front of him. He looked up as Richard entered.
“Is Grandma okay?” he asked.
Richard walked over and kissed the top of his head.
“She will have to answer for what she did.”
Caleb looked down.
“Will she say sorry?”
“I hope so.”
Daniel stood near the window, pale and exhausted.
“I didn’t sabotage Elena’s car,” he said before Richard could speak.
Richard looked at him.
“But you knew Victor was going to scare her.”
Daniel’s eyes filled with tears.
“I thought he was going to take the records. I thought he would threaten her and leave. I never thought he would hurt her.”
“You helped him.”
“I was in debt. Mom had transferred money from the trust, and Victor knew. He told me if I didn’t help, he would expose all of us.”
Richard felt anger rise inside him.
“Elena was my wife.”
“I know.”
“Caleb was in that car.”
Daniel broke down.
“I know.”
For a moment, Richard wanted to shout.
He wanted to throw every secret, every betrayal, every lost year at his brother.
But Caleb was listening.
So Richard took a breath.
“The police will need your statement.”
Daniel nodded.
“I’ll give them everything.”
After Daniel left, Richard sat across from Caleb.
The boy pushed his ice cream around with his spoon.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Am I really part of this family?”
Richard’s chest tightened.
He took Elena’s letter from his pocket and placed it on the table.
Then he slid the silver locket toward Caleb.
“This was your mother’s answer,” he said.
Caleb opened the locket.
Richard pointed to the engraving.
“Your name is here because you were always meant to have a place. Not because of money. Not because of a will. Because you are my son.”
Caleb looked toward the empty chair at the head of the table.
“Can I sit there?”
Richard smiled for the first time in days.
“That chair belongs to you whenever you want it.”
Caleb climbed into it.
Outside, police lights flashed as Margaret was led into a car.
She looked through the window and saw Caleb sitting at the table.
For once, he was not hidden.
He was not locked away.
And he was not afraid.
But as Richard closed the front door, Detective Morales called.
“Mr. Calloway,” she said. “Victor gave us one more name.”
Richard’s grip tightened on the phone.
“Whose?”
The detective paused.
“Your father’s.”
Richard looked at Caleb’s locket.
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The story was not over.
Because the man who had created the trust to protect Caleb may have been hiding the biggest secret of all.
