Chapter 9 - DANIEL'S VOICE
The Sterling estate still had an old audio system in the library.
Richard found a cassette player in a cabinet.
Nobody spoke while he connected it.
Thomas handed him the tape.
Liam stood beside Avery.
His hand found hers.
She squeezed it.
Richard pressed play.
Static filled the room.
Then a man's voice.
Young.
Tired.
Uncertain.
“Liam.”
Liam stopped breathing.
Daniel Sterling had been dead almost three decades.
Yet suddenly he was in the room.
“If you're hearing this, then somebody finally decided you were old enough to hear the truth.”
Victoria covered her mouth.
Daniel continued.
“I don't know what your mother will tell you.”
“I don't know what Thomas will tell you.”
“But I know what I need you to hear from me.”
A pause.
“You are my son.”
Liam's eyes filled.
“I don't care what a blood test says.”
“I don't care whose eyes you have.”
“I held you the night you were born.”
“You fell asleep on my chest.”
“And in that moment, every stupid question I had disappeared.”
Avery felt tears running down her face.
Daniel's voice continued.
“I am angry with your mother.”
“I am angry with Thomas.”
“I am probably angriest with myself.”
“But none of that belongs to you.”
“You didn't betray anyone.”
“You didn't break anything.”
“You were just born.”
Liam lowered his head.
Thomas stared at the floor.
Then Daniel said something nobody expected.
“If anything happens to me, I want Thomas to know you.”
Victoria began sobbing.
“I mean that.”
“He is part of you.”
“And someday you deserve the right to decide what that means.”
The recording crackled.
“One more thing.”
“If the Sterlings ever make you believe your name matters more than your character, walk away.”
Richard closed his eyes.
Daniel laughed softly on the recording.
“Grandfather will hate that part.”
Then his voice softened.
“I love you, Liam.”
“I hope I get to tell you that myself.”
The tape ended.
Silence.
Liam stood frozen.
Avery touched his shoulder.
He turned and held her.
Not elegantly.
Not carefully.
He buried his face against her hair and cried.
Avery held him with one arm while Leo slept between them.
Nobody interrupted.
Finally Liam stepped back.
He looked at Thomas.
“Why didn't my mother have the tape?”
Thomas glanced toward Victoria.
“She did.”
Liam turned.
Victoria looked shattered.
“I couldn't listen to it.”
“So you buried it.”
“Yes.”
“Along with everything else.”
“Yes.”
Liam wiped his face.
Then his expression changed.
The grief remained.
But beneath it was something harder.
Decision.
He looked toward Richard.
“Call the board.”
Richard frowned.
“Tonight?”
“Tonight.”
Victoria stared at him.
“Liam, don't do anything emotional.”
He almost laughed.
“You publicly accused my wife of infidelity.”
“You illegally tested my infant son.”
“You concealed documents relating to my parentage.”
“You intercepted letters from my biological father.”
“And you tried to interfere with a trust worth nearly five billion dollars.”
He stepped closer.
“This isn't emotional.”
“This is governance.”
Victoria's face changed.
For perhaps the first time in her life, she looked afraid of her son.
Liam continued.
“Effective immediately, you're suspended from every Sterling family office and foundation position you hold.”
“You can't do that.”
“I can recommend it.”
“The board decides.”
Richard quietly said, “He won't have trouble getting the votes.”
Victoria turned toward him.
“You too?”
Richard shook his head.
“No, Victoria.”
“You did this yourself.”
Avery thought it was over.
Then Thomas's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
“What?”
Avery asked.
Thomas looked at Liam.
“The lab technician.”
“What about him?”
“He's willing to testify.”
Victoria went completely still.
Liam noticed.
“Testify to what?”
May you like
Thomas looked directly at Victoria.
“That someone paid him to alter Leo's paternity report.”
