Chapter 5: The Man Who Stole My Son
“Get away from my family!””
I shouted before Richard could take another step.
He stopped beside the garden gate.
His silver walking stick tapped against the pavement.
“Still dramatic, Ethan. You always were.””
I moved Noah behind me.
Richard glanced at the child.
“That's a beautiful boy.””
“Don't look at him.””
He smiled.
“Why? He's my family too.””
Emily stood up slowly.
Her hands were trembling, but she didn't release Noah.
“You have no right to come here.””
Richard tilted his head.
“Emily. I must say, you look remarkably well for someone who was supposed to be dead.””
My mother began crying.
“Richard, please. The police are coming.””
He looked at her.
“Margaret, you should have stayed out of this.””
Then he turned toward me.
“Ethan, we need to talk.””
I laughed.
“You have three minutes before the police arrive.””
Richard checked his watch.
“Then I'll be brief.””
He gestured toward the man standing beside the SUV.
“This is Victor. He handles my private security.””
Victor was tall, broad-shouldered, and expressionless. He wore a dark jacket despite the afternoon heat.
Richard continued.
“Your grandfather left behind a substantial estate. Unfortunately, certain documents were never properly executed.””
I stared at him.
“Is that why you kidnapped my son?””
Richard's smile disappeared.
“Careful with your accusations.””
Emily stepped forward.
“You stole our baby.””
Richard sighed.
“You're making this unnecessarily emotional.””
Emily's voice shook with rage.
“He was six pounds. He had tiny fingers. I held him for eleven minutes before you told the nurses to take him away.””
Richard looked bored.
“And yet here we are.””
I wanted to hit him.
I wanted to grab that silver walking stick and break it over his head.
But Noah was standing behind me.
I couldn't risk him getting hurt.
“Where is my son?”” I asked.
Richard adjusted his cufflinks.
“Safe.””
“Where?””
“Somewhere you can't reach.””
Emily began shaking.
“Richard, what have you done to him?””
He looked at her.
“Nothing you need to worry about.””
Then he held up a document.
“This is why I've come. Your grandfather established a private trust for his grandchildren. The original beneficiary records were never finalized because of the circumstances surrounding the birth.””
I frowned.
“What circumstances?””
Richard smiled.
“The existence of two boys.””
I understood.
The trust had been created before the twins were born. Someone had manipulated the records to make one child disappear.
Richard wanted control of the money.
But there was something else.
I looked at the document.
“Why do you need my signature?””
“Because you're the legal father.””
“Of both boys?””
Richard's smile faded slightly.
“Of course.””
“Then why did you tell everyone one of them died?””
He didn't answer.
Emily stepped beside me.
“Because he needed the second child to disappear from the records. He planned to make Noah the only recognized beneficiary.””
Richard sighed.
“You've always been clever, Emily. Unfortunately, clever people sometimes become inconvenient.””
I felt Noah's little fingers tighten around mine.
“Daddy,” he whispered.
I bent down.
“It's okay.””
He looked at Richard.
Then he said something that made the older man's expression change.
“That's the bad man from my pictures.””
I turned.
“What pictures?””
Noah pointed at Richard.
“Grandma showed me the pictures in the little room. She said he was my other grandpa.””
Richard stopped smiling.
I looked at my mother.
“What little room?””
Mom covered her face.
“The upstairs study.””
Noah nodded.
“There's a picture of him with another baby. The baby has my pajamas.””
Richard's walking stick struck the ground.
“Enough.””
I stepped closer.
“What pictures, Richard?””
He looked at Victor.
Victor immediately moved toward the gate.
Daniel stepped in front of him.
“Not happening.””
Richard's face hardened.
“You people have no idea what you're interfering with.””
Emily suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Ethan, listen to me. We need to get the original hospital records.””
“Where?””
“In the cellar. Your grandfather kept copies of everything.””
Richard's expression changed.
For the first time, I saw genuine fear cross his face.
He turned toward Victor.
“Get the papers.””
Victor started toward the house.
I blocked his path.
“You're not going anywhere.””
Victor reached inside his jacket.
Daniel shouted.
“Everybody back!””
The guests scattered.
A woman screamed.
Then blue and red lights flashed across the front windows.
The police had arrived.
Richard stepped backward.
His face returned to its calm expression.
“Excellent,” he said.
“Now we can settle this properly.””
Two officers entered the garden.
The first approached me.
“Sir, we received a report of a disturbance and a possible missing-person situation.””
“She's not missing anymore,” I said, pointing toward Emily.
The officer looked at her.
Then at the cellar.
“Ma'am, are you injured?””
Emily nodded.
“I'm going to need an ambulance.””
The second officer approached Richard.
“Sir, may I ask you to identify yourself?””
Richard handed him a business card.
“Richard Hayes. I'm a retired attorney.””
I almost laughed.
“Tell them about the baby.””
Richard looked at me.
“What baby?””
“The son you stole from Emily.””
He shook his head.
“Ethan is clearly distressed. This is a family disagreement.””
Emily stepped forward.
“No. It's a kidnapping.””
The officer looked at her.
“Do you have evidence?””
Emily reached into her cardigan and handed him the photograph.
Then she pointed toward the cellar.
“The original records are down there.””
The officer called for another unit.
Richard's expression remained composed, but his fingers had tightened around his walking stick.
Then my phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
It showed a young boy standing outside a school.
The boy had dark hair, a small scar above his eyebrow, and a crescent-shaped birthmark visible beneath his shirt collar.
It was Noah's face.
Not the Noah standing beside me.
The other Noah.
Beneath the photograph was a message:
*YOUR FIRST SON IS AT ST. ANDREW'S ACADEMY. IF YOU WANT HIM BACK, COME ALONE.*
I showed Emily.
She began crying.
“That's him.””
I looked toward Richard.
He was watching my phone.
And he was smiling again.
“Congratulations, nephew,” he said quietly.
“You've finally found your other son.””
Then he leaned closer.
“But there's one thing Emily hasn't told you.””
I grabbed his jacket.
“What?””
He whispered into my ear.
“The boy you think I stole wasn't the only child born that night.””
My hands went numb.
May you like
Richard stepped away.
“Ask your mother what happened to the third baby.””
