Chapter 6 - The Voice from the Grave
The static hissed through the silent office, followed by a voice that made Elena’s knees buckle.
“Jules, it’s me.”
David’s voice. Young, tired, but unmistakably his. Elena clamped a hand over her mouth, hot tears spilling down her cheeks. Maya buried her face in her mother's neck.
“If you’re listening to this, it means you finally stopped being a stubborn bastard,” David’s recorded voice let out a weak laugh. “I’m mailing you this phone because I know Victor monitors your primary lines. Listen to me carefully. I didn't steal the money, Julian. Victor did. He set up the offshore accounts in my name. I found the audit trails, but before I could bring them to Dad, Victor threatened to have me killed. I had no proof, and I knew you wouldn't believe me over him.”
Julian gripped the edge of the counter, his knuckles turning white. Victor Vance. His Chief Operating Officer. His trusted right-hand man.
“I’m not calling to ask for my life back,” David’s voice continued, turning remarkably soft. “I found a girl, Jules. Her name is Elena. She’s beautiful, and she works harder than anyone I’ve ever met. We’re having a baby. A little girl. We’re going to name her Maya.”
Elena let out a broken sob, sinking to her knees on the plush carpet.
“I’m sending this because Victor is still watching me,” David whispered, the fear evident in the recording. “If anything ever happens to me, it wasn't an accident. Please, Jules. Don't let him touch Elena and my daughter. Protect them. They are your blood. I love you, big brother. Goodbye.”
The line went dead.
Julian stood perfectly still, the silence in the room deafening. The car accident three years ago. The brake failure on a quiet road in Queens. It wasn't a tragedy. It was a murder. And Julian had been employing the killer for a decade.
He looked down at Elena, who was weeping uncontrollably on the floor, holding his niece. Julian felt a dangerous, terrifying rage ignite in his chest. A cold, absolute resolve settled over his heart.
He walked over and knelt beside them. He gently placed his hand on Elena’s shaking shoulder.
“Elena, look at me,” Julian commanded softly.
May you like
She looked up, her eyes red and fearful.
“You are a Sterling,” Julian swore, his voice like iron. “You will never scrub another floor. You will never worry about a bill. And the man who took my brother from you is going to pay with his life.”
