Chapter 4 - The Voice of a Ghost
Clara’s voice was raspy, weak, and filled with a desperation Silas had never heard before. He gripped the edge of the laptop screen, his knuckles turning white, as the audio file continued to play in the quiet nursery.
"I survived the crash," Clara’s recorded voice breathed heavily. "The water... it was so cold, Silas. But someone pulled me out. Not the police. Not your men. It was a private extraction team. They kept me in a medically induced coma for over a year at a private facility upstate. When I finally woke up... I realized I was pregnant."
Silas closed his eyes. The agony of her words was a physical weight crushing his chest.
"Julian found out," she continued, her voice breaking. "Julian and your father. They were skimming millions from the syndicate, Silas. I found the ledgers the night before the crash. I was coming to tell you. Julian ordered the bridge hit to keep me quiet. When he realized I survived, he kept me locked away, waiting for the baby to be born so he could use her as leverage against you."
A low, animalistic growl vibrated in Silas’s throat. Dante stepped back, recognizing the pure, unadulterated murder radiating from his boss.
"A nurse... she’s helping me," Clara whispered frantically on the recording. "She’s going to take our daughter to you. Her name is Elara. Protect her, Silas. Do not let your brother touch her. I love you. I have always loved you. I'm sorry I couldn't make it home."
The recording ended with a sharp click, followed by endless static.
The room was suffocatingly silent. Even the baby, little Elara, was quiet, staring up at her father with those striking emerald eyes.
May you like
Silas stood up slowly. The grief that had paralyzed him for two years evaporated, replaced by a cold, methodical, and apocalyptic rage. He turned to his most trusted enforcer.
"Dante," Silas said, his voice entirely devoid of emotion. "Julian’s flight to Geneva. Ground it. Bribe the air traffic controllers, threaten the pilot, I don't care what you do. Bring my brother back to Boston. Today."
