Chapter 7 - A Name Lucas Wasn't Allowed to Say.
Victor did not raise his voice.
That made the moment more frightening.
Natalie stepped in front of Lucas.
“We found the key in the hallway.”
Victor looked past her at the paper in her hand.
“No, you found it behind the portrait.”
Natalie felt Lucas grip the back of her uniform.
Victor knew exactly where the key had been.
“Did you put the envelope under the door?” she asked.
Victor's eyes returned to hers.
“That would be a strange thing for me to do.”
“It would also be a strange thing to know where the hidden key was.”
He smiled slightly.
“I have worked for Daniel for twenty years.”
“Then you know where Claire is.”
The smile disappeared.
Lucas whispered from behind Natalie.
“Claire.”
Victor's gaze dropped.
The boy said it again, louder this time.
“Claire is my mom.”
Victor's expression changed in a way Natalie could not read.
Then Daniel appeared behind him.
“What are you doing in here?”
Lucas stepped around Natalie.
“Her name is Claire.”
Daniel stopped.
His son held his gaze.
“Claire.”
Daniel looked at Victor, then at Natalie, then at the page in her hand.
Natalie passed it to him.
He read the dates.
His face became unreadable.
“What is this?”
Victor answered first.
“Probably something old that Evelyn missed.”
Natalie stared at him.
“The last date is three days ago.”
Daniel looked up.
Victor sighed as if the situation were merely inconvenient.
“Daniel, you know how unreliable outside messages can be.”
“What messages?”
Victor said nothing.
Daniel's voice lowered.
“What messages?”
Lucas began to tremble.
Natalie crouched beside him.
Daniel saw it and forced his voice down.
Victor adjusted one cuff.
“Claire has attempted contact.”
The silence afterward felt endless.
Daniel took one step toward him.
“How many times?”
“Not here.”
“How many?”
Victor looked at Lucas.
Natalie immediately understood what he was doing.
He was using the child's presence to control the conversation.
Daniel understood too.
His face tightened.
“Evelyn.”
The house manager appeared at the end of the hall almost instantly.
Daniel pointed toward the stairs.
“Take Lucas to the garden room.”
Lucas grabbed Natalie.
“No.”
Natalie put her hand over his.
“I’ll come with you.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You stay.”
Lucas's breathing accelerated.
Natalie shook her head.
“No.”
Daniel's patience broke.
“This is not a request.”
Lucas flinched so hard that Daniel immediately regretted the tone.
Natalie spoke quietly.
“You can question Victor without me.”
“I need to know what you found.”
“You already have the paper.”
Daniel looked from her to his son.
For once, he chose correctly.
“Go.”
In the garden room, Lucas sat beneath a tall window and stared at the rain.
Evelyn stood by the door.
Natalie sat beside him.
“Did my mom write twenty-four letters?”
“I think she tried.”
“Did Dad throw them away?”
Natalie looked at Evelyn.
The house manager's face remained still.
“I don’t know.”
Lucas's voice hardened.
“You always say you don’t know when grown-ups lie.”
Natalie felt the accusation.
He was not wrong.
Before she could answer, shouting echoed faintly from Daniel's study.
Not words.
Just Daniel's voice raised in anger.
Lucas covered his ears.
Natalie pulled him close.
Evelyn stared toward the hallway.
Then she whispered something to herself.
Natalie caught only two words.
“Not again.”
She looked up.
“What happened before?”
Evelyn's face tightened.
“Nothing.”
“Evelyn.”
The older woman looked at Lucas.
Then at Natalie.
For the first time, fear appeared beneath her polished control.
“Two years ago, the last night Claire was here, Daniel and Victor argued exactly like this.”
Lucas lowered his hands.
Natalie leaned forward.
“About what?”
Evelyn swallowed.
“About whether Daniel should be told she was coming back.”
Lucas stared at her.
Natalie felt the room tilt.
“You knew?”
Evelyn's eyes filled with shame.
“I knew there was a call.”
“What call?”
“A call from Claire.”
Lucas stood.
May you like
Evelyn's voice nearly failed.
“She said she was coming home for her son.”
