Chapter 11 - THE MAN BEFORE ARTHUR
Nathan stared at Julian.
“Our grandfather died before I was born.”
“That’s what Arthur said.”
“Julian.”
“I saw this man once.”
“When?”
“I was eight.”
Nathan frowned.
“You remember?”
“Because Father hit me afterward for asking who he was.”
That sounded like Arthur.
Julian pointed to the unknown man.
“He came to the estate at night. Father called him Sir.”
Nathan’s face changed.
Arthur Cole called nobody Sir.
“Who?”
Julian looked at the photograph again.
“I think his name was Gabriel.”
Nathan knew one Gabriel Cole from family stories.
Gabriel Cole.
Arthur’s uncle.
Supposedly killed overseas decades earlier.
A man who helped build the family fortune before disappearing from every photograph after 1979.
Grace whispered:
“Could he still be alive?”
“Easily.”
Old.
But alive.
Nathan looked at Lily.
“He gave you juice?”
Lily nodded.
“Was he nice?”
“Yes.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.”
“Did he say anything?”
“He said Daddy would come.”
Nathan stopped.
“He knew I would find you.”
Lily nodded.
“Then he said Uncle Julian is loud.”
Julian almost laughed.
Almost.
Nathan did not.
The man knew both brothers.
Knew the mausoleum.
Knew the Black Table.
Maybe created it before Arthur.
Grace looked at the watch.
“Find the father.”
Nathan understood differently now.
Not Lily’s father.
Arthur’s father.
Or the father before Arthur’s power.
The oldest living architect.
Julian looked toward the corridor.
“If Gabriel built the Table—”
“Then Edwin may not be the top.”
“No.”
“Maybe Edwin answers to him.”
Grace looked toward Lily.
“Then why save her?”
Nathan asked the same thing.
If Gabriel was behind the kidnapping, Lily had been treated carefully.
If Edwin took her, why leave her where Nathan could find her?
Someone had moved her.
Someone older.
Someone playing both sides.
Dante entered from the passage.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“Edwin is at the main house.”
Nathan turned.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“Alone?”
“No.”
“Who?”
Dante hesitated.
“Richard Hayes.”
Of course.
“And?”
“Victoria.”
Grace’s face hardened.
Nathan lifted Lily.
The child wrapped her arms around his neck immediately.
He felt the weight of her.
Real.
Alive.
His.
He looked at Grace.
“You take her to the west wing.”
“No.”
“Grace.”
“She was taken from me once today.”
Nathan understood.
He looked at Julian.
“Stay with them.”
Julian stared.
“You trust me?”
“No.”
Nathan handed Lily to Grace.
“But I trust what Edwin wants to do to you less.”
Julian almost smiled.
“Fair.”
Nathan went to the house with Dante.
Edwin Cole sat in Arthur’s old chair.
That alone was an insult.
Eighty-one.
Silver hair.
Thin hands.
Still sharp-eyed.
Richard stood near the fireplace.
Victoria beside him.
No one looked surprised Nathan had found Lily.
Nathan entered.
“Get out of my father’s chair.”
Edwin smiled.
“Arthur always hated when you said that.”
Nathan stopped.
“You knew he hated it.”
“Yes.”
“Then stand.”
Edwin did.
Slowly.
Nathan looked at Richard.
“You knew about the mausoleum.”
Richard said nothing.
Victoria looked pale.
Nathan turned to her.
“Did you know Lily was taken?”
“No.”
“Truth.”
“No.”
He believed her.
That did not save her.
Nathan looked at Edwin.
“You took her.”
“No.”
“You ordered it.”
“No.”
“Evelyn says otherwise.”
“Evelyn believes what Julian taught her.”
Nathan’s eyes narrowed.
Edwin continued.
“Your brother is very good at turning frightened people into loyal ones.”
“Where is Evelyn?”
“Gone.”
“Alive?”
“For now.”
Nathan’s voice became cold.
“You’re running out of useful answers.”
Edwin smiled.
“You think you found the bottom because you walked under a chapel.”
Nathan stared.
“No.”
“Good.”
Edwin looked toward Arthur’s portrait.
“The Black Table existed before Arthur.”
“Gabriel.”
Edwin’s expression changed.
Small.
Enough.
Nathan knew.
“You know him.”
“Yes.”
“Alive?”
Edwin hesitated.
“Yes.”
Richard looked at him.
Victoria too.
They had not known.
Nathan continued.
“Who is he?”
“The man Arthur spent his life trying to escape.”
Nathan almost laughed.
“Arthur feared him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Gabriel raised him.”
“What?”
Edwin looked at Nathan.
“Arthur’s father died young.”
Nathan knew that story.
Car accident.
“Gabriel became the father he had left.”
“And?”
“He taught Arthur how families survive.”
“Black Table.”
“Yes.”
Nathan’s face hardened.
“Then Arthur turned against him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Gabriel believed blood should be owned.”
Silence.
Nathan stared.
Edwin continued.
“Marriages. Children. heirs. Every relationship was a strategic asset.”
Nathan looked toward Victoria.
His engagement.
Lily.
Grace.
The system had been older than any of them.
“What does Gabriel want now?”
May you like
Edwin looked almost afraid.
“He wants the Cole family back.”
