Chapter 6 - A Brother’s Bond
On Thursday afternoon, I brought Eli to my house for the very first time.
Marianne had been hesitant, but after seeing the high-level security detail I had placed around her home for protection, she trusted me enough to let Eli spend the afternoon with Owen.
When the two boys saw each other in the living room, Owen immediately ran upstairs and returned with a large wooden chessboard and a brand-new pair of leather sneakers.
"Here," Owen said, handing the shoe box to Eli with a bright smile. "These are yours, Eli. Real ones that fit."
Eli looked at the box, then up at me. I gave him an encouraging nod. He carefully opened the box, touching the clean white leather with reverence before slipping his feet inside. They fit perfectly.
"Thank you, Owen," Eli said softly.
For the next two hours, I sat in the armchair, watching my two sons sit cross-legged on the rug, playing chess. Eli played with a quiet, intense concentration, calculating three moves ahead—a trait he had inherited directly from my military lineage. Owen played with energetic enthusiasm, laughing whenever Eli captured one of his knights.
Watching them together, the deep ache that had filled my chest for ten years finally began to heal. They were brothers, connected not just by blood, but by an undeniable bond that my family’s lies had failed to destroy.
Later that evening, while the boys were eating dinner in the kitchen, Marianne called my personal line.
"Arthur," she said, her voice filled with anxiety. "Your mother just called my house."
My hand tightened around the phone. "What did she say?"
"She offered me one million dollars in cash to take Eli and leave Virginia tonight," Marianne revealed. "She said if I didn't take the money, she would make sure I was arrested for extortion."
"Don't touch anything, Marianne," I said firmly. "Did she call from her private line?"
"Yes. I recorded the call on my house phone like you told me to."
"Good," I said, a dark smile touching my face. "She’s panicking. She knows Harrison’s legal shield is crumbling."
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"Arthur," Marianne’s voice softened, filled with genuine concern. "Are you really ready for what’s going to happen on Saturday? Eleanor holds tremendous power in this state. She can destroy your reputation."
"Marianne," I looked through the kitchen doorway at Eli and Owen laughing together at the table. "For ten years, I believed I lost the woman I loved and lived without knowing my son existed. There is nothing my mother can do to me that is worse than the lies she already told. On Saturday, the truth comes out."
