“Julian?” I asked.
Claire nodded.
“Noah is Julian’s son.”
The anger inside me shifted, making room for confusion.
“Why hide that?”
Adrian looked toward the city lights.
“Because Julian wasn’t overseas when he died.”
No one spoke.
“He was here,” Adrian continued. “He had been using company money.”
Priya’s expression sharpened.
“How much?”
“Not from this company. From the first one. The startup before Carter Meridian.”
The company Adrian never discussed.
“He borrowed from people he shouldn’t have,” Adrian said. “He used forged documents. When everything collapsed, he disappeared.”
“And Claire?” I asked.
“She was pregnant.”
Claire’s hand remained on Noah’s shoulder.
“Julian promised he would come back,” she said. “He never did.”
Adrian swallowed.
“I found him six months later. He was sick. He died before Noah was born.”
The room seemed to shrink around us.
“You told me he died in an accident.”
