Chapter 17 - What Belonged to Lucas
The trust hearing took place in Providence.
Damian sat beside Martin.
Elena sat behind them.
Adrian appeared by secure video from detention.
His face looked thinner.
But the old confidence remained.
Adrian’s attorney argued that Northstar interests could represent property beneficially belonging to Vincent Vale’s descendants, including Lucas.
“Mr. Damian Vale cannot surrender a minor beneficiary’s potential rights merely to repair his public reputation.”
Damian hated that the argument had legal force.
The independent trustee appointed for Lucas agreed that any renunciation required investigation.
The judge turned to Damian.
“Mr. Vale, why are you seeking this relief?”
Damian stood.
“Because if my father diverted assets that belonged to Vale Oceanic, I don’t want my son inheriting stolen value.”
Adrian’s attorney objected.
“Allegedly diverted.”
The judge nodded.
“Use careful language.”
Damian corrected himself.
“If an independent process determines those assets properly belonged to the company, they should be returned.”
“Even if that reduces your son’s inheritance?”
“Yes.”
“By hundreds of millions?”
“Yes.”
The judge studied him.
“Why?”
Damian looked at Lucas, who was not inside the courtroom but waiting with Elena’s sister.
“Because he nearly lost his mother and his life because adults decided money entitled them to other people.”
Silence.
“I won’t teach him the lesson was that the wrong adults got the money.”
Adrian’s image on the monitor changed.
For the first time, Damian saw anger.
Not calculation.
Anger.
The judge denied any immediate renunciation but appointed a special master to investigate Northstar ownership.
It was not the dramatic victory reporters wanted.
But it prevented Adrian from using Lucas’s trust as a shield for stolen assets.
Outside court, Elena approached Damian.
“That was good.”
“What?”
“You didn’t perform for the judge.”
“I was terrified.”
“I know.”
He smiled faintly.
“Does terror make me convincing?”
“No. Truth does.”
The criminal proceedings accelerated.
Margaret Cole accepted a cooperation agreement and agreed to testify.
Blake Soren did the same.
Weller too.
Dane attempted to negotiate but prosecutors refused broad immunity.
Celeste finally pleaded not guilty but authorized discussions.
Adrian remained defiant.
Then the final forensic report on Lucas’s red toy speedboat arrived.
The memory card contained one additional recoverable audio fragment.
It was recorded after the visible footage ended.
The camera apparently fell sideways inside the toy compartment but continued capturing sound.
Elena’s voice:
“Lucas has nothing to do with this.”
Adrian:
“Then where did you put the copy?”
Celeste:
“She always copies everything.”
Elena:
“You’ll never find it.”
Adrian:
“Then we’ll search until we do.”
A door slammed.
Then Margaret’s voice:
“You’re all thinking too small. Elena is not the problem. Damian is.”
Adrian:
“What are you suggesting?”
Margaret:
“If Damian loses control of the trusts, we don’t need Elena’s cooperation.”
Silence.
Celeste:
“How?”
Margaret:
“Make him look dangerous.”
The recording ended.
Damian stared.
The strategy had existed from the beginning.
His own temper became their planned weapon.
Adrian’s lawyer argued the clip was ambiguous and did not establish violent framing.
But combined with Dane’s archive of secretly collected angry moments and the draft trustee-removal petition, it became powerful evidence of intent.
Prosecutors filed additional obstruction and conspiracy theories.
Damian visited Adrian only once.
Through detention glass.
Adrian picked up the phone.
“I wondered when you’d come.”
Damian sat.
“Why?”
Adrian smiled.
“You know why.”
“No. I know what.”
The smile faded.
“I know the money. The shares. Northstar. Harbor Meridian.”
“Then what do you want?”
“I want to know why Lucas.”
Adrian looked away.
“You never had children.”
“No.”
“So you don’t get to use him as a corporate percentage.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“Vincent did that first.”
Damian stared.
“Dad made every relationship a percentage.”
“Yes.”
“And you decided the solution was to become him?”
Adrian laughed.
“You became him too.”
Damian did not deny it.
“Maybe.”
That took power from the accusation.
Adrian leaned closer.
“You think giving away Northstar makes you noble?”
“No.”
“You think Elena will forgive you?”
“I don’t know.”
“You think Lucas won’t learn what you really are?”
Damian’s voice remained calm.
“He will.”
Adrian looked confused.
“I’m going to tell him about my mistakes when he’s old enough.”
Silence.
“No secrets.”
Damian stood.
Adrian’s expression finally cracked.
“You always got to leave.”
Damian paused.
“What?”
“When we were boys. Vincent screamed at me, you could go home with your mother. I stayed.”
Damian looked at him.
There it was.
Not justification.
A wound.
Adrian had built a criminal empire around an old child’s belief that Damian had escaped and he had not.
Damian whispered, “I’m sorry for what he did to you.”
Adrian’s eyes filled unexpectedly.
May you like
Then Damian added, “But I’m not sorry you were caught.”
He hung up.
