Chapter 13 - CONFESSION
Maya walked toward Charles.
“You knew.”
He nodded.
“All night?”
“Yes.”
“You knew when you accused me of poisoning you?”
His face tightened.
“Yes.”
“You knew when you told me not to dig into your dead son?”
“Yes.”
Maya slapped him.
Adrian laughed.
“That makes two Sterling family members you’ve hit tonight. I’m starting to like you.”
“Shut up.”
Adrian’s smile faded.
Maya faced Charles.
“My whole life?”
“I found out after Elena became pregnant.”
“And?”
“She refused my money.”
Elena snapped, “I refused you.”
Charles looked at her.
“I know.”
“You had a wife.”
“I was separated.”
“You had power over me.”
“I know that too.”
Maya felt sick.
She didn’t want their history.
Not now.
Adrian clapped slowly.
“Beautiful. Really. Family therapy at sunrise.”
He grabbed Charles by the hair and forced his head toward the cameras.
“Confess.”
Charles stared into the lens.
“To what?”
“Everything.”
“You already released the documents.”
“The public deserves to hear you say it.”
Charles laughed weakly.
“You don’t care about the public.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
“No?”
“You care about hurting me.”
“Yes.”
Finally, honesty.
Adrian leaned close.
“I spent three years locked in a private clinic because you were embarrassed by me.”
“You were dangerous.”
“You drugged me.”
“You attacked people.”
“You destroyed evidence.”
Charles looked at the camera.
“I did.”
Adrian froze.
Charles continued.
“I bribed officials. I approved false reports. I allowed defective products to stay in circulation.”
Maya stared.
No lawyer.
No spin.
No denial.
Charles kept going.
“People died because protecting Sterling Medical mattered more to me than telling the truth.”
Adrian’s breathing changed.
He had waited years for this.
“And?”
“I faked my son’s death.”
“And?”
“I used a dead stranger to do it.”
“And?”
“I abandoned Maya before she was born.”
Maya flinched.
Charles looked directly at her.
“I told myself leaving her alone was better than ruining her life.”
Tears burned behind Maya’s eyes.
“I was wrong.”
Adrian shouted, “KEEP GOING!”
Charles looked at him.
“I failed you.”
Adrian went still.
“You don’t get to say that.”
“I failed you as a father.”
“Stop.”
“I cared more about control than understanding what I had done to you.”
“STOP!”
Charles’s voice remained steady.
“And now you’re becoming me.”
Adrian struck him.
Maya screamed.
Blood ran from Charles’s mouth.
Adrian raised the gun.
Elena stepped forward.
“Adrian.”
He looked at her.
She spoke softly.
“My son.”
His hand shook.
“You left.”
“I was afraid of you.”
“I loved you.”
“I know.”
“You chose them.”
“I chose life.”
“You chose Charles!”
“No.”
Elena stepped closer.
“I chose not to let hatred decide who I became.”
Adrian’s face crumpled.
For one second, Maya saw the abandoned young man inside him.
Then another voice came from the shadows.
“How touching.”
Eleanor emerged from behind the stage curtains.
Gun raised.
Aimed at Adrian.
“Move away from my husband.”
Adrian smiled.
May you like
“You finally came.”
Eleanor fired.
