Chapter 2
The hidden door opened inward.
No dramatic machinery.
No ancient secret passage.
Just a narrow maintenance room built between the curved projection wall and the old mechanical corridor behind it.
A folding cot.
Water bottles.
A lamp.
A chair.
And a man sitting beneath the planetarium’s emergency lights.
He was thinner than the father I remembered.
Older.
White threaded through his hair and beard.
But the eyes—
mine.
Or rather, his first.
He lifted one hand.
On his finger sat a black Vercetti signet ring with a hairline crack across the crest.
My father’s real ring.
I knew the crack.
I caused it when I was fourteen after dropping it onto marble while trying it on without permission.
The man looked at me.
“Rafael.”
My name in his voice destroyed twelve years in one second.
I did not move.
Lucas was with Mrs. Bennett outside the room.
Good.
This part belonged to adults first.
“Who are you?”
His expression barely changed.
“You know.”
“No.”
My voice stayed low.
“I know a ring.”
That hurt him.
Good.
I needed hurt to exist somewhere other than inside me.
He stood slowly.
“Lorenzo Vercetti.”
“My father died.”
“I know.”
I almost laughed.
Apparently we were both experts in impossible sentences.
Behind me, Evelyn said:
“Rafael, do not listen to him.”
Lorenzo’s eyes moved toward her.
Something cold entered his face.
“Still giving orders, Evelyn?”
My cousin said nothing.
Interesting.
Graham had finally been pulled upright by two guards.
He looked at Lorenzo with recognition.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
I saw it.
“So Graham knew.”
Lorenzo nodded.
“For longer than she’ll admit.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“He abandoned you.”
I turned.
She continued quickly.
“He staged his death. Left the family. Left you.”
Lorenzo’s face tightened.
Not denial.
My chest went cold.
“Did you?”
He looked at me.
“Yes.”
One word.
Clean.
Ugly.
I felt more betrayed by that than by the coffin.
“You let me bury you.”
“Yes.”
“You let me become head at twenty-four.”
“Yes.”
“You let me mourn you.”
His eyes filled.
“Yes.”
I stepped closer.
“Then why are you inside my wall?”
His gaze moved to Evelyn and Graham.
“Because I came back three weeks ago.”
May you like
A pause.
“And they made sure you never knew.”
