Chapter 5 - "She's My Family"Genevieve suddenly stepped forward.
"Enough."
Her voice trembled beneath its practiced confidence.
"This child is obviously lying."
Julian slowly turned.
Genevieve's expression hardened.
"Someone hired her. This is a publicity stunt."
"She's my niece."
The words hit the ballroom like thunder.
Several guests gasped.
Genevieve stared at him.
"Your... what?"
Julian looked at the little girl.
"My sister's daughter."
The child looked up at him uncertainly.
"You're Uncle Julian?"
His face softened.
"Yes."
She hesitated.
Then she whispered:
"Mommy said you'd find me."
Julian felt something inside him break.
He pulled her gently into his arms.
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For the first time in ten years, he was holding a piece of the sister he had failed to save.
And Genevieve knew immediately that everything had changed.
Related Stories
Chapter 6 - The Woman Who Knew Too MuchGenevieve backed away.
Chapter 7 - The Hidden AccountJulian left the ballroom with the girl that night.
Chapter 8 - What Eleanor Had Left BehindLily finally told Julian everything she remembered.
Chapter 9 - The First Crack in the EmpireJulian's investigators uncovered something shocking.
Chapter 10 - The ConfessionThe old attorney revealed that Eleanor had tried to expose financial crimes inside the family foundation.
Chapter 11 - Beneath the BallroomJulian returned to the ballroom with investigators.
