I opened the bottom drawer.
Inside were several notebooks, business documents, and a small black recording device.
Attached to it was a note.
Margaret, if you ever find this before Harrison gives it to you, please listen.
My heart began pounding.
I pressed play.
Thomas's voice filled the room.
Weak.
Tired.
But unmistakably his.
“Hello, my darling.”
I covered my mouth.
“I've practiced this conversation a hundred times.”
He coughed softly.
“And somehow I'm still terrible at it.”
I started crying.
Thomas continued.
“Raymond is Julian's biological father. Eleanor told me shortly after Julian was born.”
He paused.
“She was frightened. Raymond threatened her with lawyers and said he'd make sure she never saw her baby again if she tried to force him to acknowledge the child.”
Thomas breathed slowly.
“I stepped in.”
A long silence.
“That's where the secret began.”
My tears fell onto the desk.
“I thought I could protect everyone by keeping things separate.”
