Chapter 5 - The Night Eli Disappeared
The paternity results arrived the following week.
Daniel placed the sealed report on Roman’s desk.
“Legally conclusive.”
Roman didn’t open it.
Daniel sighed.
“You’re impossible.”
“What does it say?”
“Probability greater than 99.99 percent.”
Roman slid the envelope toward the drawer.
“I told you.”
“You did.”
Eli appeared in the doorway.
“What did he tell you?”
Daniel smiled.
“That Roman is definitely your father.”
Eli looked at Roman.
“So now I’m officially stuck with you?”
“Tragically.”
Eli smiled.
For several days, things almost felt normal.
Then Roman made his first serious mistake.
An emergency board meeting ran late.
Roman promised Eli he would return by six for a planetarium program.
At 6:15, Roman was still arguing with investors.
At 6:40, his phone vibrated.
ELI CALLING
Roman silenced it.
“I’ll call him back.”
At 7:30, he returned to the penthouse.
“Eli?”
No answer.
The housekeeper approached nervously.
“Mr. Ashford...”
Roman stopped.
“Where is he?”
“He left this.”
A note waited on the counter.
You said you’d stay.
Roman’s face drained.
“Security!”
Within minutes, every camera in the building was being checked.
Daniel arrived.
“Police are searching.”
Roman grabbed his coat.
“He hates crowds. He doesn’t know the city.”
“Roman, security can—”
“I’m going.”
Then Roman saw the empty hook near the study.
The brass key was gone.
He stopped.
“Cabin Twelve.”
Daniel stared at him.
“What?”
“He took the key.”
Hours later, they located Eli at the bus terminal.
The boy had been trying to find a route to Vermont.
Roman ran through the terminal.
“Eli!”
Eli turned.
Roman stopped in front of him, breathing hard.
“Do you have any idea what you just did?”
Eli flinched.
Roman saw it.
He lowered his voice immediately.
“I was terrified.”
“You forgot.”
“I didn’t forget.”
“You promised.”
Roman had no defense.
Eli’s eyes filled.
“Mom promised she wasn’t leaving either.”
Roman went silent.
There it was.
This wasn’t about the planetarium.
This was about Claire.
Every unanswered call meant abandonment.
Every late arrival meant death might be coming again.
Roman crouched.
“I broke my promise.”
Eli wiped his face.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“People always say that after.”
Roman nodded.
“Then I’ll prove it before next time.”
“How?”
Roman looked at the brass key in Eli’s hand.
“We go to Vermont.”
“When?”
Roman took out his phone.
He called Daniel.
“Cancel tomorrow.”
Daniel groaned.
“Roman—”
“Cancel the week.”
“You have the board vote.”
“Move it.”
“You can’t move a board vote because—”
Roman hung up.
Eli stared at him.
“You just hung up on him.”
May you like
“He’s used to it.”
For the first time that night, Eli smiled.
