Page 69 of Sebastian.

“Don’t. We’ll talk soon, Sebastian. Have a good evening.”

After Margaret's departure, I'm left with a sense of urgency that pulses through my veins. Time is of the essence, and every moment counts. Margaret was correct in her point that my father was a creature of habit, and as such, there is one man that he would always speak to before drawing up legal documents or other things of that nature. He doesn’t work for us anymore, but Willem was a devoted employee for many years. If anyone knows where the agreement between my dad and Karl’s mother would be, it’s him.

With a deep breath, I retrieve my phone and dial Willem's number. It's a long shot, but it's all I have to go on. The retired family attorney is about to become an unwitting participant in this twisted game, and I can hear his surprise as he answers my call.

“Sebastian, my boy, it's been ages. I hope everything is alright.” Willem's warm, familiar voice carries a hint of curiosity.

“I need your help, Willem,” I tell him straight away, my tone as determined as ever.

“Of course. What can I do for you?”

“I really need to know where the settlement agreement my father signed with Karl's mother is located.”

A stunned silence fills the line for a moment, and I can almost picture the old attorney's raised eyebrows. “How did you—”

“Please, Willem,” I interject, firm but pleading. “This is important, and time is running out. Where is it?”

After a reluctant sigh, Willem relents. He guides me step by step, over the phone, to the back of the library to my father’s old wooden desk. As I stand before the heavy, imposing thing, I feel like I’m on the precipice of something that might finally shift the tides in my favor. I follow Willem’s instructions to press the concealed button under the lip of the desk, and there is a thunk as the bottom left drawer unlocks.

With a soft click, the previously locked drawer slides open with the slightest pull. It reveals a file, neatly arranged and tucked away for decades. My heart pounds as I retrieve it, its contents more significant than I could have ever imagined.

“Well, I’ll be damned….”

I open the file, and my eyes immediately fixate on the paternity test conducted in 1973—a time when Karl was likely just a helpless infant. The results are irrefutable, showing a staggering 99% match between Johannes and the baby. I never had any doubt about him being my brother after my father confirmed it, but if I did, this document would settle the matter completely.

As I continue to peruse the document, my heart sinks. The settlement details a financial arrangement: monthly payments from my father to Karl's mother, support for Karl's upbringing and education, and direct mentorship within the Van den Bosch business empire to secure his future fortune. In return, she and Karl are to renounce any claims to the noble title of Count and the Van den Bosch inheritance…and of course, keep his paternity a secret. Forever.

The truth rolls over me as I process everything that I’m reading. My father, a man I revered and looked up to my entire life, had orchestrated this elaborate ruse to secure Karl's future—a future that would have inevitably collided with mine. I’ve been, for decades now, a pawn in a game that began long before my time.

I can’t help but voice my incredulity as I stare at the legal document before me. “Is this even legal, Willem? I’ve never seen an agreement like this in my life.”

Willem's response is measured. “More or less,” he admits with a sigh. “It was a different time, Sebastian.”

Saying my goodbyes to our former lawyer, I close the file, a sense of melancholy mingling with the bitterness of betrayal. The secrets of my family, the choices made by my father, and the dark intentions hidden behind this document loom over me. There is no turning back now; the past has resurfaced, and the consequences are inescapable. If Karl had succeeded in eliminating me, he’d have undoubtedly risen through the ranks, poised to claim the coveted CEO position, and then claim everything he’s entitled to thanks to that new nobility act I wasn’t even aware of.

Pouring myself the glass of port that I fantasized about earlier, I call the butler to light the fire so I can settle down in front of it. Staring into the flames, I work at mentally connecting the dots. I contemplate the pivotal question that now hovers in my thoughts like a shadow: when did Karl discover the truth about his lineage? How long has he known that we are brothers?

More importantly, how could he know that we are related, and still seek to betray me so completely? Taking a long drink, I sigh, closing my eyes. It’s been a long day, and now it’s clearly going to be an even longer week.

21

Sebastian

The home is modest,but large, and frankly, quite lovely. From the street, far down the long driveway, it doesn’t look as big as it really is. This Dutch farmhouse boasts a steeply pitched gable roof covered in clay tiles. Ivy gracefully adorns its aged brick walls, while a white picket fence encircles the property, full of old-world charm. Lavender-hued wisteria vines climb the walls, and trees covered with heavy foliage dip to obscure part of the building from view. Wide, elegant windows with wooden shutters illuminate the interior, complementing the soothing pastel hue of the facade. A stone pathway guides visitors to the wooden front door, adorned with potted flowers.

A maid, dressed in a pale blue uniform dress, greets me at the gate as if she is expecting me. My eye is keen, though, and I see the security cameras hidden in the eaves of the roof, identical to the ones stowed away out of sight in the trees at the front of the driveway. I’m not surprised that Karl would have a security system setup for his mother like this. She might be the only person in the world that he really cares about, if his recent behavior towards me and the revelation from Margaret is any indication.

“This way, Mr. Van den Bosch,” the housekeeper gestures, opening the gate for me. Again, it’s not unexpected that they already know who I am. Lately I’ve been in the news more than I’ve ever wanted to be, and my face has become pretty well known.

Plus, I’m sure Karl’s mother has kept tabs on her son’s brother/boss, especially since his good fortune has rested on my shoulders for so long.

I follow the maid down the stone path, my hands shoved in my pockets, as she leads me to the back of the home. There, in the garden, wearing a yellow apron and matching gardening gloves, is Karl’s mother. The woman, who looks to be in her seventies, is bent over just slightly pruning a flowering rhododendron, a large sun hat shielding her lined face. There’s a quick catch in my chest—why is this woman still here, enjoying her golden years gardening, while my mother never got the chance? I shake my head to dispel the thought, and rock back on my heels as the maid announces my arrival.

“Ms Townsend, Sebastian van den Bosch is here to see you,” the maid chirps, as she stands beside me, a few feet behind her employer.

Lilian Townsend straightens, and tuns slowly to face us, her eyes wide in surprise as she removes her hat. “Oh, well now, this is certainly unexpected.” Although I came here without letting her know, there’s some sarcasm in her tone as if she knew that sooner or later I would pay her a visit.

“Sorry to interrupt your afternoon, Ms. Townsend. Do you have some time? I only want to talk.”

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