Heartprints in the Void
⊰ 11.5 | 1 ⊱ A Reckoning: Part 1

**Cade**

The steady hum of the car's engine fills the silence as I wait outside the airport. My eyes flick between the arrival board and the rearview mirror, where I can see Naomi peacefully sleeping in her car seat. Her little chest rises and falls with each breath, her dark lashes fluttering against her cheeks. The sight of her never fails to soften something in me, a reminder of what really matters in this world.

My phone buzzes, drawing my attention away from her. James' name flashes on the screen. I answer, keeping my voice low to avoid waking Naomi. "What's up, James?"

"Hey, Cade. Got an update on the board situation." There's a pause, and I can almost see him running a hand through his black hair, a nervous tick he's had since college. "But there's something else you need to know."

I straighten in my seat, tension creeping into my shoulders. "Go on."

"The Feds have been sniffing around your father's affairs."

*The Feds? What the hell did he do now?*

My grip tightens on the steering wheel. "Since when?"

"Not sure exactly, but it's been going on for a while. They're building a case against him, Cade. Tax evasion, conspiracy... it's serious stuff."

My eyes widen in surprise. It's not the first time my father's been in trouble with the law. And somehow, he's always managed to wiggle his way out of it. But this... this is something else entirely.

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Alright, keep me posted on any developments. I need to know everything."

"Will do."

The call ends, leaving me with a storm of thoughts. Part of me wants to feel vindicated-finally, David Sinclair might face consequences for his actions. But another part, a part I'm not entirely comfortable acknowledging, feels a twinge of... worry? Concern?

Before I can delve deeper into that emotional minefield, I spot Elysian walking through the airport doors. She looks tired but beautiful, her dark hair pulled back in a messy bun, oversized sunglasses perched on her nose. My heart rate picks up at the sight of her, just like it always has.

I step out of the car, waving to catch her attention. When she sees me, her whole face lights up, and she quickens her pace. We meet halfway, and I pull her into my arms, breathing in her familiar scent.

"God, I missed you," I murmur into her hair.

She pulls back slightly, rising on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss to my lips. "I missed you too."

I load her luggage into the trunk as she settles into the car, twisting in her seat to look at Naomi. A soft smile plays on her lips as I hop into the driver's seat.

"I've only been gone a couple of days and I feel like she's gotten so big," she whispers, reaching back to gently stroke our daughter's cheek.

I nod, pulling out of the parking lot. "She kept asking for 'Mama' the whole time you were gone."

Elysian's eyes mist over at that, and she turns back to face the front, her hand replaceing mine over the center console.

We make small talk as we drive how her flight was smooth, the hot and humid weather in Florida, how things were at home while she was gone. But there's something off about her responses. Her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes, and there's a tension in her shoulders that wasn't there before she left.

By the time we pull into our driveway, the sun has set, casting long shadows across the manicured lawn. I park the car and turn to face her, unable to ignore the elephant in the room any longer.

"Are you going to tell me what happened with your aunt?"

Elysian's eyes widen slightly, and she bites her lower lip-a tell-tale sign that she's nervous. She glances back at Naomi, still sound asleep, then meets my gaze.

"Cade, I... I found out something. Something big."

I nod, encouraging her to continue. But before she does, my blood runs cold at the sheer hesitation dancing in her eye.

*What the hell did you do, Dad?*

Elysian takes a deep breath. "Your father... he has another child. With my aunt."

For a moment, I think I've misheard her. But the serious look on her face, the trembling of her hands-it's all too real.

"What?" I manage to choke out.

She nods, her eyes never leaving mine. "Maisie... she's your half-sister, Cade. Your father had an affair with my aunt years ago. He paid her off and threatened her to keep quiet."

The world seems to tilt on its axis. My father, the man I've spent my entire life trying to please, to understand... he had another family? Another child?

*Of course he fucking did.*

Rage bubbles inside me, hot and fierce. Not just at my father, but at the whole fucked up situation. At the lies, the secrets, the lives ruined by one man's selfishness.

"That son of a bitch," I growl, my hands clenching into fists. "All these years... and Mom..."

Suddenly, it all makes a sick sort of sense. My mother had tolerated a lot from my father over the years his long hours, his cold demeanor, his obsession with appearances. But cheating? That would have been the last straw. She would have left him in a heartbeat if she'd known.

*And I... I would've never forgiven him.*

...

*I won't ever forgive him.*

My mother was the only good thing my father ever had. He knows it. I know it. The world knows it. And still, he betrayed her.

I look at Elysian, seeing the worry etched on her beautiful face. She reaches out, her cold hand on my cheek grounding me.

"I'm so sorry, Cade. I know this must be a shock."

I lean into her touch for a moment, allowing myself this brief comfort. Then I pull away, decision made.

*He's done.*

"Take Naomi inside," I say, my voice low and controlled. "I have somewhere to be."

Elysian's eyes widen once more, understanding dawning on her. "Cade, no. You can't confront him, not like this. He could hurt you or my aunt or Maisie. I..."

I shake my head, a bitter smile twisting my lips. "Don't worry. I'll handle it. *I'm* handling this."

She opens her mouth to argue, but the expression on my face makes her think better of it. Instead, she nods, leaning in to press a fierce kiss to my lips.

"Be careful," she whispers. "Come back to us."

I watch as she gathers a still-sleeping Naomi from the abc seat, heading into the house. Only when the door closes behind them do I allow the mask to slip, the full weight of what I've learned crashing down on me.

*A sister. I have a sister I've never known.*

A sibling who's grown up without a father, all because mine couldn't keep it in his pants. And now, with the Feds circling... it's all coming to a head.

I start the car, my mind racing as I pull out of the driveway. The familiar route to my father's office building stretches out before me, a path I've traveled countless times. But never like this. Never with this burning anger in my gut, this sense of betrayal coursing through my veins.

As I drive, memories flash through my mind. My father's constant disappointment, his cutting remarks, the way he always made me feel like I wasn't quite good enough. Was this why? Because he had another child out there, one he'd chosen to abandon?

By the time I pull into the parking garage of Sinclair Enterprises, my anger has cooled into something harder, more focused. I'm not here for a shouting match or a fistfight. I want answers. And for once in my life, I'm going to get them, whether David Sinclair likes it or not.

The night security guard nods at me as I stride through the lobby. I've been here enough times after hours that my presence doesn't raise any eyebrows. The elevator ride to the top floor seems to take an eternity, each floor ticking by slowly as I steel myself for the confrontation to come.

Finally, the doors slide open, revealing the plush carpeting and wood-paneled walls of the executive suite. My father's office door looms at the end of the hallway, a barrier I've always approached with both determination and reluctance. But not tonight. Tonight, I'm done playing by his rules.