the unexpected phone call from millionaire’s son dad I found my young sister

sent the millionaire into a panic since his wife had passed away years ago and the child had followed its mother

5:00 o’clock in the morning before the alarm clock could sound Ethan’s eyes opened his bedroom

like the entire suburban Ohio estate adhered to a single standard pristine and quiet no clutter

no superfluous belongings no evidence of the common messy vitality usually found in regular households

for six years Ethan Carter had managed his personal life the same way he ran his logistics corporation

optimized emotionally detached and focused on the bottom line he went downstairs to the kitchen

and poured a cup of black coffee no sugar the bitterness coursed down his throat

waking up the brain that was already charting the day’s schedule Lucas came down 15 minutes later

The 12 year old was skinny and seemed lost in an oversized grey hoodie he drifted past Ethan like a shadow

taking a box of cereal from the pantry I have a board meeting today

Ethan stated his eyes glued to the tablet displaying stock charts I’ll be home late

take care of dinner yourself Lucas poured milk into the bowl

the sound of the liquid was the only noise in the expansive kitchen got it the boy replied curtly

just like every day he did not look at Ethan Ethan did not look at him

their relationship felt more like two housemates than a father and son

Ethan had brought Lucas home from the foster system thinking that money and to secure residence

would be sufficient compensation but Lucas carried the gaze of an old soul

his eyes perpetually observant and guarded as if he knew his place in Ethan’s perfect order

was merely an unpredictable variable eight o’clock in the morning Ethan sat in his glass walled office on the top floor

in front of him was a dense file warehouse personnel restructuring his fountain pen glided over the paper

200 names 200 lives that would shift with this stroke of ink

Ethan did not read a single name he only looked at the total figures on the final page

cost reduction of 15% net profit up he placed his signature decisive

done at the very same time Lucas missed the school bus

he pedaled his old bicycle against the wind toward the west side of the city

his destination was not home but Old Grove Cemetery

the place was neglected with weeds growing knee high concealing tilted headstones

Lucas slipped through the rusty iron fence and found a small stone slab

hidden behind a thicket it was his birth mother’s burial place

he crouched down fiddling with the dry grass his eyes drifting toward the adjacent plot of land

that was the Carter estate’s development half built concrete walls stood starkly against the gray

afternoon sky resembling the skeletal structure of a massive deceased behemoth

his father’s company had abandoned the site two years prior the wind whistled through the cracked wall crevices

Lucas was about to stand up and leave when he heard an unusual sound it was not the wind nor was it a cat

it sounded wet choppy and came from the pile of rubble separating the cemetery from the construction site

he stepped closer pushing the tall grass aside a cardboard box typically used for instant noodles

was tucked between two large stones the lid was taped shut but one corner had peeled away due to the damp soil

Lucas hesitated he pulled his house keys from his pocket and used the sharp edge to slice the remaining tape

the lid sprang open Lucas’s world came to a halt curled up in a heap of foul smelling rags

were two tiny infants one was pale lying motionless the other wiggled weak fingers

its mouth opening but too feeble to utter a cry Lucas stumbled back dropping his keys onto the ground

the jarring sound of metal on stone was loud his hands were trembling as he pulled out his phone

his speed dial held only one number Ethan was mid presentation in the boardroom

explaining to shareholders the rationale behind selling the old Grove property

the phone in his suit pocket vibrated he intended to dismiss the call but saw the name Lucas never called him at this hour

what is it Ethan answered his voice low and rushed Dad

Lucas’s voice was shaky followed by heavy ragged breathing don’t hang up

someone discarded babies what at the old site near Mom’s spot get here now they

they’re barely breathing Ethan looked around the conference room waiting faces profit margins

everything suddenly felt meaningless he dashed out leaving a stunned board behind him

cancel everything he yelled to his driver as he exited the elevator to Old Grove

as fast as you can manage the luxury sedan sped off cutting through the streets

Ethan gripped his phone tightly the line remained connected but Lucas said nothing more

only the sound of the wind rushing through the speaker as the car screeched to a stop at the cemetery gate

police sirens and an emergency vehicle alarm blared in the distance Ethan sprinted into the deserted property

his leather dress shoes slipping on the MUD Lucas was standing there right near the edge of the abandoned construction site

his arms hung loose his face ashen his vacant eyes fixated on two medical technicians

swiftly loading small bundles onto stretchers stand back a law enforcement officer shouted

stretching a yellow barrier tape Ethan ducked under the tape rushing to his son he intended to place a

hand on Lucas’s shoulder to offer some customary adult reassurance that everything would be fine

that it was being taken care of but Lucas shoved his hand away

the boy did not look at his father his eyes were glued to the empty cardboard box being tossed and tumbled by the wind

across the cold ground they tossed them out like garbage Dad Lucas whispered his voice sounding frighteningly mature

just like those figures you always cross off on paper Ethan froze

the cardboard container rolled one last time and came to rest right at his feet Ethan stood next to Lucas

both silent minutes later the cardboard box was sealed inside a transparent evidence bag

a forensic officer shone a UV light into the bottom of the container the blue light swept over the scraps of cloth

we found this the officer said lifting a thin pale blue receiving blanket

the cheap kind often used in public health facilities a faint logo featuring a cross was visible in the corner