Chapter 5 - The Unseen Ledger
Ellie stared at him, her brain refusing to process the words.
"You... what?"
"Your contract," Julian repeated, his voice low and devoid of dramatic flair. "The debt judgment Kane filed against you in Cook County court three years ago. The publishing rights to the seven songs you recorded at the River North studio. I bought all of it today. Every debt you owed him is cleared. The copyright registry now lists you as the sole owner of your music."
Ellie felt the room tilt. Her hands began to shake, and she had to grip the arms of her chair to keep herself grounded.
"Why would you do that?" she whispered, her voice cracking with a mixture of shock, confusion, and fear. "I didn't ask you for help! I don't want your charity, Mr. Whitmore! I don't owe you anything, and I don't want to be in debt to someone like you!"
"It isn't charity," Julian said firmly, standing up. He stepped toward her, his towering frame blotting out the light from the hallway. "And you don't owe me a single cent."
"Then why?!" she demanded, tears of frustration finally springing to her eyes. "Why spend thousands of dollars on a nurse you met three days ago?!"
Julian looked down at her, his face showing a sudden, raw crack in his guarded demeanor.
"Because six years ago, my father stopped playing the violin," Julian said softly. "Not because he was sick. Because my mother died. He put his Stradivarius in its case, locked it, and walked out of the conservatory. I spent six years watching him die by degrees, surrounded by doctors, lawyers, and money, and not a single one of us could reach him."
He paused, taking a slow breath.
"And then three nights ago, I walked down this hall and heard a girl who had lost everything singing a song about smiling into a dark room. And my father moved his hand."
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a thick Manila envelope, and set it gently on the small table beside her coffee.
"That envelope contains your full rights release and the debt satisfaction decree from the court," Julian said quietly. "You are completely free, Ellie. If you want to walk out of this hospital right now, take your voice, and never come back, you can do that. I won't stop you."
Ellie looked at the brown envelope, then up at his dark, solemn eyes.
"And if I stay?" she whispered.
May you like
Julian looked over at his father sleeping quietly in the bed.
"If you stay," Julian said, "it’s because you want to finish the song."
