Chapter 12 - The old Mercer estate had been abandoned for years.The gates were rusted.
The gardens were overgrown.
The windows were boarded.
Ethan entered with Daniel, Sarah, and Lily.
Every step felt like walking through a grave.
Lily stopped at the entrance.
“I've been here before.”
Daniel crouched beside her.
“I know.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Not with you.”
Daniel froze.
Lily pointed toward the hallway.
“With him.”
“Who?”
She looked at Ethan.
“Your father.”
Ethan felt a strange sadness.
His father had brought Lily here.
Why?
They followed her through the house.
She stopped before a red door.
Exactly as she remembered.
Ethan opened it.
Inside was an office.
Dust-covered furniture.
A broken clock.
A painting of a bird.
Ethan removed the painting.
Behind it was a safe.
The silver key opened it.
Inside was a video recorder.
And one envelope.
The recorder turned on automatically.
Ethan's father appeared.
“Lily.”
Ethan froze.
His father looked directly into the camera.
“I know you're watching this.”
“If Daniel failed, then you're the last person who can stop them.”
“Ethan doesn't know it yet.”
“But he will.”
The recording continued.
“The man who killed Daniel was not Marcus.”
A pause.
“Marcus took the blame.”
“He was ordered to protect the real killer.”
The screen displayed a photograph.
Ethan stared.
His father's own face was in the photograph.
But beside him stood a woman.
A woman Ethan recognized.
Sarah.
Ethan turned slowly.
Sarah was crying.
“Tell me.”
She closed her eyes.
“I didn't know.”
“Then what is this?”
“It was before Lily was born.”
Ethan stared.
Sarah's voice broke.
“I worked for them.”
Daniel looked at her.
“No.”
“I didn't know who they were.”
“I thought I was helping a company.”
“They used me to reach Daniel.”
Ethan felt betrayed.
“Then why did you marry him?”
“I loved him.”
“Why didn't you tell him?”
“I tried.”
“And?”
“They threatened to kill you.”
Ethan stared.
“Me?”
“They knew your father.”
“They knew Daniel.”
“And they knew you were the one person your father would sacrifice everything to protect.”
Then the door slammed shut.
Locked.
Smoke began entering the room.
Lily coughed.
“Ethan!”
He grabbed her.
Daniel kicked the door.
Nothing.
The smoke thickened.
Sarah screamed.
“There's another exit!”
“Where?”
She pointed toward the floor.
A trapdoor.
Ethan pulled it open.
They climbed down.
The underground tunnel led beneath the estate.
At the end was another room.
And someone was waiting there.
An older man sat behind a desk.
He was smiling.
Ethan recognized him immediately.
His father's closest friend.
The man who had appeared at every family photograph.
The man who had supposedly been dead for five years.
Richard Mercer.
Ethan's uncle.
His father's older brother.
Ethan froze.
“You.”
Richard smiled.
“Hello, Ethan.”
Daniel raised his gun.
Richard didn't flinch.
“You always were your father's stubborn son.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“You killed my father.”
Richard nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he wanted to leave.”
“Leave what?”
Richard leaned back.
“The family.”
Ethan's voice shook.
“You destroyed everything.”
“No.”
Richard smiled.
“I protected it.”
He looked at Lily.
“Now give me the girl.”
Ethan stepped in front of her.
Richard sighed.
“You still don't understand.”
“Understand what?”
“Your father didn't create the empire.”
Richard pointed toward Lily.
“Daniel did.”
Everyone froze.
Daniel's face went white.
Richard smiled.
“Ask him.”
Ethan turned.
“Is it true?”
Daniel didn't answer.
Richard laughed.
“And that is why the girl has always been worth more than twenty million dollars.”
Lily clung to Ethan.
Richard leaned forward.
“She is the last heir.”
“To what?”
May you like
Richard's smile faded.
“To everything.”
