Chapter 10 - The call lasted only twelve seconds.Twelve seconds were enough to destroy six years of lies.
Adrian was alive.
He had been Alexander.
He had been Blackwell.
He had been watching Eleanor.
Eleanor sat motionless.
Luca took the phone.
“Where are you?”
The line cut.
Samuel immediately traced the signal.
“Old Whitmore factory.”
Charles looked horrified.
“No.”
Eleanor stood.
“You know where that is?”
Charles nodded.
“It was closed twenty years ago.”
“Why?”
“Because your grandfather died there.”
Eleanor looked at him.
“How?”
“Fire.”
Richard's voice still echoed in her head.
Your father.
She grabbed her coat.
Luca followed.
Charles tried to stop them.
“No.”
“You're coming.”
“To what?”
“To the truth.”
They drove through heavy rain.
The abandoned factory appeared beyond a chain-link fence.
Windows were broken.
Walls covered in ivy.
A rusted Whitmore logo remained above the entrance.
Inside, the air smelled of dust and oil.
A projector suddenly turned on.
A video appeared.
Eleanor's mother.
Pregnant.
Young.
Beside her was Adrian.
He was smiling.
Then Charles appeared.
The three of them looked like a family.
Eleanor watched.
Her mother spoke to the camera.
“We built Blackwell together.”
Eleanor's eyes widened.
“This was before your father betrayed us,” her mother said.
Adrian looked into the camera.
“Charles didn't betray us.”
He glanced toward Elena.
“Not at first.”
Then the video changed.
A second recording.
Charles standing alone.
Talking to an unknown man.
“Once the child is born, Adrian won't be able to claim the trust.”
Eleanor's breath caught.
Her mother appeared behind him.
She looked horrified.
The recording ended.
Charles closed his eyes.
“I was trying to negotiate.”
“With whom?”
He didn't answer.
Luca stepped forward.
“With Marco?”
Charles nodded.
“He promised to protect Elena.”
Eleanor's voice shook.
“And instead?”
“He wanted the trust.”
The projector changed again.
A hospital room.
A newborn baby.
Eleanor.
Her mother held her.
Adrian stood beside the bed.
Marco stood in the doorway.
Charles stood behind them.
Five people.
One child.
Five secrets.
Then the final recording played.
Adrian looked directly into the camera.
“If you're watching this, Ellie, I'm probably dead.”
Eleanor covered her mouth.
“But I want you to know one thing.”
He smiled.
“You were never unwanted.”
The recording flickered.
His expression became serious.
“I disappeared because I discovered your mother was being watched by someone inside our family.”
The screen went black.
Then one final sentence appeared.
THE MOLE WAS LUCA.
Luca stared.
“No.”
Eleanor turned toward him.
“What does that mean?”
“I don't know.”
Charles stepped back.
“You were six years old.”
Luca looked at him.
“What are you talking about?”
“The person who gave Marco your location years ago was a child.”
Eleanor froze.
“A child?”
Charles nodded.
“Someone in the family.”
Luca shook his head.
“I didn't.”
Richard's voice suddenly echoed from the speakers.
“You did.”
Everyone turned.
The injured Richard stood on a balcony above them.
Eleanor stared.
“You were shot.”
Richard smiled.
“Bulletproof vest.”
Luca raised his gun.
Richard laughed.
“You still trust the wrong people.”
Eleanor looked at him.
“Where is my father?”
Richard pointed behind her.
Eleanor turned.
A man stood in the darkness.
Adrian.
Older.
Scarred.
But unmistakable.
Eleanor's heart stopped.
He looked at her.
“Hello, Ellie.”
She couldn't speak.
Adrian took one step closer.
“I've waited six years to say this.”
Eleanor's eyes filled with tears.
“Why did you leave me?”
Adrian looked devastated.
“Because I thought your mother was dead.”
“She wasn't.”
“No.”
“Then why?”
He stared at Richard.
“Because Richard told me she betrayed me.”
Richard smiled.
Adrian continued.
“I believed him.”
Eleanor turned.
Richard raised his gun.
“That's right.”
He smiled.
“I separated every person who could protect you.”
Then he looked at Luca.
“And now only one remains.”
Luca fired.
Richard disappeared behind the railing.
When they reached him, he was gone.
On the floor was another document.
A list of names.
At the top:
NEXT TARGET: LUCA MORETTI.
Eleanor looked at Luca.
May you like
Then at Adrian.
And realized the final war had just begun.
Related Stories
