Chapter 8 - Evelyn's BetrayalAdrian stared at the woman he had married.
Evelyn's hands were shaking.
“You.”
She looked at Grace.
“You should never have found this room.”
Grace stepped closer to Adrian.
“Are you working with Malcolm?”
Evelyn looked at the gun.
Then at Adrian.
“I have been trying to protect you.”
“By pointing a gun at me?”
“I had no choice.”
“There is always a choice.”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“Not when they threaten your child.”
Adrian froze.
Their son, Daniel, was twenty-three.
“What happened to Daniel?”
Evelyn lowered the gun.
“They have him.”
Adrian's expression changed.
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“I swear.”
Grace interrupted.
“Then why did you bring the gun?”
Evelyn looked at her.
“Because Malcolm told me to kill Adrian if he discovered the room.”
Adrian's face went cold.
“And you're going to?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
A pause.
“I was going to shoot the ceiling.”
Adrian stared.
“You could have told me.”
“They were watching me.”
“Who?”
Evelyn looked at the walls.
“Everyone.”
A gunshot suddenly exploded.
The bullet tore through the steel door.
Evelyn ducked.
Victor shouted from the corridor.
“They found us!”
Adrian grabbed Grace.
“Run!”
The three fled deeper into the hidden passage.
Behind them, gunfire echoed.
They reached an underground chamber.
There was one exit.
One old elevator.
Evelyn pressed the button.
Nothing happened.
“It's locked.”
Adrian looked around.
Then saw a panel.
He entered his father's old employee code.
The elevator came alive.
They climbed inside.
The doors closed.
Grace exhaled.
“We're safe.”
“No,” Adrian said.
“What?”
He looked at Evelyn.
“She followed us.”
Grace frowned.
“Who?”
A voice came through the elevator speaker.
“You've finally opened the door.”
Adrian recognized the voice immediately.
His mother.
Elena Whitmore.
Dead for seventeen years.
Or so he had believed.
The elevator descended.
And when the doors opened, Adrian found himself staring at a woman who looked exactly like the mother he had buried.
She smiled.
“Hello, Adrian.”
He couldn't speak.
Evelyn fell to her knees.
Grace whispered:
“This can't be real.”
Elena walked toward them.
“My son.”
Adrian finally found his voice.
“You died.”
Elena smiled.
“I needed you to believe I was dead.”
“Why?”
“Because I was protecting you.”
“From whom?”
She looked at Evelyn.
Then Grace.
May you like
Then finally at Adrian.
“From your own blood.”
