Chapter 5: The Betrayer Among Them
Chapter 5: The Betrayer Among Them
The phone slipped slightly from Lena’s hand.
Adrian caught it before it fell.
But he didn’t look at the phone.
He looked at the people standing in the room.
Because Daniel Hart’s final words kept repeating in his mind.
The person who betrayed us fifteen years ago is standing in the room with you right now.
Someone among them.
Someone who knew.
Someone who had hidden the truth.
The rain outside grew heavier.
The sound filled the silence like a countdown.
Lena looked at Adrian.
“Who is it?”
Adrian didn’t answer immediately.
For the first time in years, he didn’t have an answer.
He was used to calculating.
Predicting.
Controlling situations before they became dangerous.
But this was different.
This was his past.
And the past had teeth.
“Adrian?”
Lena’s voice pulled him back.
“I don’t know.”
The honesty surprised her.
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
He looked at Evelyn.
Then at Victoria.
Then at the empty doorway.
“But I’m going to find out.”
Evelyn looked nervous.
“You need to leave.”
Adrian turned.
“What?”
“Lena needs to leave this place.”
“Why?”
“Because whoever sent that message knows she is here.”
Adrian’s eyes hardened.
“That’s why she stays with me.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“You still think your money can protect her.”
The sentence struck him.
Because it sounded exactly like something Clara would say.
Evelyn stepped closer.
“Your company. Your security. Your influence.”
She pointed toward the ballroom.
“All of that failed fifteen years ago.”
Adrian became silent.
Because she was right.
Clara disappeared while he had everything.
Money.
Power.
People.
And still he couldn’t save her.
Lena watched him.
She noticed something nobody else in the room saw.
Adrian Cross was not afraid of losing his empire.
He was afraid of losing someone again.
The elevator doors opened.
A group of security officers entered.
“Mr. Cross.”
Adrian looked at them.
“Report.”
One of the guards stepped forward.
“We checked the entire building.”
“And?”
“No signs of forced entry.”
Adrian frowned.
“Impossible.”
The guard hesitated.
“There is one thing.”
“What?”
“The message.”
He handed Adrian a tablet.
“We traced the source.”
Everyone looked at the screen.
The location appeared.
The message had been sent from...
Inside the boutique.
Lena’s face changed.
“Inside?”
The guard nodded.
“Someone sent it from this building.”
Adrian looked around.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Every person became a possibility.
Victoria crossed her arms.
“Interesting.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You seem calm.”
Victoria smiled.
“Should I be scared?”
“You knew Lena would appear.”
“Yes.”
“And you knew about the necklace.”
“Yes.”
“So why shouldn’t I suspect you?”
Victoria looked directly into his eyes.
“Because if I wanted Lena hurt, she wouldn’t be standing here.”
The answer was cold.
But convincing.
Adrian studied her.
Victoria had always been ruthless.
But ruthless did not always mean guilty.
Sometimes the most dangerous people were the ones who believed they were doing the right thing.
An hour later.
The boutique was closed.
The guests had left.
Only a few people remained.
Adrian moved Lena to a private room upstairs.
He placed the old documents on the table.
“I need to ask you something.”
Lena looked at him.
“What?”
“Did Evelyn ever tell you about your childhood?”
She hesitated.
“Only small things.”
“Like?”
“That my parents loved me.”
Adrian looked down.
“Anything else?”
“She told me my father abandoned us.”
The room became quiet.
Adrian looked at Evelyn.
The older woman looked away.
Lena noticed.
“You knew?”
Evelyn swallowed.
“I knew part of the truth.”
“Part?”
“I knew Daniel was alive.”
Lena’s expression broke.
“You knew?”
The pain in her voice was worse than anger.
“You knew my entire life was built on a lie?”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“Everyone says that.”
Lena’s voice shook.
“Everyone says they are protecting me.”
She pointed at the documents.
“My mother hid the truth.”
She looked at Adrian.
“You hid the truth.”
Then Evelyn.
“You hid the truth.”
Her eyes became wet.
“Does anyone ever think about what it feels like for me?”
Nobody answered.
Because nobody had.
Not really.
They had protected the child.
But they forgot the child would eventually become an adult who deserved the truth.
Evelyn whispered:
“I’m sorry.”
Lena looked away.
Sorry could not return fifteen years.
Later that night.
Adrian stood alone in the hallway.
He was studying the security footage.
Frame by frame.
Searching.
Looking for something everyone missed.
Then he stopped.
A figure appeared.
The footage showed the moment the message was sent.
A person walking through the hallway.
Wearing a black coat.
Face hidden.
But Adrian noticed one detail.
A ring.
A silver ring with a blue rose symbol.
His blood turned cold.
Because he knew that ring.
He had seen it before.
Fifteen years ago.
On the hand of the person who stood beside Victor Hale.
The person who helped destroy Hart Technologies.
The person who betrayed Clara.
Adrian zoomed in.
The camera finally caught a partial face.
And his entire body froze.
“No…”
The screen showed the person clearly.
Someone he trusted.
Someone who had been beside him for years.
Someone who knew every weakness of Cross International.
Adrian whispered the name.
“Marcus.”
The next morning.
Lena woke up in the guest room of Adrian’s private residence.
She expected confusion.
Fear.
Maybe anger.
But instead, she felt something else.
Determination.
She walked downstairs.
Adrian was already there.
Waiting.
“You found something.”
It wasn’t a question.
Adrian looked at her.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
He hesitated.
Then placed a photograph on the table.
A young man standing beside him fifteen years ago.
Smiling.
Trusting.
A friend.
“Marcus Reed.”
Lena looked at the picture.
“Who is he?”
Adrian’s voice became quiet.
“He was my closest friend.”
A pause.
“And the person who helped destroy your family.”
Before Lena could respond, the front doors opened.
A man walked inside.
Perfect suit.
Calm expression.
Familiar confidence.
Adrian immediately stood.
Because the person in the photograph...
Was now standing in front of them.
Marcus smiled.
“Adrian.”
Then he looked at Lena.
“So.”
A small smile appeared.
“The little girl finally grew up.”
Lena froze.
Marcus continued:
“I was wondering when you would discover the truth.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“You knew she was alive.”
Marcus smiled.
“Yes.”
“And you kept it from me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Marcus looked at Lena.
Then answered:
“Because your mother made one mistake.”
Silence.
“She trusted you.”
Adrian’s expression darkened.
Marcus smiled.
“And now I’m here to correct that mistake.”
The room went cold.
Because everyone finally understood.
May you like
The enemy had not returned.
He had been waiting.
