Chapter 8: The Hunt Begins
Chapter 8: The Hunt Begins
The sound of breaking glass traveled through the darkness.
One second.
That was all it took.
One second for the room to transform from a place of secrets into a battlefield.
Adrian moved instantly.
He grabbed Lena’s arm and pulled her behind him.
“Stay down.”
Lena barely had time to react.
The lights flickered back on.
The hallway outside was empty.
But the silence was wrong.
Too quiet.
A trained person knew the difference between peace and danger.
This was danger.
Daniel looked toward the door.
“They found us.”
Marcus stood still.
For the first time since he entered the room, his confidence disappeared.
Adrian noticed.
“You know who they are.”
Marcus didn’t answer.
“Marcus.”
A long pause.
Then Marcus said quietly:
“Yes.”
The answer changed everything.
Adrian’s expression became cold.
“You knew they were coming.”
“No.”
“You expected them.”
Marcus looked away.
“That’s different.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“Not tonight.”
His voice became dangerous.
“Tonight, you explain everything.”
Before Marcus could respond, the building’s security alarm activated.
A sharp red light flashed across the walls.
Then every screen in the room turned on.
A message appeared.
RETURN THE KEY.
Lena stared.
The words felt directed at her.
Not Adrian.
Not Daniel.
Her.
“Who are they?”
Nobody answered.
Then a voice came through the speakers.
A woman’s voice.
Calm.
Almost gentle.
“Hello, Lena.”
Everyone froze.
Because the voice knew her name.
“Do you know how long we have waited for this moment?”
Adrian immediately searched the room.
“Trace the signal.”
His security team responded.
“We’re trying.”
The voice continued.
“Your mother spent years hiding you.”
Lena stepped closer.
“How do you know my mother?”
The voice laughed softly.
“Because Clara was my friend.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“No.”
Lena looked at him.
“You know her?”
Daniel whispered:
“Helena.”
The name left his mouth like a curse.
Marcus looked shocked.
“Impossible.”
Adrian turned.
“Who is Helena?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
And that was the answer.
Someone from the past.
Someone worse than Victor.
The voice continued.
“Daniel.”
A pause.
“You still protect her.”
Daniel stepped toward the speaker.
“You killed Clara.”
The room became silent.
The voice didn’t deny it.
Instead, it said:
“No.”
A pause.
“I saved Clara from something worse.”
Lena felt cold.
Every person had a different version of the truth.
Every person claimed they were protecting someone.
And every person had caused pain.
“Show yourself.”
Adrian’s command echoed.
The voice remained calm.
“Not yet.”
Then the screens changed.
A video appeared.
A woman.
Standing in a dark room.
Older.
Elegant.
Cold eyes.
Lena immediately knew.
This person was dangerous.
The woman looked directly into the camera.
“Lena.”
She smiled.
“You look exactly like your mother.”
Daniel moved closer to the screen.
“Helena Voss.”
The woman smiled.
“Hello, Daniel.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“You know her.”
Daniel looked disturbed.
“She was part of the Helios research team.”
Marcus added quietly:
“She was the smartest person involved.”
“And the most dangerous.”
Helena smiled.
“I see everyone is finally telling the truth.”
Lena stared.
“Why do you want me?”
The woman looked at her.
“Because your mother made a mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“She thought hiding Helios would save the world.”
A pause.
“But she forgot one thing.”
The woman’s eyes became colder.
“Someone always finds the key.”
The security team suddenly interrupted.
“Mr. Cross!”
Adrian turned.
“What?”
“We lost control of the lower floors.”
“How many?”
A pause.
“Unknown.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
Unknown meant professionals.
Not criminals.
People trained.
People prepared.
He looked at Daniel.
“Get Lena out.”
Daniel nodded.
For the first time, father and daughter moved together.
But Lena stopped.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
Adrian frowned.
“Lena.”
“No more running.”
She looked at the screen.
At Helena.
“You all spent fifteen years hiding me.”
Her voice became stronger.
“And it only brought them here.”
Daniel looked heartbroken.
“Lena, you don’t understand.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I understand perfectly.”
She looked at the necklace.
“I’m the reason they came.”
Nobody spoke.
“So I need to know why.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“You are not a weapon.”
Lena looked at him.
“Then stop treating me like one.”
The words hit him.
Because she was right.
Even now, everyone was making decisions around her.
Protecting her.
Moving her.
Hiding her.
But nobody was trusting her.
Adrian slowly nodded.
“Okay.”
Everyone looked surprised.
He continued:
“Then we do this together.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Adrian.”
“She deserves the truth.”
For the first time, Daniel and Adrian stood on the same side.
Not as enemies.
Not as two men connected by Clara’s tragedy.
As two people trying to protect the same person.
A loud explosion shook the building.
The floor trembled.
Glass shattered.
The security lights died again.
Someone was inside.
Adrian’s guards moved into position.
Then a figure appeared at the end of the hallway.
A man wearing a dark suit.
Walking slowly.
No weapon visible.
No fear.
Lena stared.
Because she recognized him.
Not personally.
But from the old photograph.
The same photograph Adrian showed her.
The man standing beside Victor Hale.
Daniel whispered:
“No…”
Adrian’s expression changed.
“Victor.”
The man smiled.
Fifteen years.
Everyone thought he disappeared.
Everyone thought he ran.
But he was here.
Older.
Calmer.
More dangerous.
Victor Hale looked at Lena.
“So this is Clara’s daughter.”
Lena stepped back.
Victor smiled.
“She has no idea what she carries.”
Adrian moved in front of her.
“You’re not taking her.”
Victor laughed.
“Adrian.”
He looked around.
“At this point, you still think this is about taking something?”
A pause.
“It’s about revealing something.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“What did you do?”
Victor smiled.
“The truth is simple.”
He looked at Lena.
“Your mother didn’t hide Helios from us.”
Silence.
“She hid Helios from you.”
Lena froze.
“What?”
Victor continued:
“Because Clara knew the real danger wasn’t the people chasing her.”
He looked at Adrian.
“It was the person her daughter would become.”
Nobody moved.
Then Victor said:
“Lena.”
A cold smile appeared.
“Your mother was afraid of you.”
The words destroyed the room.
Because the one person Lena trusted most...
May you like
Her mother...
Was suddenly the biggest mystery of all.
