Chapter 10 - The Night Matthew Died
Amelia stared at the messages.
Savannah watched her carefully.
“You need to know something.”
Amelia turned.
“What?”
“Matthew didn't save you.”
Matthew, standing beside the car, looked away.
Savannah continued.
“He took you because he needed you.”
Amelia's face hardened.
“I knew you were going to say that.”
“Then you're smarter than everyone in my family.”
She held up another phone.
“Your grandmother's ring.”
Amelia touched the ring unconsciously.
“What about it?”
“It belonged to Anthony Voss before your grandmother ever had it.”
Amelia went still.
“No.”
Savannah nodded.
“Your grandmother worked for the Voss family.”
“That's impossible.”
“She was an accountant.”
Amelia's breath caught.
Her grandmother had always said she repaired old books.
Never accounting.
Never Voss.
Savannah showed her a photograph.
A younger woman stood beside Anthony Voss.
Amelia recognized her grandmother instantly.
The woman was holding a ledger.
At the bottom of the photograph was a handwritten note:
THE MASON ACCOUNT.
Amelia whispered, “What did she do?”
“She hid money.”
“From whom?”
“From Anthony.”
“Why?”
“Because she knew he planned to kill Matthew.”
Matthew stepped forward.
“He didn't.”
Savannah turned toward him.
“He did.”
Matthew's face went cold.
“You weren't there.”
“I was.”
“You were ten.”
“I watched them take you.”
Amelia stared between them.
Matthew's voice lowered.
“They told me I was being moved.”
Savannah said, “They put him in a car.”
Matthew's jaw tightened.
“It crashed.”
Amelia felt sick.
“Did you die?”
Matthew looked at her.
“Almost.”
“What happened?”
“A woman pulled me out.”
“Who?”
Matthew's eyes moved to the ring on Amelia's finger.
“Your grandmother.”
Silence.
Amelia looked down.
“My grandmother saved you?”
“Yes.”
“She never told me.”
“Because Anthony threatened everyone she loved.”
Savannah crossed her arms.
“The night Matthew supposedly died, your grandmother stole the Voss ledger.”
Amelia whispered, “Where is it?”
Matthew answered.
“We don't know.”
Savannah smiled faintly.
“Yes, we do.”
She looked directly at Amelia.
“Your grandmother hid it inside something you inherited.”
Amelia's eyes dropped to the ring.
“No.”
The ring suddenly felt heavy.
She twisted it.
Nothing.
Matthew took it gently.
“There's a seam.”
He pressed the stone.
A tiny compartment opened.
Inside was a microfilm strip.
Amelia stared.
“What is that?”
Savannah whispered.
“The original Voss family registry.”
Matthew took it.
Then read the first line.
His face changed.
“What?”
He handed it to Amelia.
She read it.
The listed heirs were:
Matthew Voss.
Declan Voss.
And beneath them, handwritten in red:
THIRD BLOODLINE: MASON.
Amelia looked up.
“I don't understand.”
Savannah's face had gone pale.
“I do.”
“What?”
Savannah whispered the final sentence.
“Your baby doesn't just belong to Declan.”
The car engine suddenly roared.
A black SUV rammed into the garage entrance.
Matthew grabbed Amelia.
Gunfire erupted.
Savannah pulled a weapon.
Then someone outside shouted:
“TAKE THE PREGNANT WOMAN!”
Amelia screamed.
Matthew pushed her behind the car.
And in the chaos, she saw the face of the man leading the attack.
Gavin Roarke.
Declan's most trusted security chief.
May you like
He looked directly at her.
Then smiled.
