Chapter 10 - The Black LedgerThe church fell silent.
Nolan held the ledger tightly.
Victor stared at him.
“You have no idea what you've done.”
Nolan smiled bitterly.
“For the first time in my life, I know exactly what I've done.”
He tossed the ledger toward Damen.
Damen caught it.
Victor fired.
Damen dropped behind the altar.
Chaos exploded again.
Evelyn's mother ran toward her.
“Nobody move!”
Victor grabbed Evelyn.
His arm locked around her throat.
Damen froze.
“Let her go.”
Victor pressed a gun against Evelyn's temple.
“You first.”
Damen slowly stood.
Nolan rushed toward them.
Victor fired.
The bullet struck Nolan in the shoulder.
Evelyn screamed.
“Nolan!”
He collapsed.
Damen fired back.
Victor dragged Evelyn toward the side door.
They disappeared into the dark.
The car waiting outside accelerated.
Evelyn fought.
Victor struck the door beside her.
“Stop.”
She froze.
“Where are we going?”
“To the place your father died.”
The car drove for nearly an hour.
They stopped at an abandoned warehouse near the river.
Evelyn was forced inside.
Victor locked the doors.
Then he placed the ledger on a table.
“You stole it.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Nolan appeared in the doorway.
Blood soaked his shirt.
He had followed them.
Victor turned.
“You survived.”
Nolan smiled.
“Unfortunately for you.”
Evelyn stared.
“You were shot.”
“I've had worse.”
Victor's expression darkened.
“So this is your rebellion.”
Nolan raised a gun.
“No.”
He looked at Evelyn.
“This is my apology.”
Victor fired first.
Nolan fired back.
Victor fell.
Evelyn gasped.
Silence.
Nolan lowered his weapon.
Then he walked toward her.
“You're safe.”
She stared at him.
“You killed him.”
“No.”
Nolan looked behind her.
Victor was gone.
A body had fallen, but it wasn't Victor.
Victor had escaped.
Damen arrived minutes later.
He looked at Evelyn.
Then Nolan.
Then the ledger.
“You opened it?”
“No,” Nolan said.
“Why not?”
“Because it needs Evelyn.”
Damen looked at her.
The ledger had a strange lock.
A small circular indentation.
Evelyn pressed her thumb against it.
Nothing.
Then she remembered the ring Nolan had given her.
The promise ring.
She pulled it from her pocket.
Inside the band was a tiny symbol.
A black crown.
Damen's eyes widened.
“That ring.”
“Nolan gave it to me.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
He took it from her.
“This isn't a ring.”
He twisted it.
The band opened.
Inside was a tiny key.
Evelyn stared.
“Nolan?”
“I didn't know.”
Damen inserted the key into the ledger.
It opened.
Pages filled with names.
Judges.
Police officers.
Business leaders.
Politicians.
But one name was repeated again and again.
Adrian Ward.
Beside it were payment records.
Dates.
Meetings.
Deaths.
Evelyn turned the page.
Her hand froze.
There was a photograph.
Michael Ward.
Standing beside Vivian Pierce.
Beneath them was a handwritten note.
Phase One: Raise Evelyn.
Phase Two: Marry her to Nolan.
Phase Three: Transfer the trust.
Then another line.
Phase Four: Eliminate Voss.
Damen stared at it.
Evelyn whispered:
“They wanted to kill you too.”
Damen looked at Nolan.
Nolan nodded slowly.
“That's why my mother never stopped.”
Damen turned another page.
There was one final document.
A list of payments.
The latest payment was dated two days ago.
Recipient:
Damen Voss.
He went still.
Evelyn's heart dropped.
“What?”
Damen didn't answer.
The document showed that someone had paid a massive amount of money into one of his private accounts.
The sender was listed as:
Evelyn Ward.
She stared at him.
“I never sent that.”
Damen looked up.
His face had changed.
“Neither did I.”
The lights went out.
May you like
Then every phone in the warehouse received the same message.
Phase Five has begun.
