Chapter 8 - The Woman Behind the LedgerEvelyn spent the next morning reading every document in Adrian's trust.
Her father's last wishes were meticulous.
Property.
Shares.
Accounts.
Names.
Warnings.
But one line appeared again and again.
Protect Evelyn at all costs.
Damen sat across the room.
She hated that she felt safer when he was there.
She hated even more that she wanted him there.
“Why did Adrian trust you?”
Damen looked up.
“I don't know.”
“That's not true.”
He closed the file.
“He trusted my father once.”
“And you?”
“Because I kept one promise.”
“What promise?”
“To protect you.”
Before she could respond, a woman entered.
She wore a dark coat and carried a black umbrella.
Damen stood immediately.
“Who are you?”
The woman smiled.
“My name is Clara Moretti.”
Damen's face tightened.
“You should be dead.”
Evelyn looked between them.
“Do you two know each other?”
Clara smiled.
“Everyone who survives this city knows Damen.”
She placed a folder on the table.
“I worked for Adrian.”
Evelyn opened it.
Inside were financial records.
“The ledger isn't a book,” Clara said.
“What is it?”
“A network.”
She pointed to a diagram.
“Adrian created a system where every powerful person who betrayed him left evidence behind.”
Evelyn frowned.
“And Victor wants it.”
“Victor wants one name.”
“Which name?”
Clara's expression changed.
“The man who controls the network today.”
Evelyn looked at Damen.
Clara followed her gaze.
“No.”
Damen's voice was cold.
“You don't get to suggest that.”
Clara shook her head.
“I didn't.”
She pointed to the diagram.
“You did.”
The center of the network contained one symbol.
A black crown.
Beneath it was a name.
Damen Voss.
Evelyn's stomach dropped.
Damen stood slowly.
“This is forged.”
Clara laughed.
“Then why are you afraid?”
“I am not.”
“You should be.”
Clara walked toward Evelyn.
“Your father wasn't building a network to control Chicago.”
“What was he building?”
“To destroy it.”
Evelyn frowned.
“What?”
“He knew the city was already owned by corrupt people.”
Clara pointed to the names.
“He planned to expose them.”
“And why didn't he?”
“Because someone betrayed him.”
Evelyn looked at Damen.
Clara nodded.
“Michael.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“My father loved Michael.”
“Michael loved you.”
Clara's voice softened.
“That was the problem.”
She revealed the truth.
Michael had discovered Evelyn was Adrian's daughter.
He knew Adrian's enemies would eventually come.
So he built layers of protection around her.
Nolan was one of them.
Damen was another.
“But Michael was forced into betrayal,” Clara said.
“By whom?”
She looked at the door.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
The door was open.
Nolan stood there.
“By my mother.”
Evelyn's eyes widened.
Nolan walked inside.
“My mother made the deal with Victor.”
Damen stared.
“She is still alive.”
Nolan nodded.
“She has been controlling everything from the beginning.”
Evelyn whispered, “Then where is she?”
Nolan looked at her.
“At your mother's hospital room.”
Evelyn's blood ran cold.
“What?”
“She got there before us.”
Damen grabbed his coat.
“Let's go.”
They raced to the hospital.
Too late.
The room was empty.
Evelyn's mother was gone.
On the bed was a note.
Damen picked it up.
Evelyn read over his shoulder.
Come to the wedding.
Below it was another sentence.
This time, Evelyn will marry the man who was always meant to have her.
May you like
Then a final line:
Bring Damen Voss.
