Chapter 16 - MidnightWe returned to the city.
The house was surrounded.
Police cars.
News vans.
Reporters.
Martin Hale had already started the final move.
Every television channel was broadcasting the same story.
Billionaire heir Ethan Miller linked to financial fraud.
His photograph appeared beneath the headline.
I looked at Ethan.
“That's you.”
“Not me.”
“I know.”
But the public didn't.
The story claimed Ethan had stolen thirty-two million dollars through shell accounts.
It included copies of our divorce papers.
My signature.
His signature.
Everything looked real.
Too real.
“Martin is framing you.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To remove the real Ethan before Lucas takes his place.”
At midnight, every bank connected to Northstar would freeze.
Then Lucas would appear.
My father's phone rang.
He answered.
His face hardened.
“What?”
He listened.
Then ended the call.
“They have your mother.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“Again.”
“How?”
“Martin never lost control of the house.”
I looked at Ethan.
“We go.”
“No.”
My father shook his head.
“This is what they want.”
“I don't care.”
“I do.”
He looked at me.
“You are the key.”
“To what?”
“To ending this.”
He handed me the compass.
“Go to the Northstar tower.”
“Why?”
“Because Lucas will go there.”
“What about Mom?”
“I'll get her.”
I looked at him.
“You promised me once.”
He looked at me.
“I won't fail again.”
I trusted him.
That was my mistake.
At Northstar Tower, the lobby was full of reporters.
A man stepped from an elevator.
My husband.
Ethan.
Perfectly dressed.
Calm.
Smiling.
I stared.
“Ethan?”
He walked toward me.
“Claire.”
I froze.
Real Ethan stood three feet behind me.
The other man smiled.
“You know me.”
I stepped closer.
“What's my favorite book?”
He hesitated.
“What?”
“My favorite book.”
He smiled.
“You don't read much.”
Real Ethan laughed.
“Wrong.”
Lucas's expression changed.
I asked:
“What did you give me on our second anniversary?”
“Earrings.”
Wrong.
A necklace.
Real Ethan remembered.
I turned toward the crowd.
“This man is not my husband.”
Lucas pulled a gun.
Chaos exploded.
People screamed.
He grabbed me.
The compass fell.
Real Ethan tackled him.
The two men fought.
They looked identical.
Same face.
Same voice.
Same blood.
Then Lucas whispered something only Ethan could hear.
“You still think she loves you?”
Ethan froze.
Lucas smiled.
“She doesn't.”
He pointed at me.
“She never did.”
A gunshot exploded.
I screamed.
Ethan fell.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Lucas ran.
I dropped beside my husband.
“Ethan!”
His eyes opened.
He whispered:
“Don't trust…”
Then he lost consciousness.
I looked around wildly.
May you like
Lucas was gone.
And the compass was missing.
