Chapter 12 - Vanessa's Real RoleVanessa didn't look frightened.
She looked relieved.
That was enough.
I moved in front of Lily.
“You were working with Edward.”
She shook her head.
“Not anymore.”
Edward smiled.
“Everyone says that when they need protection.”
Vanessa looked at him.
“You promised Ryan would survive.”
“You broke your part of the agreement.”
“You killed him.”
Edward shrugged.
“Ryan became a liability.”
I stepped toward Vanessa.
“What do you want?”
“Lily.”
“No.”
Vanessa's eyes softened.
“I don't want to hurt her.”
“You already tried to take her from Emily.”
“I was manipulated.”
“Convenient.”
She took a breath.
“I knew about the trust.”
“How?”
“Because Emily told me.”
I stared.
“Emily trusted you?”
“Once.”
“Before you married Ryan?”
“Yes.”
Vanessa pulled out her phone.
A video.
Emily speaking to her privately.
“I don't have much time.”
Vanessa's voice came from behind the camera.
“What are you going to do?”
“Disappear.”
“Why?”
“Because if Ryan thinks I'm dead, he'll stop searching.”
Emily looked directly into the camera.
“If anything happens to me, Lily goes to James.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“But James doesn't know about the trust.”
“He isn't supposed to.”
“Then who is?”
Emily smiled sadly.
“Lily.”
The video ended.
I stared at Vanessa.
“You've been protecting Lily this entire time?”
“Trying to.”
“Then why marry Ryan?”
“Because Edward threatened my family.”
She looked down.
“He had my brother.”
I froze.
“Where is he now?”
“Dead.”
Edward stepped forward.
“That part was unfortunate.”
Vanessa's face hardened.
“You killed him.”
Edward ignored her.
“Give me the key.”
“No,” I said.
“James.”
Edward's voice was calm.
“You have no idea what that key opens.”
“Tell me.”
“It opens the archive.”
“Then why haven't you taken it?”
“Because it only responds to Lily.”
I looked at my niece.
Edward smiled.
“Your grandfather built the system around innocence.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense.”
He reached into his coat.
Pulled out a small device.
“It requires Lily's voice.”
Lily stared at it.
Edward pressed a button.
A red light appeared.
“Lily, say the word.”
She didn't move.
“What word?”
Edward smiled.
“Home.”
I stepped forward.
“No.”
Then Lily looked at me.
Her expression changed again.
And she whispered:
“Home.”
The black key began glowing.
A wall beneath the bedroom floor unlocked.
A hidden compartment opened.
Inside was a metal case.
But before anyone could move, an explosion shook the house.
The windows shattered.
Edward fell.
Vanessa screamed.
Marcus fired toward the hallway.
And someone outside shouted:
“GET LILY!”
A squad of masked men stormed into the room.
Not Edward's men.
May you like
Someone else.
And one of them was wearing my father's old watch.
