Chapter 16 - The Real Red LedgerSebastián stared at the book in his mother's hands.

"Mom."

Rebeca looked exhausted.

"I tried to stop this."

"You started it."

"No."

She looked at Adrián.

"He did."

Adrián smiled.

"You still don't understand."

Rebeca opened the ledger.

The pages were filled with names.

At the top of each page was a code.

Then a photograph.

Then a sentence.

She turned to a specific page.

Sebastián's name.

DESIGNATION: SACRIFICIAL HEIR.

Then Adrián's.

DESIGNATION: SUCCESSOR.

Then Valeria's.

DESIGNATION: ARCHITECT LINE.

Then the baby's.

DESIGNATION: CONTROL VECTOR.

Sebastián felt sick.

"We were all planned."

Rebeca nodded.

"Before you were born."

Valeria stepped forward.

"You knew."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you stop them?"

"Because your father threatened my life."

Valeria shook her head.

"He always had power."

Rebeca's voice broke.

"No."

She looked at Adrián.

"He had leverage."

Adrián smiled.

"Same thing."

Sebastián raised his weapon.

"Put the ledger down."

Adrián's gun moved toward Valeria.

"Do it."

Sebastián froze.

Rebeca stepped forward.

"Take me instead."

Adrián laughed.

"You are no longer useful."

He pulled the trigger.

The gun clicked.

Empty.

Adrián looked down.

Confused.

Rebeca smiled.

"I removed the ammunition."

Grant rushed forward.

Adrián lunged.

The two men fought.

Sebastián grabbed Valeria.

They ran.

The Vault began collapsing.

Warning lights flashed.

SYSTEM FAILURE.

FOUR MINUTES TO SHUTDOWN.

Sebastián looked at the screens.

"How do we stop it?"

Valeria pointed.

"There."

A red button.

"That's the emergency override."

"Then why haven't you used it?"

"Because it will erase everything."

Sebastián stared.

"Everything?"

"All records."

"The evidence?"

"Everything."

Grant heard them.

"Don't."

Valeria looked at him.

"We can preserve the ledger."

"Can you guarantee that?"

"No."

Grant looked at Sebastián.

"This may be our only chance."

Sebastián looked at the baby.

Then at the collapsing system.

Then at the people who had spent decades controlling lives.

He pressed the button.

The machine screamed.

Every screen turned white.

Then black.

The Vault shut down.

Silence.

For the first time in decades, the system was dead.

Or so they thought.

A small monitor remained lit.

One file.

One name.

PROJECT ORIGIN: PHASE TWO.

Valeria stared.

"No."

Sebastián stepped closer.

"What?"

She shook her head.

"It's impossible."

The file opened automatically.

A photograph appeared.

A woman.

Alive.

Holding a newborn.

Valeria whispered:

"My mother."

Sebastián stared.

"When was this taken?"

Valeria read the date.

Yesterday.

Her mother was alive.

Then a message appeared beneath the image.

SHE IS WAITING FOR YOU.

A location appeared.

Sebastián recognized it.

His own childhood home.

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COME WITHOUT THE CHILD.