Chapter 12 - The Final StageThe federal investigators took over.
The case was no longer just domestic abuse.
It was a conspiracy.
Forgery.
Witness manipulation.
Identity fraud.
Kidnapping.
And possible corruption across multiple institutions.
But Melissa remained silent.
She refused every question.
Until the investigators showed her the microfilm.
Then she smiled.
That smile frightened me more than her screaming ever had.
She looked through the interrogation glass.
Directly at me.
And mouthed:
You still don't understand.
I went inside.
Harris followed.
Melissa sat with her hands folded.
No fear.
No tears.
Nothing.
“Where is Adrian?”
She smiled.
“You think this ends with him?”
“You hurt Emma.”
“I disciplined her.”
“You broke her ribs.”
“She was clumsy.”
“You abducted her.”
“No.”
“You lied to the court.”
“I protected myself.”
“You fabricated evidence.”
“I created evidence.”
The room went silent.
I leaned closer.
“Why?”
Melissa looked at me.
“Because your father ruined my family.”
I froze.
“You knew him.”
She laughed.
“Of course I knew him.”
“You were Marianne.”
Her face changed.
For the first time, real emotion appeared.
“You found that.”
“Yes.”
She leaned back.
“Then you've found the wrong truth.”
“What does that mean?”
“You think Adrian was the monster.”
“He was.”
“Yes.”
She looked at me.
“But he wasn't the only one.”
My stomach tightened.
“Who else?”
Melissa said nothing.
Harris pushed a photograph across the table.
Claire Benton.
Melissa looked at it.
Then laughed.
“She told you everything?”
“She saved Emma.”
“She saved herself.”
“What does that mean?”
Melissa finally leaned forward.
“Your father trusted Claire.”
I looked at Harris.
Melissa continued.
“She wasn't trying to expose Adrian.”
“Then what?”
“She wanted his operation.”
My blood chilled.
“What operation?”
“The network.”
Melissa smiled.
“People like Claire don't destroy empires.”
“They replace them.”
I didn't know whether to believe her.
Then the door opened.
An investigator entered.
He whispered something to Harris.
Harris's expression changed.
He walked outside.
I followed.
“What?”
He handed me his phone.
A bank transfer.
$2 million.
Sent from an account connected to Adrian Vale.
Recipient:
CLAIRE BENTON.
I stared.
“That's impossible.”
“It happened today.”
Harris looked at me.
“We checked.”
Then he said:
“Claire has a second identity.”
My heart dropped.
“Who?”
“Not sure yet.”
Before we could continue, every light in the building went out.
Blackness.
Alarms screamed.
Emergency lights flashed red.
Then came a gunshot.
People shouted.
A door slammed.
Harris grabbed me.
“Stay down.”
I heard footsteps.
Then a voice.
Claire.
“Daniel!”
I looked up.
She appeared at the far end of the hallway.
Blood on her sleeve.
“Where's Emma?”
“With officers.”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
“What?”
“They took her.”
My blood froze.
“Who?”
“Adrian.”
“How?”
“The power outage.”
Harris ran toward the security room.
I followed.
Cameras were offline.
Then one monitor flickered back on.
The image showed a parking garage.
Emma was being carried toward a black SUV.
Victor was dead.
Melissa was in custody.
So who was carrying my daughter?
The camera zoomed.
The man turned.
Adrian Vale.
I finally saw him.
Older than the photographs.
White hair.
Black coat.
And beside him stood a woman.
Claire.
I looked at the real Claire standing beside me.
She stared at the screen.
Then whispered:
“That's not me.”
I turned.
The woman on the screen looked exactly like her.
Same face.
Same hair.
Same scar.
Two Clares.
One beside me.
One with Adrian.
My blood ran cold.
Harris stared at the monitor.
“There are two of them.”
Claire whispered:
“Twins.”
The screen went black.
May you like
Then a message appeared.
ONE OF THEM IS LYING.
