Chapter 8 - THE FATHER'S SECRETMargaret did not shoot.
She lowered the weapon.
Daniel stepped protectively in front of Lisa.
"Stay away from her."
Margaret smiled.
"You still think you're protecting her."
Daniel's face tightened.
"You lied to me."
"I gave you the only chance you had."
"You abandoned us."
"No."
Margaret looked at Lisa.
"Your father did."
Lisa felt her chest tighten.
"What did my father do?"
Margaret's smile disappeared.
"He betrayed The Arch."
"Why?"
"Because he discovered what Evelyn planned to do with it."
Daniel said nothing.
Lisa looked between them.
"What?"
Margaret walked to an old terminal.
She inserted a key.
A video appeared.
Lisa's father stood in a room she didn't recognize.
He looked younger.
Behind him was a wall covered in diagrams.
He was speaking to someone off-camera.
"If they activate the succession protocol, Lisa becomes the key."
Lisa stared.
Her father continued:
"And once she is activated, they won't need banks."
He paused.
"They'll control identities."
The recording ended.
Lisa whispered:
"Why didn't he tell us?"
Margaret answered.
"Because he wanted you to have a normal life."
She looked at Lisa.
"Then Evelyn found out."
"What happened?"
"Your father created a false death record for himself."
Lisa's eyes widened.
"But he actually died."
"Years later."
She opened another file.
Lisa's father's autopsy.
The cause of death was listed as natural.
Margaret shook her head.
"It wasn't."
Daniel looked at Lisa.
"Your father was poisoned."
Lisa felt numb.
"By Evelyn?"
"Not directly."
"Who?"
Margaret stared at the screen.
"Your husband."
Silence.
Lisa's head snapped toward Daniel.
"What?"
Daniel didn't react.
Margaret continued.
"Ryan was nineteen when Evelyn recruited him."
Lisa shook her head.
"No."
"He was told your father was a threat."
"No."
"Ryan followed orders."
"No."
"He delivered the medication."
Lisa stared at the woman.
"Stop."
Margaret didn't.
"He never knew it was poison."
Lisa felt a strange emptiness.
Ryan had not intentionally killed her father.
But he had carried out the action.
A pawn.
Again.
The door behind them opened.
Ryan entered.
Blood covered his sleeve.
Lisa looked at him.
"Did you kill my father?"
Ryan stopped.
He didn't deny it.
"I didn't know."
Her voice broke.
"You never know."
He took a step.
"Lisa."
"You never know when somebody else gives you an order."
"I loved your father."
"Then why did you obey?"
Ryan looked away.
"Because I believed Evelyn."
Lisa laughed.
"Of course."
Daniel moved forward.
"Ryan, don't."
Ryan looked at him.
"You knew."
Daniel nodded.
"I found out six months ago."
Lisa turned.
"You knew too?"
Daniel lowered his head.
"I was trying to keep you out of it."
She stared at both men.
Everyone had decided what Lisa should know.
Everyone had decided what she could handle.
And every decision had put her closer to the center of the trap.
Then Sarah appeared.
Her face was bruised.
She carried a hard drive.
"Lisa."
Everyone turned.
Sarah held it out.
"I found something."
Lisa took it.
"What?"
"The board vote isn't about controlling Northstar."
Daniel looked at the drive.
"What is it?"
Sarah whispered:
"They're going to use your company to activate The Arch."
Lisa frowned.
"Why tomorrow?"
Sarah looked at her.
"Because tomorrow is the anniversary."
"Of what?"
"The death of Margaret Vale."
Lisa stared.
"That's twenty-seven years."
Sarah nodded.
"And the system only recognizes one activation date."
Lisa looked toward Margaret.
Margaret's face had gone pale.
"No."
Daniel asked:
"What?"
Margaret whispered:
"They're not activating The Arch tomorrow."
She turned toward Lisa.
"They're deleting it."
Lisa frowned.
"Why?"
Margaret looked at Ryan.
"Because someone has decided Lisa should inherit something much bigger."
Ryan slowly raised his gun.
Everyone froze.
He pointed it at Margaret.
"Enough."
Lisa stared at him.
"Ryan?"
His expression was unreadable.
Then he said:
May you like
"I'm sorry."
And pulled the trigger.
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