Chapter 13 - THE MAN WHO BETRAYED EVERYONE“Jonathan.”
He looked directly at the camera.
“Mark.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing to Lily.”
Evelyn's voice came through the speaker.
“Don't waste your time.”
She stepped into frame.
Jonathan was behind her.
But there was something strange.
His hands were shaking.
Claire noticed it too.
“He's afraid.”
Vivian nodded.
“Jonathan has always been afraid.”
I raised my voice.
“Jonathan, help my daughter.”
He looked away.
Evelyn turned toward him.
“Do it.”
Jonathan froze.
“Do what?”
“Tell him.”
Jonathan finally looked at the camera.
“I was the one who gave Evelyn your financial records.”
My chest tightened.
“You betrayed me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she threatened my son.”
I understood.
Evelyn had built her empire by collecting secrets.
Then she used families against each other.
Jonathan continued.
“But I never helped her hurt Claire.”
“Then why is she alive?”
“She escaped.”
Evelyn smiled.
“Barely.”
She lifted a remote.
The screen changed.
A dark room.
Claire was inside.
Tied to a chair.
I turned toward her.
“Claire?”
But Claire was standing beside me.
The woman on the screen wasn't her.
It was Rachel.
The image had been manipulated.
Evelyn wanted us to panic.
Vivian stepped closer to the monitor.
“They're using prerecorded footage.”
“How do we find them?”
Jonathan suddenly spoke.
“Listen carefully.”
He leaned toward the camera.
“There is a service tunnel beneath the chapel.”
“Where?”
“Behind the third confession booth.”
Cross ran.
A hidden panel opened.
A tunnel led downward.
We followed.
At the end stood a steel door.
A voice came from the other side.
Lily.
“Daddy?”
I nearly collapsed with relief.
I opened the door.
Lily ran into my arms.
I held her tightly.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“Where's Aunt Claire?”
She pointed deeper into the room.
“She told me to hide.”
I turned.
Claire stepped from the shadows.
Alive.
Free.
And holding a gun.
She aimed it at Evelyn.
Evelyn stood behind her.
“Drop it,” Evelyn said.
Claire didn't.
“Mom.”
Evelyn smiled.
“You always were the difficult one.”
“You killed Dad.”
“No.”
Evelyn's smile disappeared.
“I saved this family.”
Claire's hands shook.
“You destroyed it.”
Evelyn looked at me.
“You still don't understand.”
She pulled out a small remote.
“Your daughter isn't the heir.”
I frowned.
“The trust says she is.”
Evelyn pressed the button.
A screen appeared.
My father's signature.
Then another document.
A change of beneficiary.
Signed one week before his death.
The new beneficiary?
Evelyn.
She looked at me.
“The trust was never Lily's.”
She smiled.
“It was mine.”
Then Thomas walked into the room.
May you like
And he said:
“That's the lie that started all of this.”
