Chapter 12 - Nobody breathed.Isabel stared through the screen.

“Where?”

Harper didn't answer.

She looked at Elena.

“Mommy told me.”

Elena's face crumpled.

“What did I tell you?”

“That she wasn't safe in the house.”

“When?”

“When I was little.”

I stared at my daughter.

“What else?”

Harper looked at me.

“She said if you ever asked, I should tell you…”

She paused.

“…the garden remembers.”

I remembered something.

The rose garden.

The oldest part of Ashford House.

My mother planted it.

My father hated it.

Elena loved it.

She used to sit there with Harper.

I looked at Victor.

“The garden.”

He nodded.

We forced the vault open.

The gas hadn't fully entered.

We ran.

Rain still fell.

The garden had become overgrown.

I dropped to my knees beside the old fountain.

“There.”

A stone was loose.

I removed it.

Beneath it was a metal box.

Inside was a passport.

Elena's.

Not the fake identity.

Her real passport.

And a note.

If Marcus finds this, tell him I never stopped loving him.

Elena cried.

I looked at her.

“Why didn't you come back?”

She shook her head.

“Because I thought you were compromised.”

“Who convinced you?”

She looked toward the house.

“Isabel.”

“She lied.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because she wanted Harper.”

I opened another document.

A list of dates.

Harper's development.

The night she stopped speaking.

The night Elena vanished.

The night I was hospitalized.

Everything connected.

Then one entry stopped me.

SUBJECT H4 WILL RESPOND TO VOICE OF ORIGINAL FATHER.

I frowned.

“Original father?”

Elena's face went pale.

“Marcus.”

“What?”

She stepped closer.

“Your father wasn't Arthur.”

I stared.

“What?”

“Arthur was your father legally.”

Her voice trembled.

“But genetically…”

She stopped.

I felt something break inside me.

“Who?”

She whispered:

“Daniel.”

I looked at my brother.

He went completely still.

“No.”

Elena's eyes filled with tears.

“Your mother had an affair.”

Daniel shook his head.

“That's impossible.”

“The dates match.”

“Why didn't anyone tell us?”

“Because Arthur found out.”

Daniel looked sick.

I stared between them.

If Daniel was my biological father, everything changed.

My brother wasn't my brother.

He was my biological father.

Black Crown hadn't just manipulated my marriage.

It had rewritten my family.

I couldn't breathe.

Harper looked at Daniel.

“Grandpa.”

Daniel flinched.

She smiled.

“I knew.”

He dropped to his knees.

“I am sorry.”

I couldn't speak.

Then the house alarm erupted.

Marco's voice came over the radio.

“Sir!”

I grabbed it.

“What?”

“Someone has breached the west gate.”

“Who?”

A pause.

“Police.”

I frowned.

“Why?”

Marco's voice became urgent.

“They have a warrant for your arrest.”

“For what?”

“Murder.”

“Whose murder?”

“Isabel Voss.”

I looked at the security monitor.

Police vehicles surrounded Ashford House.

And on the hood of the lead car was a body bag.

A tag was attached.

ISABEL VOSS.

I stared.

“She isn't dead.”

Claire shook her head.

“No.”

The speaker crackled.

A woman's voice came through.

Isabel.

“Marcus.”

The police lights reflected across the windows.

“You see?”

Her voice was calm.

“I don't need to kill you.”

“You'll kill yourself.”

I stepped toward the window.

“Where are you?”

“Already inside.”

I turned.

Ava screamed.

We looked toward the hallway.

A woman stood there.

Isabel.

Alive.

She smiled.

Then she removed her coat.

Underneath was a police uniform.

Behind her stood six armed officers.

All wearing silver rings.

I raised my weapon.

The officers aimed back.

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Isabel said:

“Welcome to the final phase.”