Chapter 14 - The Truth About MelineI couldn't move.
“My father isn't my father?”
Helena looked at the document.
“No.”
I swallowed.
“Then who is?”
The name belonged to a former intelligence executive.
A man whose identity had appeared in hundreds of Black Ledger files.
My grandfather's oldest enemy.
The creator of the original Sentinel architecture.
The man who had supposedly died fifteen years earlier.
My grandfather called.
“You've seen it.”
“Yes.”
Silence.
“Why?”
“Because your mother and I were trying to protect you.”
“By lying about everything?”
“Yes.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You all keep saying protection.”
My voice broke.
“It doesn't feel like protection.”
“I know.”
“Who is he?”
“His name is Elias Grant.”
“Grant?”
“Yes.”
My surname.
His.
“Then why did Mom say Dad was my father?”
“Because Elias disappeared before you were born.”
“Why?”
“Because he wanted Sentinel for himself.”
My hands trembled.
“So I'm related to everyone.”
My grandfather was a Black Ledger founder.
My biological father was Sentinel's creator.
My mother had worked with both.
My family had spent decades fighting over technology I hadn't even known existed.
And I had somehow become the center of it.
Then Sydney called.
I almost didn't answer.
Her voice was broken.
“Meline.”
“What?”
“Terrence left.”
I closed my eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
“I don't want him to leave.”
“You should have told him the truth.”
“I know.”
She started crying.
“I thought keeping secrets would save everyone.”
I looked at the screen.
“Secrets only delay the explosion.”
Silence.
Then she said,
“I found something.”
“What?”
“A letter.”
“From who?”
“Mom.”
My heart tightened.
“What does it say?”
“She said the wedding wasn't meant to destroy you.”
I stared.
“What?”
Sydney continued.
“She said the real target was your grandfather.”
That changed everything.
My mother hadn't been trying to steal my company simply for money.
The loan was bait.
The wedding was bait.
Me was bait.
For decades, Black Ledger's enemies had been trying to force my grandfather out of hiding.
My mother had been pressured.
Jason had been used.
Sydney had been manipulated.
Even Adrian had been trapped.
But someone had been pulling all the strings.
Someone who wanted Black Ledger exposed.
Someone who knew exactly where my grandfather was.
I turned to Helena.
“Find my mother.”
“She was arrested.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“She wanted me to find the truth.”
Then my grandfather called again.
This time, his voice sounded different.
Afraid.
“Meline.”
“Yes?”
“Leave the building.”
“Why?”
“Because Elias knows you're alive.”
I froze.
“He knows?”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
My grandfather whispered,
“Behind you.”
I turned.
The server room door slowly opened.
A man stood there.
Silver hair.
Dark coat.
Eyes that looked strangely familiar.
He stared at me.
Then smiled.
“Hello, daughter.”
My entire body froze.
Behind him stood my mother.
And she was not in handcuffs.
She was holding a gun.
I stared at her.
“Mom?”
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
Elias smiled.
“Your mother always was very good at pretending to betray people.”
I couldn't understand.
“You're working together?”
My mother nodded.
“For now.”
Elias stepped forward.
“We ran out of time.”
My grandfather's voice came through the phone.
“Don't trust him.”
Elias looked at my phone.
Then laughed.
“Your grandfather still believes this is about Sentinel.”
I looked at him.
“Then what is it about?”
He leaned closer.
May you like
“You.”
The lights went out.
