Chapter 12 - FatherEthan pushed me down.
The gunshot missed.
He returned fire.
My father disappeared behind a container.
“Dad!”
No answer.
I ran toward the sound.
Ethan grabbed my wrist.
“You can’t.”
“He’s my father.”
“He’s armed.”
“He won’t shoot me.”
“You don’t know that.”
But I did.
At least I thought I did.
I ran.
“Dad!”
He appeared.
Older.
Exhausted.
His face was nothing like the photographs.
His eyes filled with tears.
“Mara.”
I stopped.
“You abandoned me.”
“No.”
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“I had no choice.”
“You murdered my childhood.”
He looked at me.
“I was trying to save your life.”
“You worked with the people who killed Mom.”
“I infiltrated them.”
“Then why did you let them hurt us?”
His face collapsed.
“Because I failed.”
For the first time, he looked human.
Not mysterious.
Not powerful.
Just broken.
He told me everything.
My mother had discovered the network.
She tried to expose it.
My father helped her.
Elena betrayed them.
Daniel helped my father escape.
Ethan’s father ordered Daniel’s death.
But Daniel survived.
And Ethan had been investigating the same network ever since.
“You and Ethan were enemies,” I said.
“Yes.”
“Then allies.”
“Yes.”
“And now?”
My father looked toward Ethan.
“Now he’s the only person I trust.”
I didn’t know what to believe.
Then my father revealed the final secret.
“The Architect is not Elena.”
“Who is it?”
He looked at Ethan.
“It’s his father.”
Ethan froze.
“My father died years ago.”
“His death was staged.”
“No.”
“He has been controlling everything from the shadows.”
“Where is he?”
My father looked at me.
“He is already here.”
The lights on the pier came on.
Every exit was blocked.
Men appeared along the warehouse roof.
A voice echoed through the speakers.
“You always were sentimental, Victor.”
My father closed his eyes.
A man walked out of the shadows.
Older.
Silver-haired.
Elegant.
Ethan stared at him.
“Dad?”
The man smiled.
“Hello, son.”
Ethan’s face became stone.
“You’re dead.”
“I was told you were clever.”
He looked at me.
“And you must be Mara.”
I stepped backward.
“Why me?”
“Because your mother stole something from me.”
“What?”
He smiled.
“The original trust.”
My father shook his head.
“No.”
The older man laughed.
“She didn’t steal money.”
He looked at Noah.
“She stole the future.”
Then he raised his hand.
A sniper appeared above us.
The bullet was aimed at Noah.
I moved before I thought.
I grabbed my son.
The shot rang out.
Ethan screamed.
May you like
Then everything went black.
End of Chapter 12.
