Chapter 8 - The room became very still.My mother looked at the letter in my hand.
“Margaret never wrote that.”
I stared at the signature.
It looked real.
Perfectly real.
“So my father forged her identity?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
My mother swallowed.
“He wrote it before he died.”
I looked at her.
“How could it be dated three months ago?”
She didn't answer.
Gabriel stepped closer.
“Time stamp manipulation.”
Nico nodded.
“Someone changed the metadata.”
Luca studied the paper.
“Not the paper.”
“What?”
He pointed at the ink.
“This was written decades ago.”
A chill moved through me.
“Then someone wanted us to think Margaret had written it.”
“Which means,” Dominic said, “someone has access to your father's archive.”
Nico turned sharply.
“Wait.”
He began searching the shelves.
“Evelyn wasn't just connected to your father.”
“What did she do?”
“She ran his information network.”
I stared.
“Information network?”
“Private intelligence.”
My father had never been a simple businessman.
He had collected information on everyone around him.
Including the Coles.
Including my own family.
And perhaps including Evelyn.
Nico found a file marked:
PROJECT M
Inside was a list of names.
Victor Cole.
Samuel Voss.
Margaret Cole.
Evelyn Mercer.
Then one final name.
Adrian Cole.
My heart tightened.
“What is this?”
Gabriel took the file.
“Project M seems to be a contingency plan.”
“Against whom?”
He flipped through the pages.
“Everyone.”
Adrian's name appeared beside a date.
The day he was born.
Then another.
The day I was born.
And a note.
Two heirs. One key.
Luca looked at me.
“Maybe your father planned for both families to collide.”
I shook my head.
“My father loved me.”
“He may have loved you enough to prepare for it.”
We searched the room for another hour.
Then Nico found something hidden beneath the chest.
A small cassette recorder.
Old.
Dusty.
Still functional.
He pressed play.
My father's voice filled the room.
“Elena.”
I stopped breathing.
“If you're hearing this, I am dead.”
My mother covered her mouth.
“My daughter, the world you think you know is false.”
A pause.
“I did not leave you money because I wanted you rich.”
Another pause.
“I left it because you are the only person who can unlock the truth.”
I looked at the others.
The recording continued.
“Victor believes the money belongs to him.”
“He is wrong.”
“Samuel believes the information belongs to him.”
“He is wrong.”
“Evelyn believes the network belongs to her.”
“He is wrong.”
Then my father's voice became quieter.
“The final ownership belongs to Elena.”
The recording clicked.
Silence.
Then a second voice entered.
A woman's voice.
Margaret.
“If Richard fails, we protect the girl.”
My mother's face changed.
Another voice.
Samuel.
“And if Victor finds out?”
Margaret answered,
“Then Elena dies.”
The recording stopped.
Everyone stared at one another.
My mother whispered,
“Margaret wasn't protecting you from Victor.”
“She was protecting me from everyone.”
Dominic looked at the cassette.
“There's more.”
He rewound.
A faint click could be heard after the recording ended.
Nico enhanced the audio.
A whisper emerged.
“Evelyn knows.”
Then static.
I closed my eyes.
“What does Evelyn know?”
Nico shook his head.
“Not enough.”
Then the lights in the underground room flickered.
A red dot appeared on one of the security monitors.
Someone had entered the estate.
Nico checked.
“Three people.”
Dominic stood.
“Where?”
“Main hall.”
We rushed upstairs.
The house was dark.
Then a woman's voice floated through the foyer.
“Elena.”
Evelyn.
I stepped forward.
She stood beneath my father's portrait.
Elegant.
Calm.
Older than the photographs, but unmistakable.
She smiled.
“You finally found the room.”
Dominic raised his weapon.
“You're Evelyn Voss.”
She nodded.
“Sometimes.”
“What do you want?” I asked.
“Your trust.”
I laughed.
“At least you're honest.”
She smiled.
“I'm the only honest person left.”
My mother stepped forward.
“Why did you lie about Samuel?”
Evelyn looked at her.
“Because Samuel believed he controlled the game.”
“He doesn't?”
“No.”
She looked at me.
“Neither does Adrian.”
“Where is Adrian?”
“Alive.”
“Where?”
She tilted her head.
“Do you really want him back?”
I hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He deserves to answer for what he did.”
Evelyn smiled.
“Good.”
Then she produced a small tablet.
A live video appeared.
Adrian was sitting in a dark room.
He looked terrified.
Behind him stood a man in black.
I recognized him.
Victor Cole.
My breathing stopped.
“That's impossible.”
Evelyn watched my face.
“It isn't.”
“How?”
“Victor faked his death.”
“Why?”
“Because someone was hunting him.”
“Who?”
She smiled.
“Your father.”
I stared.
“My father is dead.”
“So is Victor.”
She paused.
“That's the problem.”
The video shifted.
Victor leaned toward Adrian.
And spoke directly to the camera.
“Elena.”
I froze.
“If you're watching this, you're about to make the biggest mistake of your life.”
Evelyn turned toward me.
“Your father left one final instruction.”
“What?”
“Kill Victor.”
I stared at the screen.
Then Victor smiled.
“And your father knew you would obey.”
The feed cut.
I turned toward Evelyn.
“You're lying.”
“No.”
She reached into her coat.
Pulled out a sealed envelope.
On it was one sentence in my father's handwriting.
OPEN ONLY WHEN ELENA IS READY TO BECOME A MORETTI.
My hands trembled.
Evelyn held it out.
“You are ready now.”
I took the envelope.
Inside was a key.
And beneath it, a final line.
The person you call your husband was never your enemy.
I looked up.
“What?”
Evelyn smiled.
“Now you need to decide whether Adrian was a traitor...”
May you like
She paused.
“Or bait.”
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