Chapter 10 - Nobody moved.The detective stared at Charles as if he had finally crossed into madness.

I felt different.

Not scared.

Empty.

“What does my blood have to do with a ledger?”

Charles laughed.

“Your mother knew computers weren't secure.”

“That makes no sense.”

“She created a biometric lock.”

Daniel stepped forward.

“Charles.”

“Don't.”

Daniel stopped.

Charles continued.

“She didn't trust me.”

“She trusted you even less after what you did to Evelyn.”

Charles shrugged.

“Business is business.”

My stomach turned.

“What did my mother build?”

“A dead-man system.”

My skin prickled.

“What does that mean?”

“If anything happened to her, the ledger would be released.”

“To whom?”

“Anyone.”

Charles looked at me.

“Unless someone with her genetic signature could stop it.”

The detective frowned.

“Why would Claire be involved?”

“Because she was the only person she trusted.”

I shook my head.

“My mother didn't know I would be married to Adrian.”

“No.”

Charles's voice became softer.

“She knew you would eventually be close to us.”

My blood ran cold.

“She planned this?”

“Not the marriage.”

“The possibility.”

Daniel stepped forward.

“Where is the system?”

Charles smiled.

“You'll never find it.”

Evelyn spoke.

“I know where it is.”

Everyone turned.

She looked at me.

“Your mother told me.”

“Where?”

“Under the old Sterling chapel.”

Maya whispered,

“That's impossible.”

“Why?”

“Because the chapel was destroyed.”

Evelyn shook her head.

“Not destroyed.”

She looked at Charles.

“Buried.”

The detective immediately called for a search team.

We drove to the chapel before sunrise.

The structure was hidden on property outside the city.

It looked abandoned.

Collapsed stone.

Broken windows.

Overgrown weeds.

But beneath it was another door.

And another staircase.

We descended.

At the bottom was a room filled with computers.

Screens.

Servers.

Hard drives.

And a single chair.

In front of it was a scanner.

A message appeared on the screen.

IDENTITY REQUIRED.

I stepped forward.

Daniel grabbed my arm.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because we don't know what happens when you activate it.”

I looked at him.

“We have spent my entire life not knowing.”

I placed my hand on the scanner.

Nothing happened.

Then I remembered what Charles said.

Blood.

I pricked my finger against the sensor.

The screen went black.

Then red letters appeared.

WELCOME, CLAIRE.

A file opened.

It contained hundreds of names.

Judges.

Police officers.

Executives.

Politicians.

And then one name appeared at the top.

CHARLES STERLING.

Beneath it:

PRIMARY OPERATOR.

Then another.

ADRIAN STERLING.

I turned.

Adrian was staring at the screen.

His face went white.

“What?”

His name was followed by another line.

STATUS: COMPROMISED.

He took a step backward.

“No.”

Evelyn whispered,

“He didn't know.”

The detective stared at the screen.

“What does 'compromised' mean?”

A countdown appeared.

DATA RELEASE IN 09:59:59

Everyone froze.

“Can you stop it?” the detective asked.

Evelyn shook her head.

“Only Claire.”

I stared at the timer.

Ten hours.

Then another file opened automatically.

A video.

My mother appeared on screen.

Older.

Tired.

Looking directly at me.

“Claire,” she said.

“If you are seeing this, Charles knows about the system.”

She paused.

“There is something I never told you.”

My throat tightened.

My mother's eyes filled with tears.

“Adrian was never chosen to hurt you.”

The screen flickered.

Then she whispered,

“He was chosen to protect you.”

The video ended.

I turned toward Adrian.

He was crying.

And before I could ask what she meant, the door behind us locked.

From the corridor came Charles's voice.

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“You should have listened.”

Then the lights went out.