Chapter 9 - Nobody spoke.Even Daniel looked stunned.

“Protect me?”

Evelyn nodded from the screen.

“Yes.”

I turned toward him.

“Is that true?”

Daniel looked at me.

For the first time since our wedding, I saw something in his face I had never seen before.

Shame.

“Yes.”

My stomach twisted.

“You hit me.”

He lowered his eyes.

“I lost control.”

“That isn't protection.”

“No.”

“Then what were you protecting me from?”

He looked at Evelyn on the monitor.

“Her.”

Evelyn smiled.

“That isn't entirely accurate.”

Daniel shook his head.

“You don't get to rewrite this.”

Evelyn ignored him.

“Emily, your father knew Daniel was loyal to the wrong people.”

“Yet he married me.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because we needed someone inside your life.”

I stared at Daniel.

“So my marriage was a mission.”

“Not at first.”

His voice was quiet.

“I did fall in love with you.”

I almost laughed.

“You expect me to believe that?”

“Yes.”

“After everything?”

“Yes.”

I walked toward him.

“You lied about my father.”

“I was ordered to.”

“You lied about Victoria.”

“I was ordered to.”

“You lied about my mother.”

“I was trying to keep her alive.”

“You stole from me.”

Daniel looked at the floor.

“That wasn't me.”

“Then whose signatures were those?”

He said nothing.

Evan answered.

“Patricia.”

Patricia suddenly screamed.

“No!”

Everyone turned.

She dropped to her knees.

“I was told it was temporary!”

Marcus stared.

“You forged the trust documents?”

Patricia nodded through tears.

“Daniel gave them to me.”

Daniel snapped:

“You volunteered.”

“You said they'd kill you!”

“They would've killed all of us!”

Patricia looked at me.

“I never wanted this.”

“You ruined my life.”

“I know.”

She cried.

“You don't know how deep it goes.”

I turned toward the screen.

“Evelyn, what do you want?”

“Control.”

“At least you're honest.”

“I always have been.”

“No.”

I stepped closer to the camera.

“You've been hiding behind dead people.”

Evelyn smiled.

“You're more like your father than I expected.”

“What happened to my mother?”

“I can explain.”

“Release her.”

“Not yet.”

I looked at Daniel.

“Can you help me?”

He nodded.

“Yes.”

“You betrayed me.”

“Yes.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“You shouldn't.”

That answer stopped me.

Daniel continued.

“But I can still help you.”

He looked at the vault.

“There is something inside that archive Evelyn doesn't know exists.”

Evelyn's smile vanished.

Daniel walked toward the central terminal.

“Don't.”

He ignored her.

He entered a code.

The system rejected it.

He tried again.

Still rejected.

Evan stepped forward.

“I know the code.”

Daniel shook his head.

“You don't.”

“Try me.”

Evan typed.

The system unlocked.

A new folder appeared.

PROJECT DAWN.

Evelyn's voice suddenly became sharp.

“Delete it.”

Daniel opened the folder.

A video appeared.

My father again.

He looked directly at me.

“Emily, if you're seeing this, then Evelyn has revealed herself.”

My heart sank.

My father continued.

“She will tell you Daniel was sent to protect you.”

I looked at Daniel.

“She will not tell you why.”

The screen changed.

A document appeared.

It was a bloodline chart.

My name.

My father's.

My mother's.

Then a second branch.

Evan's.

And below both of us...

another name.

ELI HARPER.

I stared.

“No.”

Evan stepped back.

“What?”

Marcus moved closer.

“Who's Eli?”

My father answered from the recording.

“Eli is your mother's first child.”

Silence.

My mind couldn't process it.

Another sibling.

Another secret.

Another person erased.

The video continued.

“When I discovered the network had infiltrated our family, I hid three people.”

My father paused.

“Emily.”

“Evan.”

“And Eli.”

Evan turned toward my father.

“Eli died.”

My father shook his head on the screen.

“No.”

I covered my mouth.

“Where is he?”

The screen changed.

A photograph.

A young man.

Black hair.

Brown eyes.

A distinctive scar under his chin.

The same scar Daniel had.

Daniel stepped backward.

“No.”

I stared at him.

“What?”

Daniel looked at the photograph.

“I know him.”

“Who is he?”

Daniel's face had gone completely white.

“That's the man who recruited me.”

I couldn't breathe.

“What?”

Daniel whispered:

“Eli Harper.”

The room fell silent.

Then the vault doors slammed shut.

The lights went out.

A gunshot echoed through the darkness.

Someone screamed.

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