Chapter 14 - The search for Amanda became international.Switzerland.
France.
Italy.
Germany.
Every hour mattered.
Because Elena had no idea why Amanda wanted her.
She believed her mother had been dead for years.
She had never met Derek.
Never met me.
Never known the truth about her family.
And now she was in danger because of an inheritance she didn't know existed.
We found them in Geneva.
An abandoned hotel.
Room 608.
Amanda had Elena restrained.
Not tied.
Not harmed.
Just trapped.
That scared me more.
Because Amanda wasn't trying to kill her.
She was trying to convince her.
To manipulate her.
To make her cooperate.
I entered the room alone.
Amanda looked at me.
“Still alive.”
“Yes.”
“You should have stayed dead.”
“You should have stayed away from my family.”
She laughed.
“Your family?”
She looked at Elena.
“Ask her who she belongs to.”
Elena stared between us.
“What is happening?”
I stepped closer.
“Elena, my name is Evelyn.”
She looked confused.
“Who are you?”
“I am your grandfather's wife.”
She froze.
“I don't understand.”
Amanda interrupted.
“She doesn't need you.”
I looked at Amanda.
“She needs the truth.”
Elena stared at her.
“Mom?”
Amanda looked away.
The word had shattered something.
“You're my mother?”
“Yes.”
Elena began crying.
“You told me she died.”
Amanda said nothing.
“I thought my parents were dead.”
“I was protecting you.”
“No.”
Elena shook her head.
“You were hiding me.”
I looked at Amanda.
“For the inheritance.”
She finally admitted it.
“Yes.”
My heart broke for Elena.
She had been a secret.
An insurance policy.
A human key.
Nothing more.
Then the door exploded open.
Federal agents rushed inside.
Amanda grabbed Elena.
A gun appeared.
I moved between them.
Amanda's hand shook.
“Move.”
“No.”
“You'll get her killed.”
Amanda's face collapsed.
“I never wanted this.”
“You wanted eleven million.”
“I wanted safety.”
“You wanted money.”
“I wanted a life!”
Her voice cracked.
“And you think I chose this?”
I stared at her.
“No.”
I looked at Elena.
“You chose it every time you had another option.”
Amanda lowered the gun.
For one second, I thought it was over.
Then Gideon appeared behind her.
He shot Amanda.
She fell.
Elena screamed.
Gideon grabbed her and ran.
I chased them down the corridor.
Nathan caught up.
Gideon disappeared into the stairwell.
We followed.
He emerged on the rooftop.
The city stretched beneath us.
Gideon held Elena in front of him.
“Stop.”
We stopped.
“You've lost.”
He smiled.
“No.”
He held up the metal drive.
“This is the last piece.”
I stared.
“What do you want?”
“You.”
Again.
Always me.
“Why?”
“Because your husband didn't just hide the assets.”
He stepped closer.
“He hid the evidence.”
I frowned.
“What evidence?”
“The evidence proving the foundation was legally transferred to Elena.”
I froze.
“Without it, the government can't seize the assets.”
Nathan stepped forward.
“They can.”
Gideon laughed.
“You don't understand.”
He looked at Elena.
“She is the legal heir.”
I stared at my granddaughter.
“Then let her go.”
“No.”
“What do you want?”
Gideon smiled.
“A signed transfer.”
I laughed.
“You still haven't learned.”
He frowned.
“I don't sign anything without reading it.”
I took a step forward.
“You've spent years believing money controls people.”
I reached into my coat.
“But you never understood the one thing my husband taught me.”
Gideon stared.
“What?”
“People can lie.”
I held up the recorder.
“But recordings don't.”
His face changed.
Nathan stepped forward.
“Everything you just said is recorded.”
Gideon looked around.
Federal agents surrounded the roof.
There was nowhere to go.
He lowered the gun.
Then smiled.
“You think this ends with me?”
I didn't answer.
Because I knew.
It didn't.
There was still one question.
Who had helped him for years?
Who had opened the doors?
Who had rewritten the medical records?
Who had declared me dead?
Gideon looked directly at me.
As the agents arrested him, he whispered:
“Ask your lawyer.”
My blood turned cold.
Martin had been dead six weeks.
But Gideon knew something I didn't.
I turned toward Nathan.
“Martin?”
Nathan's face changed.
“I thought he was working for you.”
I looked at him.
“He died before this began.”
Nathan shook his head.
“No.”
He pulled out the original death certificate.
Then another document.
A photograph.
A security image from the airport.
A man leaving the country six weeks ago.
The face was older.
Hair gray.
But unmistakable.
Martin Bell.
May you like
My dead lawyer.
Had never died.
