Chapter 13 - The Last DoorI ran toward the voice.
“Lily!”
My footsteps echoed through the tunnel.
Then the lights came on.
One by one.
At the end of the corridor stood Lily.
She was alone.
I dropped to my knees.
She ran into my arms.
I held her so tightly she laughed.
“You found me.”
“Yes.”
“You knew you would.”
I pulled back.
“How?”
She pointed behind me.
Emily stood in the tunnel.
Alive.
My legs nearly gave out.
“Emily…”
She smiled through tears.
“I told you I'd be here.”
I crossed the distance between us.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then I hugged my sister.
“You were supposed to be dead.”
“I know.”
“Everyone lied to me.”
“I know.”
“You could have told me.”
“I couldn't.”
She pushed me back.
“Because Daniel had Lily.”
I looked at my daughter.
“Why bring us here?”
“Because this is where Grandfather hid the evidence.”
She walked to the end of the tunnel.
There was a giant steel door.
She placed Lily's hand against it.
The door opened.
Inside was a chamber.
Gold wasn't what filled it.
Documents.
Hard drives.
Photographs.
Bank records.
Everything.
Daniel's empire was built on fraud.
Bribery.
Murder.
Blackmail.
And then Emily showed me the final file.
It contained a video.
Grandfather spoke directly to the camera.
“If you're watching this, Daniel has already attempted to destroy the family.”
He explained the trust.
He explained Lily.
He explained me.
Then he said something that made Emily cry.
“Your father cannot access the funds without Nathan voluntarily transferring ownership.”
I stared at the document.
“Then why did Victoria need me alive?”
Emily answered:
“Because they planned to make you believe you had murdered us.”
I looked at her.
She nodded.
“They wanted you broken.”
The door behind us slammed shut.
Daniel's voice echoed through the chamber.
“You always were your grandfather's favorite, Nathan.”
I turned.
He stood on the other side of the glass.
Victoria beside him.
Ryan beside her.
And my mother.
My mother was holding a gun.
Daniel smiled.
“Now we can finish this.”
I moved Lily behind me.
“Mom?”
She looked at me.
Tears filled her eyes.
Then she raised the gun.
And pointed it at Daniel.
“Run.”
May you like
Daniel's smile vanished.
She fired.
