Chapter 13 - Liam slowly lowered his weapon.“Let her go.”
Ray laughed.
“No.”
Clara stared at Lily.
Her little sister looked terrified.
But something about her expression seemed different.
Too calm.
Too focused.
Ray didn't notice.
Liam did.
He looked directly at Lily.
Then at Clara.
He subtly shook his head.
Wait.
Ray continued.
“The account is hidden behind a biometric lock.”
He looked at Clara.
“And Lily is the key.”
Clara swallowed.
“Why me?”
“Because she trusts you.”
Liam moved slightly.
Ray raised his gun.
“Don't.”
Liam stopped.
Ray gestured toward the computer.
“Open it.”
“I don't know how.”
“Lily does.”
Clara looked at her sister.
“Lily?”
The little girl nodded.
“I remember.”
Ray smiled.
“Exactly.”
Clara approached the computer.
Lily's small hand touched the screen.
A prompt appeared.
VOICE REQUIRED.
Lily said:
“Bluebird.”
The system accepted it.
A second prompt.
PASSWORD.
Lily looked at Clara.
“Mom used to sing it.”
Clara remembered.
A childhood lullaby.
She sang softly.
The system unlocked.
Files began appearing.
Millions of dollars.
Bank accounts.
Photographs.
Names.
Clara stared.
Then she saw Ray's name.
Next to it was a payment record.
But Ray wasn't at the top.
Someone else had paid him.
Clara scrolled.
The name appeared.
Marcus Vale.
Then another payment.
From someone else.
Liam looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“That's impossible.”
Clara turned.
“What?”
Liam pointed.
His own name appeared.
Under a hidden account.
Payments.
Dates.
Amounts.
All spanning years.
Clara stared at him.
“You were part of it.”
Liam shook his head.
“I never received that money.”
“Someone used your name.”
He looked at the account number.
“I know that account.”
“Who owned it?”
“My father.”
Silence.
Clara suddenly realized.
His father had been using Liam's identity.
Liam looked at the final file.
A message appeared.
THE HEIR HAS ARRIVED.
Bobby's voice came through the radio.
“President.”
Liam answered.
“What?”
“We've got a problem.”
“What?”
“Your father's men aren't coming for Clara.”
Liam's eyes narrowed.
“Then who?”
“They're coming for you.”
The lights went out.
Ray grabbed Lily.
Clara lunged.
The room exploded into chaos.
Liam tackled Ray.
Lily fell.
Clara caught her.
Gunfire echoed.
Marcus appeared.
He shot Ray in the leg.
Ray screamed.
“Why?”
Marcus looked at Clara.
“Because he was never in charge.”
Clara looked toward the entrance.
A man stepped inside.
Gray hair.
Silver eye.
Liam's father.
Alive.
He looked at Liam.
“My son.”
Liam stared at him.
“You're dead.”
The man smiled.
“Not anymore.”
Liam raised his weapon.
His father didn't move.
“I waited twenty years for you to find me.”
“Why?”
The older man looked toward Clara.
“Because your mother was right.”
Clara stepped forward.
“About what?”
He smiled.
“You were never the target.”
May you like
He looked at Lily.
“She was.”
