Chapter 14 - Lily stepped behind Clara.Liam's father slowly lowered his weapon.
“I don't want to hurt the child.”
Clara stared at him.
“Then what do you want?”
“The truth.”
“You've had twenty years.”
“Not all of it.”
Liam stepped forward.
“You killed Miriam.”
His father shook his head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
He pointed at Marcus.
“Ask him.”
Everyone turned.
Marcus remained silent.
Clara looked at him.
“Did you kill my mother?”
Marcus didn't answer.
Liam moved closer.
“Answer her.”
Marcus finally spoke.
“I was there.”
Clara's heart sank.
“What happened?”
“Miriam found out what your father was doing.”
“What?”
“He was laundering billions through Project Lily.”
Clara looked at her father.
He remained expressionless.
“Miriam tried to expose him.”
Marcus continued.
“I was ordered to stop her.”
“You killed her.”
“I did.”
Liam's fist clenched.
Then he looked at his father.
“And you let him.”
His father nodded.
“I needed the ledger.”
Liam stared.
“You destroyed our family for money.”
“No.”
His father's expression hardened.
“For control.”
Clara realized something.
“Then why did you want Lily?”
Her father's eyes moved toward the child.
“Because she knows where the second ledger is.”
Clara froze.
“There is another one?”
Lily whispered.
“Yes.”
Everyone turned.
She pointed toward a painting on the wall.
“Behind there.”
Liam moved.
He pulled the painting aside.
A hidden compartment appeared.
Inside was a small black notebook.
The Red Ledger.
Clara stared.
Tommy's voice suddenly came from behind them.
“Don't open it.”
Clara turned.
Tommy stood at the doorway.
She hadn't heard him enter.
“You.”
He looked exhausted.
“I came to stop this.”
Liam aimed at him.
“Why should we believe you?”
Tommy looked at Clara.
“Because I finally found out what Mom was protecting.”
He walked forward.
Then handed Clara a note.
Her mother's handwriting.
Clara unfolded it.
My children,
If the ledger ever reaches your hands, do not use it to destroy them.
Use it to free yourselves.
Clara looked up.
“What does that mean?”
Tommy answered.
“The ledger isn't just evidence.”
“What is it?”
“It's leverage.”
He opened the notebook.
Names appeared.
Payments.
Secrets.
And one final page.
At the bottom was a single line.
THE ACCOUNT WILL OPEN ONLY WHEN ALL THREE HIGGINS CHILDREN ARE PRESENT.
Clara looked confused.
“All three?”
Tommy froze.
He slowly looked toward the doorway.
A woman stood there.
Late twenties.
Dark hair.
She looked almost exactly like Miriam.
Clara whispered:
“Who are you?”
The woman smiled.
“Your sister.”
Clara's heart stopped.
Tommy stared at the floor.
“No.”
The woman stepped forward.
“I was told you were dead.”
She looked at Clara.
“You were told that about me.”
Clara couldn't breathe.
Lily held her hand.
The woman looked at the child.
“And that's my daughter.”
Everyone froze.
Clara stared.
“What?”
The woman smiled sadly.
“Lily isn't your sister.”
She pointed at Tommy.
“She's his daughter.”
Then at herself.
“And I'm her mother.”
Clara looked at Tommy.
“You said you were her father.”
Tommy's voice broke.
“I am.”
The woman's eyes filled with tears.
“Then tell her the rest.”
Tommy couldn't.
Clara turned toward him.
“What rest?”
The woman answered.
“I'm not her mother.”
Silence.
She looked toward Liam.
“Neither is he.”
Clara was completely lost.
“Then who is Lily?”
The woman whispered:
“She is the daughter of Liam Henderson.”
The room went dead silent.
Liam stared at Lily.
May you like
Lily looked up at him.
“Daddy?”
