Chapter 8 - The name hung in the room.Sebastian Mercer.

Dead for twelve years.

At least according to the family.

Adrian sat down.

Claire could see the memories moving behind his eyes.

“What happened to him?”

“Car explosion,” Adrian said.

“Were you there?”

“No.”

“Did you identify the body?”

“No.”

Claire felt a cold sensation crawl along her spine.

History was repeating itself.

Dead people kept appearing in photographs.

Adrian noticed.

“You're thinking the same thing.”

“Yes.”

“That my brother could be alive.”

“And my father.”

Adrian didn't deny it.

Marcus paused the footage.

“There's more.”

He zoomed in.

Rebecca wasn't simply meeting Sebastian.

She handed him a file.

Marcus enhanced the image.

A label became visible.

PROJECT ORPHEUS.

Claire frowned.

“What is that?”

Adrian's face had gone pale.

“I don't know.”

Marcus looked at him.

“You do.”

Adrian shook his head.

“I've never heard that name.”

“You're lying.”

The voice didn't come from Adrian.

It came from the doorway.

A woman stood there.

Older.

Elegant.

Holding a silver cane.

Claire recognized her instantly.

Adrian's mother.

Evelyn Mercer.

She stared at the screen.

Then at Adrian.

“Orpheus was your father's secret project.”

Adrian rose.

“You knew?”

Evelyn's expression didn't change.

“I knew enough.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Because your father would have killed you.”

Claire stared.

“Your father?”

Evelyn looked at her.

“Thomas Bennett's daughter.”

Claire's heart stopped.

“You know me?”

“I knew your father.”

“Was he involved?”

Evelyn's silence answered.

Adrian's voice hardened.

“Mother.”

She looked at him.

“Your father believed he could control everyone.”

“What was Orpheus?”

“A network.”

“What kind?”

Evelyn looked toward Claire.

“The kind that never truly disappears.”

Claire stepped forward.

“Does my father still belong to it?”

Evelyn's gaze softened.

“No.”

“Then where is he?”

“I don't know.”

Adrian moved closer.

“You're hiding something.”

Evelyn smiled sadly.

“So did Rebecca.”

The room went silent.

“She wasn't murdered because she knew too much,” Evelyn continued.

“She was murdered because she found something.”

“What?”

Evelyn reached into her handbag.

She placed a small cassette recorder on the table.

“Rebecca left this for me.”

Adrian picked it up.

“Why give it to you?”

“Because she knew you wouldn't believe her.”

He stared.

Evelyn pressed play.

Static.

Then Rebecca's voice.

“Adrian, if you're hearing this, I'm already gone.”

Claire felt her throat tighten.

Rebecca continued:

“Don't trust the police.”

A pause.

“Don't trust your board.”

Another pause.

“And whatever you do…”

Her voice broke.

“Don't let Claire Bennett near Lily.”

Claire went cold.

Adrian slowly turned toward her.

The recording continued.

“Because if Claire is working with her father…”

The tape crackled.

Then Rebecca whispered:

“Lily will never be safe.”

The recording ended.

Nobody moved.

Claire felt Adrian's gaze on her.

Painfully silent.

Then his phone rang.

Unknown number.

He answered.

A man's voice spoke.

“Now you know.”

Adrian tightened his grip.

“Who are you?”

The voice laughed softly.

“You're asking the wrong question.”

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

“What question?”

The answer came:

“Ask Claire why her father chose her.”

The line went dead.

Claire stared at Adrian.

“I don't understand.”

Adrian didn't answer.

Because on the table, beneath the cassette recorder, lay one more photograph.

Claire.

As a little girl.

Standing beside Thomas Bennett.

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