Chapter 16 - The House of RussoThe Russo family home had been abandoned for years.
Snow covered the driveway.
Callum entered through the front door.
Sadie followed.
“Where is she?”
Silence.
Then music.
An old piano melody.
Callum froze.
His mother used to play it.
They followed the sound.
A woman sat at the piano.
Elena Russo.
Older.
Still beautiful.
Still dangerous.
She stopped playing.
“You brought her.”
Callum raised his weapon.
“You killed Emma.”
Elena looked at Sadie.
“I saved her from becoming you.”
Sadie frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Elena looked at Callum.
“Your father lied to you.”
“My father was Hale.”
“Vincent was never your biological father.”
Callum froze.
Elena smiled sadly.
“Michael Miller was.”
Sadie gasped.
Callum stared.
“No.”
Elena nodded.
“He is your father.”
Everything stopped.
Sadie looked between them.
“My father?”
Elena continued.
“Michael and I built the organization together.”
Callum's face turned pale.
“Then Hale?”
“A figurehead.”
“Why?”
“To give the organization a public face.”
Callum lowered his gun.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because you would have killed him.”
“Yes.”
“And then the organization would have collapsed.”
“Elena…”
She stood.
“Emma discovered the truth.”
Sadie asked:
“Why did she die?”
Elena looked at her.
“Because she refused to surrender you.”
Sadie's throat tightened.
“She protected me.”
“Yes.”
“From you.”
Elena nodded.
Callum stepped forward.
“Why did you let me believe Emma betrayed us?”
“Because you loved her.”
“What?”
“Love makes men reckless.”
She looked at Sadie.
“And you had already become reckless enough.”
Callum's phone vibrated.
A message.
Michael.
CHECK THE BASEMENT.
Callum looked at Elena.
“Where is he?”
She smiled.
“Already inside.”
They reached the basement.
A wall opened.
Behind it was an enormous archive.
The original ledger sat on a stone table.
Beside it stood Michael.
With a gun.
And Marcus.
And Vincent Hale.
All three men.
All alive.
Sadie stared.
Hale smiled.
“Family reunion.”
Callum aimed at him.
“You.”
Hale laughed.
“You finally understand.”
Michael looked at Sadie.
“The final key.”
Sadie stepped forward.
“No.”
Michael frowned.
“You don't know what you're saying.”
“I remember.”
The room went silent.
Sadie closed her eyes.
Memory flooded back.
The room.
The key.
Emma.
Elena.
Michael.
And one final image.
A document.
Signed.
By Callum.
She opened her eyes.
“I remember who killed Emma.”
Callum looked at her.
“Who?”
Sadie stared at him.
“You.”
Silence.
May you like
Then Elena smiled.
“Finally.”
