Chapter 13 - City HallWe reached City Hall at 3:10 in the morning.
The building was closed.
But Rafael had keys.
Of course he did.
We entered through the underground garage.
Vincent stayed with Bella.
I followed Rafael and Marcus's directions.
The key opened a records room.
Inside were thousands of files.
At the center stood an old steel cabinet.
I inserted the key.
It opened.
Inside was a single black folder.
I lifted it.
The first page showed payments.
The second showed names.
The third showed photographs.
Then I saw the final page.
Victor Hale had planned the entire thing.
The takeover.
Elena's murder.
Rafael's assassination.
My shooting.
The kidnapping.
Everything.
But there was one name I didn't expect.
Marcus Kane.
My father.
I stared.
Rafael saw the page.
“You knew?”
“No.”
The document said Marcus had originally worked with Victor.
He had helped build the network.
Then he betrayed him.
Elena had recruited Marcus after discovering the truth.
That explained everything.
My father had not been innocent.
He had been part of it.
Then he had tried to destroy it.
The footsteps outside grew louder.
Rafael reached for his gun.
“Police?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because these footsteps aren't trying to hide.”
The door opened.
Victor.
He stood there alone.
No guards.
No weapon visible.
“You finally found it.”
I stepped backward.
“You used my father.”
Victor smiled.
“Your father chose to use me.”
“You killed Elena.”
“She knew the price.”
“You shot me.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“Your own father did.”
I froze.
“What?”
Victor leaned closer.
“Ask Marcus what happened that night.”
Rafael raised his gun.
“Talk.”
Victor laughed.
“Three years ago, Marcus arranged the attack at Warehouse Seven.”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
“He needed to make you disappear.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew you were going to expose everyone.”
Victor looked at Rafael.
“Even him.”
I stared.
Everything shattered.
My father had planned my death.
Not Victor.
Not Vincent.
My father.
Victor continued.
“Marcus shot the other attackers.”
“He shot me?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“He wanted you to look dead.”
I remembered the warehouse.
My father's voice.
Run.
Don't look back.
The gunshot.
The blood.
I had assumed it was Vincent.
But maybe it wasn't.
Rafael looked at me.
“Nora.”
I stepped away.
Victor smiled.
“Now you understand.”
Then the lights went out.
A gunshot.
Victor fell.
Rafael fired toward the darkness.
Vincent shouted from the corridor.
“Don't move!”
The lights returned.
Victor lay bleeding.
But he was still alive.
A figure stood behind him.
Marcus.
My father.
Holding a gun.
He looked at me.
And said:
“I did shoot you.”
My world went silent.
He lowered the gun.
“I had no other way.”
I stared at him.
“You tried to kill me.”
“No.”
“You shot me.”
“To save you.”
“By putting a bullet through my arm?”
“Yes.”
I felt tears burn my eyes.
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“Yes.”
“You let me hate myself.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
Marcus looked at Rafael.
Then at me.
“Because you were the only person Victor could not control.”
I shook my head.
“You could have trusted me.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
His answer broke something inside me.
“Because you trusted people too easily.”
Then Victor laughed from the floor.
“Tell her the rest.”
Marcus went pale.
Victor smiled.
“Tell her whose idea Warehouse Seven really was.”
Marcus looked at me.
May you like
And for the first time, he looked terrified.
“It was Elena's.”
