Chapter 14 - The VoiceAdrian could not speak.
He had imagined his father's voice a thousand times.
Never like this.
Older.
Tired.
Alive.
“Dad?”
A long silence.
“Yes.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Where are you?”
“Watching you.”
“Where is Emma?”
“Safe.”
“Bring her back.”
“I will.”
“Now.”
“Not yet.”
Adrian's hand tightened.
“You let them take her.”
“I let them test you.”
“For what?”
“To see whether you still trusted your organization.”
Adrian almost laughed.
“You kidnapped a six-year-old to test me?”
“I didn't.”
“Then who did?”
“My enemies.”
“Vincent?”
“Yes.”
“Graham?”
“No.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“Then who?”
His father answered:
“Your mother.”
Silence.
Adrian's world seemed to stop.
“My mother is alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“You're asking too many questions.”
“I've waited twenty-one years.”
“So have I.”
Adrian's voice broke.
“Why did you leave?”
“Because staying would have gotten you killed.”
“You abandoned me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To make them believe you were alone.”
“Who?”
“The people who own this city.”
Adrian looked around the station.
“You could have told me.”
“You wouldn't have believed me.”
“I would've.”
“No.”
His father sounded tired.
“You trusted Graham.”
Adrian froze.
“You trusted Vincent.”
He swallowed.
“And you trusted Lucas.”
Adrian looked at the man beside him.
His father continued.
“That was my fault.”
“What happened to you?”
“I escaped.”
“Why come back?”
“Because Emma found the envelope.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“My daughter?”
“She returned the money.”
“Yes.”
“She broke the test.”
“What test?”
“The consortium had planted that money to identify the weakest employee.”
Adrian frowned.
“Then why did they target Emma?”
“Because the wrong person returned it.”
“Who should have taken it?”
His father paused.
“One of my men.”
“Who?”
“Graham.”
Adrian stared.
“Why?”
“To prove he was still loyal.”
“He isn't.”
“I know.”
Adrian's pulse raced.
“Then who is he loyal to?”
“Your mother.”
Adrian's eyes widened.
“No.”
“She built the network.”
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It will.”
The call began to break up.
“Dad!”
“Locker 902 has only part of the truth.”
“What else?”
“You must find the woman who never wanted the money.”
Adrian looked toward the diner key in his pocket.
“Sophia?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
His father whispered:
“Emma.”
The call ended.
Adrian stared at the dead screen.
Lucas spoke.
“Your father was afraid.”
Adrian looked at him.
“So am I.”
“What do we do?”
Adrian turned toward the station exit.
“We find Emma.”
“And then?”
Adrian picked up the passport from the locker.
The photograph inside showed a woman.
A woman Adrian had not seen since childhood.
His mother.
Alive.
May you like
And on the back was one sentence.
She knows who ordered Daniel's murder.
