Chapter 4 - THE WOMAN IN THE HIDDEN ROOMThe vault door finally exploded inward.
Security dragged Julian and Thomas into the rain.
Julian was coughing violently.
Thomas could barely stand.
But Julian didn’t look at the guards.
He looked at the carved message.
Claire wasn’t the only one who survived.
Who else?
The answer came three hours later.
Someone had broken into Julian’s private study.
Nothing appeared stolen.
That was what made it worse.
The intruder had left one object on his desk.
A small silver ballerina.
Claire’s.
Julian had given it to her seven years ago.
He picked it up.
A tiny compartment opened underneath.
Inside was a memory card.
His computer decrypted it after three attempts.
One video file.
No title.
He pressed play.
Claire appeared on screen.
Older.
Tired.
Alive.
Julian stopped breathing.
“Julian,” she said, “if you’re watching this, then someone has found Lily.”
He stumbled backward.
“Lily?”
Claire continued.
“You need to stay away from the DeLuca family.”
Julian watched helplessly.
“I know you’ll think I betrayed you. I know you’ll think I abandoned you. I didn’t.”
She looked terrified.
“Your father wasn’t the only person involved.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed.
Claire whispered:
“Your uncle Marcus is still alive.”
Julian froze.
Marcus DeLuca had supposedly died in a car explosion twelve years ago.
The official story said there were no remains.
Claire continued.
“He runs everything from behind the family.”
Julian stepped closer to the screen.
“He knows about Lily.”
Claire’s voice broke.
“And he knows about you.”
The video suddenly glitched.
The screen went black.
Julian slammed his hand against the desk.
“Damn it!”
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Silence.
Then a woman whispered:
“You should have never shown the dance.”
Julian recognized the voice.
Cassandra.
But Cassandra was in the hospital.
He said nothing.
The voice continued.
“Now they know she exists.”
Julian’s blood chilled.
“Who?”
“The people who killed Claire.”
“You know where she is?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
“Tell me.”
“You’re looking in the wrong place.”
“Where is she?”
“Look beneath your house.”
The line went dead.
Julian immediately returned to the estate.
He ordered every room searched.
Every basement.
Every tunnel.
Every hidden chamber.
After two hours, security discovered a sealed corridor underneath the wine cellar.
The wall had been built recently.
Julian smashed through it.
Behind it was a room.
Inside were photographs.
Hundreds of them.
Claire.
Nora.
Lily.
Julian himself.
Cassandra.
Thomas.
Everyone.
Someone had been watching them for years.
Then Julian found a table.
On it was a file marked:
SUBJECT L.B.
He opened it.
Medical records.
Birth records.
Photographs.
And one line that made his hands tremble.
BIOLOGICAL FATHER: JULIAN DE LUCA.
There was another line.
BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: CLAIRE ARDEN.
Julian closed his eyes.
Lily was his daughter.
The door behind him clicked.
He turned.
Nora stood there.
Holding a gun.
Her eyes were wet.
Julian slowly raised his hands.
“You knew.”
Nora nodded.
“You knew Lily was my daughter.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Claire made me promise.”
“Where is she?”
Nora swallowed.
“I thought she was dead.”
Julian’s expression hardened.
“You said she knew I was sad.”
Nora nodded.
“She asked me to watch Lily if anything happened.”
“What happened?”
Nora whispered:
“Someone came for Claire.”
“Who?”
Nora’s grip on the gun tightened.
“Cassandra.”
Julian stared.
Impossible.
Cassandra was the one who had just promised Lily one million dollars.
The woman currently lying in a hospital bed.
The woman who had nearly died from poison.
Nora whispered:
“She was the last person Claire trusted.”
A noise came from the hallway.
Someone was approaching.
Nora turned.
Julian lunged.
May you like
The lights went out.
And in the darkness, Lily screamed.
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