Chapter 13 - THE LAST LEDGERArthur denied knowing anything about a final ledger.
Daniel didn't believe him.
“You always knew there was something your father hid.”
“I don't.”
Daniel dragged Leo closer.
“Think.”
Arthur looked at his son.
“Leave him.”
“Tell me where it is.”
“I don't know.”
Daniel raised his gun.
Elena stepped forward.
“I know.”
Everyone looked at her.
Daniel smiled.
“Of course you do.”
Elena remembered the basement.
The hidden archive.
The steel boxes.
The children's room.
The red door.
Then something clicked.
The old American flag painting.
The wall.
The first place she had heard Leo.
The wall wasn't just a prison.
It was a vault.
She looked at Mason.
“The metal box.”
“What about it?”
“It had a hidden compartment.”
“We searched it.”
“Not the lid.”
They returned to the broken corridor.
Elena ran her fingers along the metal box.
A seam.
She pressed it.
Click.
The bottom opened.
Inside was a thin black ledger.
Daniel stopped breathing.
Arthur stared.
“What is that?”
Mason opened it.
The ledger contained bank transfers.
Names.
Dates.
Politicians.
Judges.
Police officers.
Companies.
And payments.
Daniel's name was there.
Victoria's name was there.
Arthur's father's name was everywhere.
But one name shocked everyone.
Arthur Vance.
Arthur staggered.
“I never did this.”
Daniel laughed.
“You don't understand.”
The ledger had been altered.
Someone had added Arthur's signature.
Mason examined it.
“This is forged.”
Arthur looked at Daniel.
“Why frame me?”
Daniel smiled.
“Because when this goes public, you lose everything.”
“And you?”
“I inherit it.”
Claire stared at the ledger.
“There are pages missing.”
Daniel's expression changed.
Mason checked.
Several pages had indeed been torn out.
Claire whispered:
“I know where they are.”
Arthur turned.
“Where?”
“The chapel.”
Daniel raised his weapon.
“Take them there.”
Mason attempted to disarm him.
A gunshot rang out.
The bullet struck the wall.
Leo ran.
Elena grabbed him.
Daniel fled through the red door.
Mason pursued.
Claire stayed behind.
Evelyn looked at her.
“You knew all along.”
Claire nodded.
“I knew.”
“Then why bring me back?”
“Because I need you to choose.”
“Choose what?”
“Whether you become your father's daughter…”
Claire looked toward Elena.
“…or mine.”
Evelyn lowered the weapon.
Then a scream came from the tunnel.
Mason.
Arthur ran.
They found him injured.
Daniel was gone.
On the floor was a note.
THE CHAPEL. MIDNIGHT. BRING THE LEDGER.
But beneath it was another message.
COME WITHOUT ELENA.
Arthur looked at his daughter.
Elena shook her head.
“They want me.”
Claire whispered:
“No.”
“They always have.”
Evelyn looked at Elena.
“Then we go together.”
May you like
Outside, thunder rolled.
And somewhere in the mansion, the old clock began striking twelve.
