Chapter 13 - Emma woke up in the hospital two days later.Her first thought was Vincent.
Her second was Daniel.
Her third was Julian.
All three were alive.
But Julian was missing.
The police believed he had died in the fire.
Emma refused to believe it.
Vincent sat beside her bed with his arm in a sling.
“Don't.”
Emma looked at him.
“Don't what?”
“Go looking for him.”
“He saved me.”
“I know.”
“He saved the ledger.”
Vincent was silent.
Emma frowned.
“The ledger survived?”
“A few pages.”
“How many?”
“Seven.”
Emma looked at the bedside table.
A plastic evidence bag contained burned pages.
One page had a name.
VINCENT MORETTI.
Emma stared.
“What did my name mean?”
Vincent looked away.
“Someone framed me.”
“Who?”
“Matthias.”
Emma turned.
“He's alive?”
“No.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“Matthias died in the fire.”
Emma exhaled.
“And Elias?”
“Dead.”
“Victoria?”
“Gone.”
“Gone where?”
Vincent sighed.
“Missing.”
Emma stared.
“That's not comforting.”
“No.”
A knock sounded.
Isabella entered.
She looked older than she had days earlier.
“Emma.”
Emma hugged her.
“You lied to me.”
“I did.”
“You protected me.”
“Yes.”
“I don't know whether to forgive you.”
“You don't have to.”
Emma sat back.
“I want to know everything.”
Isabella nodded.
“There is one thing Daniel never told you.”
Emma looked toward the door.
“Where is my father?”
“He left.”
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
Emma frowned.
“He just came back.”
Isabella looked down.
“Daniel has been dying.”
Emma froze.
“What?”
“He has an advanced heart condition.”
The room went silent.
“He knew he didn't have much time.”
Emma's eyes filled.
“He should have told me.”
“He wanted your memories of him to be good.”
Emma whispered,
“He missed my entire life.”
“And regretted it every day.”
A nurse entered.
“Ms. Carter?”
“Yes?”
“There is a visitor.”
“Who?”
The nurse handed her a note.
Emma opened it.
Meet me at the river. Come alone.
No signature.
But she recognized the handwriting.
Julian.
She went.
The Chicago River was nearly empty at midnight.
Emma stood beneath a bridge.
“Julian?”
A shadow moved.
He stepped forward.
His coat was burned.
His face bruised.
But he was alive.
Emma rushed toward him.
“You're alive.”
“Barely.”
“What happened?”
“The fire was deliberate.”
“Who started it?”
Julian stared at the river.
“Victoria.”
Emma froze.
“She's alive.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“She wanted everyone to believe the entire conspiracy ended with Matthias.”
“But it didn't.”
“No.”
Julian handed Emma the seven surviving pages.
“The original ledger wasn't financial.”
Emma frowned.
“What?”
“It was a list.”
“Of what?”
“People.”
Emma read the names.
Politicians.
Judges.
Police chiefs.
Business leaders.
Every name had one word beside it.
OWNED.
Julian said,
“Victoria built an empire by blackmail.”
Emma stared.
“And my father?”
“He found the list.”
“That's why he disappeared.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did Victoria attack Isabella?”
“Because Isabella knew where Daniel hid the original.”
Emma looked at the pages.
“The original still exists?”
Julian nodded.
“Daniel hid it somewhere only you can access.”
“Where?”
Julian looked at Emma's pendant.
She touched it.
“The chip.”
“It's a key.”
“To what?”
Julian smiled sadly.
“Your home.”
Emma frowned.
“My home?”
“Your childhood house.”
She stared.
“My house was searched.”
“Not the house.”
He pointed toward her.
“Your memories.”
Emma didn't understand.
Then she remembered.
A music box.
Her father had given her one when she was six.
She had kept it all these years.
Inside was a tiny ballerina.
Daniel had always told her never to lose it.
Julian whispered,
“Take it apart.”
Emma looked at him.
“What will I find?”
Before he could answer, headlights appeared.
Several black vehicles stopped at the edge of the street.
Julian's expression changed.
“We've been followed.”
Emma turned.
Victoria stepped from the first car.
She was holding a gun.
“Both of you.”
Julian raised his weapon.
Victoria smiled.
“Emma, hand me the pages.”
“No.”
Victoria's smile disappeared.
“Then your father dies tonight.”
Emma froze.
“My father?”
Victoria nodded.
“We have Daniel.”
She opened the car door.
Daniel was inside.
Alive.
But unconscious.
Emma stared in horror.
May you like
Victoria smiled.
“Now let's see whether you love him enough to trade the music box.”
