Chapter 13 - The agents took me to the hotel.Not the station.
Not a holding room.
Straight to Room 1704.
That alone told me something was wrong.
The hallway was empty.
Agent Rhodes walked beside me.
“You said my mother is here.”
“She is.”
“Which mother?”
He didn't answer.
We stopped outside the door.
Rhodes handed me the key.
“You need to open it yourself.”
I inserted the key.
The door clicked.
Inside was a dark hotel suite.
One lamp.
One chair.
One table.
And a woman standing beside the window.
She turned.
I knew her immediately.
She looked like me.
Older.
Gray at the temples.
Same eyes.
Same jaw.
Same expression.
“Isabel.”
She nodded.
“My daughter.”
I couldn't move.
“You're alive.”
“Yes.”
“You let me think you were dead.”
“I had to.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
She smiled sadly.
“Because sometimes it was true.”
I stepped toward her.
“Why did you give me to Lillian?”
“Because Anthony would have killed you.”
“And Michael?”
“He didn't trust him.”
“Then why let him raise me?”
“Because Michael was the only man Anthony feared.”
I looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because Michael wasn't afraid of losing the empire.”
“He wasn't?”
“No.”
She looked at me.
“He was afraid of losing you.”
That answer hurt.
Then she handed me a file.
“Victor Hale didn't die because of you.”
“I know.”
“He was killed by Thomas.”
I stared.
“Your grandfather.”
She nodded.
“Thomas has been alive the entire time.”
“Where?”
“Inside the organization.”
“Why?”
“To make all of you fight.”
I looked toward Rhodes.
“Then why are you helping me?”
Rhodes smiled.
“Because I've been working against Thomas for six years.”
I stared at him.
“Then why did you protect me at the ballroom?”
“Because your father asked me to.”
“You knew who I was.”
“Yes.”
“You knew my mother was alive.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Thomas.”
“Yes.”
I laughed.
“So everyone knew.”
Rhodes didn't answer.
I sat down.
“My entire life is one giant secret.”
Isabel came closer.
“I know.”
“Then tell me everything.”
She nodded.
“Thomas created the Hart Protocol.”
“The trust.”
“Yes.”
“Anthony inherited control.”
“Yes.”
“Then Anthony created the Architect identity.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To hide from Thomas.”
I frowned.
“He hid from his own father.”
“He wanted to destroy him.”
“Did he?”
“No.”
She looked toward the door.
“He was too afraid.”
A sudden noise came from the hallway.
Rhodes drew his weapon.
Agents moved into position.
Gunfire erupted.
The room shattered.
I ducked.
Isabel pulled me behind the bed.
Rhodes returned fire.
Then the hallway went silent.
One of the agents entered.
“Clear.”
Rhodes turned.
“No.”
The agent raised his weapon.
Rhodes shot him.
The man dropped.
I stared.
“That wasn't one of yours.”
“No.”
Rhodes checked the body.
Then removed the mask.
The face underneath was familiar.
Chase.
The man who had filmed me at the ballroom.
My stomach dropped.
“He's dead.”
Rhodes nodded.
“But why was he here?”
I found his phone.
One message.
PHASE TWO: MAKE HER TAKE THE TRUST.
I showed Rhodes.
He frowned.
“What is phase one?”
I already knew.
“The ballroom.”
“Yes.”
“Phase three?”
He looked at me.
“The murder.”
I froze.
“Victor's murder.”
Rhodes nodded.
“They want everyone to believe I killed him.”
“And once you're blamed?”
“They take the trust.”
I understood.
If I were arrested, the trust would activate.
And the executor would take control.
Thomas.
My grandfather.
“Then we have to stop him.”
Isabel looked at me.
“You can't.”
“Why?”
“Because he already controls the judge.”
The door opened.
A man in a black suit entered.
Judicial badge.
He looked at me.
“Ms. Hart Carter.”
I stared.
“What?”
“You're being released.”
Rhodes stepped forward.
“On whose authority?”
The man smiled.
“Thomas Hart.”
Then he placed a document on the table.
The Hart Trust had been activated.
My signature appeared at the bottom.
But I had never signed it.
I touched the page.
The ink was still wet.
Then my phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
A photograph.
Me.
Standing in the hotel room.
Taken thirty seconds earlier.
May you like
The message said:
WELCOME HOME, GRANDDAUGHTER.
