Chapter 8 - THE BOY WHO HEARD THE TRUTHTessa couldn't move.
Evan walked toward her.
His voice was unfamiliar.
Not because she had never heard it.
Because she had never heard it like this.
Confident.
Controlled.
Almost cold.
“You can hear me?”
Evan nodded.
“Sometimes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Dad told me not to.”
His eyes moved to Salvatore.
“And because Salvatore told me something else.”
Salvatore struggled to sit upright.
“What did you tell him?”
Evan looked at him.
“The truth.”
Tessa's hands shook.
“What truth?”
Evan turned toward her.
“Our father wasn't investigating Victor.”
He pointed at the ledger.
“He was using Victor to destroy the Marquetti organization.”
Tessa stared.
“Why?”
“Because Dad discovered something bigger.”
He opened the ledger.
Several pages were missing.
Evan looked at Salvatore.
“You know who took them.”
Salvatore's eyes narrowed.
“I don't.”
“You do.”
Evan turned another page.
A symbol was drawn inside.
The same symbol as the scar on Tessa's chest.
Tessa touched it.
“What does that mean?”
Evan whispered.
“It means our father was part of something called the Founders.”
Victor suddenly laughed weakly from the ground.
“You're finally awake.”
Evan looked at him.
“You've been lying for years.”
Victor smiled.
“I've been protecting you.”
“From what?”
Victor looked toward Salvatore.
“From him.”
Evan shook his head.
“No.”
Victor's smile faded.
Evan continued.
“Salvatore isn't the danger.”
He pointed at the ledger.
“You are.”
Victor's face hardened.
Then he lunged toward Tessa.
Salvatore fired.
Victor fell.
Silence.
Tessa stared at Salvatore.
He was losing blood.
“You need a hospital.”
“No.”
“You're going.”
She grabbed him.
He tried to stand.
Collapsed.
Tessa held him.
“Stay with me.”
His eyes opened.
“You still trust me?”
She swallowed.
“I don't know.”
He smiled weakly.
“Fair.”
She looked at the ledger.
“There are missing pages.”
“Yes,” Evan said.
“Where are they?”
Evan looked at Salvatore.
Salvatore whispered:
“Brett.”
Tessa closed her eyes.
Of course.
The man who started everything.
Her manager.
The man who sent her into the private room.
The man who knew about the ledger.
The man who had been manipulating her from the beginning.
She looked at Evan.
“Where would he go?”
Evan answered immediately.
“The restaurant.”
Tessa stared.
“Why?”
“Because that's where he planted the final clue.”
Suddenly Salvatore grabbed her wrist.
His eyes widened.
“Tessa.”
“What?”
He stared at the scar beneath her collarbone.
“That's not a map.”
She froze.
“What is it?”
Salvatore slowly traced the pattern without touching her skin.
“A biometric cipher.”
Tessa's stomach dropped.
“My father didn't hide the ledger inside me.”
“No.”
“Then what did he do?”
May you like
Salvatore looked at her.
“He made you the key.”
