PART 9 — THE SHOT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
The gunshot exploded through the underground garage.
I screamed.
“DANIEL!”
He fell backward.
For one horrifying second, everything stopped.
Charles stood twenty feet away, his gun still raised.
Victor smiled.
But then Daniel slowly lifted his head.
There was no blood.
The bullet had struck the concrete beside him.
Charles had missed.
Or had he?
Daniel stared at him.
“Dad…”
Charles lowered the gun.
“Run.”
Victor's smile disappeared.
“What?”
Charles looked toward the men surrounding the garage.
“Run, Daniel!”
Daniel grabbed my hand.
“Elizabeth, move!”
We ran.
Laura fired toward the armed men as we disappeared behind the cars.
Victor shouted:
“Don't let them escape!”
We reached the stairwell.
Daniel slammed the door behind us.
We ran upward until we reached the street.
Snow was falling heavily.
I stopped beneath a streetlamp.
Daniel turned toward me.
“Are you okay?”
I stared at him.
“You knew.”
“I didn't know about the trust.”
“You knew your father wasn't your father.”
“No.”
“You knew Victor was your biological father.”
“No.”
“You knew your family had been manipulating me.”
Daniel's silence was enough.
I stepped backward.
“You lied to me.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
He looked devastated.
“I know.”
I wiped the tears from my face.
“Then tell me the truth now.”
He nodded.
“I will.”
Before he could continue, Laura came running out of the building.
“We have to go.”
“Where's Victor?”
“Gone.”
“Charles?”
“Gone too.”
I looked at Daniel.
“So everyone escaped.”
Laura shook her head.
“Not everyone.”
She handed me a small evidence bag.
Inside was a photograph.
I pulled it out.
My hands began trembling.
It showed my mother.
But she wasn't alone.
Standing beside her was Charles.
And between them was a little boy.
Daniel.
The photograph was dated thirty years ago.
On the back, my mother's handwriting said:
The day I promised Charles I would protect his son.
I looked at Daniel.
“What does this mean?”
He stared at the photograph.
“I don't know.”
Then my phone rang.
My mother's number.
I answered.
“Mom?”
No response.
“Mom?”
A man's voice came through.
“Your mother is safe.”
My blood ran cold.
“Who are you?”
“You have one hour.”
“One hour for what?”
“Bring the trust documents to the old Mercer warehouse.”
Daniel immediately shook his head.
“Don't go.”
The voice continued:
“If you don't…”
A pause.
Then I heard a sound in the background.
My mother's voice.
“Elizabeth, don't come!”
The call ended.
I stared at my phone.
Daniel grabbed my hand.
“It's a trap.”
“I know.”
“Then we don't go.”
I looked at him.
“We have to.”
“No.”
“She has been protecting me for twelve years.”
“And now we need to protect her.”
I looked toward the dark street.
“Then let's do it together.”
Daniel nodded.
But before we could move, Laura's phone rang.
She answered.
Her expression changed immediately.
“What?”
She listened.
Then looked at me.
“Elizabeth…”
“What?”
“The investigators found something in the bank.”
“What?”
“They found another safe.”
“Where?”
Laura hesitated.
“In your name.”
I stared at her.
“What was inside?”
She looked at Daniel.
“Your mother's original will.”
My heart began pounding.
“What does it say?”
Laura swallowed.
“It names three beneficiaries.”
“Who?”
She looked at me.
“Yourself.”
Then at Daniel.
“Daniel.”
And finally she whispered:
“Charles.”
I froze.
“That doesn't make sense.”
Laura shook her head.
“There is more.”
“What?”
She handed me the document.
At the bottom was one final clause.
If any beneficiary attempts to expose the others, the entire inheritance will transfer to the fourth beneficiary.
I stared at the page.
“Who is the fourth beneficiary?”
Laura didn't answer.
She simply turned the document around.
There was a name.
One I had never seen before.
One that made Daniel's face turn completely white.
I whispered:
“Who is Sarah Hale?”
Daniel stepped backward.
“I don't know.”
But his expression told me he was lying.
I looked at him.
“You know her.”
“No.”
“Daniel.”
“I swear—”
A car suddenly screeched to a stop beside us.
The rear window rolled down.
A woman stepped into view.
She was about my age.
Dark hair.
Pale face.
And the same green eyes as Daniel.
She looked directly at him.
“Daniel.”
He froze.
The woman smiled sadly.
“You really don't remember me?”
I looked at Daniel.
“Who is she?”
He couldn't speak.
The woman stepped out of the car.
“I think it's time you told your wife the truth.”
She looked at me.
“Because I'm not Sarah Hale.”
She paused.
Then whispered:
“I'm Daniel's twin sister.”
I stared at her.
And before anyone could say another word, she added:
“And our father isn't Victor.”
The woman looked toward the dark road.
“He's someone you've trusted your entire life.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
