Chapter 24 - The Grandfather's House
My grandfather's house had been empty for eleven years.
Or so I thought.
The property sat behind iron gates at the edge of the city.
The windows were dark.
The lawn was overgrown.
The front door was chained.
But Morales found a fresh tire track in the gravel.
Someone was using the house.
We entered with guns drawn.
The first floor looked abandoned.
Dust.
Old furniture.
Photographs.
Then we found the hidden elevator.
It descended two floors.
The doors opened into a modern room filled with computer equipment.
Screens covered the walls.
Financial records.
Hospital records.
Family trees.
Photographs.
My entire life.
My stomach twisted.
There were photographs of me at six.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Twenty.
My wedding.
My pregnancy.
My father’s funeral.
My baby's first ultrasound.
I stepped closer.
Someone had circled the ultrasound image.
In red.
A note was written beneath it.
THE KEY.
Daniel stared.
“No.”
Morales turned.
“Who?”
Daniel's real name was suddenly the least frightening part of the room.
A speaker crackled.
A man's voice filled the air.
“Welcome home, Claire.”
I turned.
No one was there.
The screens changed.
A photograph appeared.
My grandfather.
Young.
Arthur beside him.
Evelyn beside them.
Then another.
My mother.
Pregnant.
Then another.
Me and Natalie as infants.
Then Daniel.
Then Ethan.
A pattern.
A family map.
At the center was one word.
BLACKWELL.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
The speaker hissed.
“You already know.”
My mother whispered:
“Father.”
The voice laughed.
“You still call me that?”
She began shaking.
“You should have died.”
“I did.”
“What?”
“My old identity did.”
The screens changed again.
A passport.
A bank account.
A new name.
Samuel Black.
I stared.
“Blackwell.”
“Yes.”
My grandfather's voice.
“I built it.”
Arthur moved forward.
“You destroyed our family.”
“No.”
Samuel laughed.
“You did.”
“How?”
“You believed blood mattered more than power.”
Arthur shook his head.
“It does.”
“That is why you lost.”
A door opened.
Two armed men entered.
Morales raised his weapon.
“Drop it!”
The men didn't.
A gunshot exploded.
One officer went down.
Daniel pushed me behind a console.
Another officer fired.
The room erupted into chaos.
Then a voice came through the speaker again.
“Claire.”
I looked up.
“Your husband is alive.”
I froze.
“He made a choice.”
“What choice?”
“He chose himself.”
“No.”
“He betrayed you.”
“No.”
“He gave me what I wanted.”
“What?”
“The location of Daniel.”
My heart stopped.
“You found him?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Samuel laughed.
“He was never at the school.”
I felt cold.
“Then where?”
A screen changed.
A live camera feed appeared.
Ethan sat in a chair.
Across from him was a young man.
Dark hair.
Crescent-shaped birthmark.
Daniel.
The real Daniel.
I couldn't breathe.
Ethan looked exhausted.
Daniel was staring at him.
Then at the camera.
He said:
“Claire.”
I stepped closer.
“Daniel?”
“Yes.”
His voice trembled.
“I need you to understand something.”
“What?”
“I didn't want to become your husband.”
My chest tightened.
Ethan closed his eyes.
Daniel continued.
“Ethan was ordered to impersonate me.”
“I know.”
“But there's something else.”
“What?”
“I knew.”
I froze.
“Knew what?”
“That you were my sister.”
The room seemed to shrink.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you come to me?”
“Because I was told you would be killed.”
“By who?”
Daniel looked at Ethan.
Then toward the camera.
“Everyone.”
Samuel's voice interrupted.
“Enough.”
The feed cut.
I turned toward the speaker.
“Bring them here.”
“You're not in a position to make demands.”
“I have the trust.”
“No.”
“You need me.”
“No.”
He paused.
“I need your son.”
My blood turned to ice.
“Why?”
“Because he is the only person who can unlock the final transfer.”
“What transfer?”
“The one your father built.”
Arthur looked at me.
His face was full of dread.
“Claire…”
Samuel's voice returned.
“Bring the child to me.”
“No.”
“Then Ethan dies.”
My hands shook.
“No.”
“Then Daniel dies.”
“No.”
“And your mother dies.”
I turned toward Mom.
Samuel laughed.
“Now you understand.”
The screen went black.
Then one last message appeared.
May you like
12 HOURS.
CHOOSE WHICH FAMILY YOU WANT TO SAVE.
