Chapter 3 - The Ring
Elias Kane had been with me since the beginning.
He knew everything.
My businesses.
My enemies.
My secrets.
My weaknesses.
And apparently, my blind spots.
I called him.
He answered immediately.
“Adrian. How are you feeling?”
“Alive.”
Silence.
Then:
“That's good.”
I smiled.
“Is it?”
He paused.
“You're suspicious.”
“I'm always suspicious.”
“Not of me.”
“Why not?”
He laughed softly.
“Because I've been beside you for fifteen years.”
I stared at the phone.
“Exactly.”
He went quiet.
Then I asked:
“Where are you?”
“At the office.”
“Which one?”
“Manhattan.”
I looked at Marcus.
He shook his head.
Our surveillance system had just located Elias in West Virginia.
He was less than twenty miles away.
I ended the call.
Marcus looked at me.
“What now?”
“We let him think I still trust him.”
“Adrian—”
“I want to know who else is involved.”
We began tracing the money.
Within hours, we found shell accounts.
Payments.
Safe houses.
Weapons purchases.
And one recurring transfer.
Every payment went through an account connected to a private security company.
The company belonged to Caleb Voss.
Then another file appeared.
A surveillance photograph.
Elias meeting Caleb.
My jaw tightened.
“He betrayed us.”
Marcus nodded.
Then Noah walked into the room.
He was holding a photograph.
“Mr. Adrian?”
I turned.
“Where did you get that?”
“It was in Grandpa's bag.”
Samuel rushed in.
“Noah!”
The boy handed me the photograph.
I stared at it.
It showed Caleb.
Elias.
And a third man.
A man I recognized immediately.
Marcus.
I looked at him.
He went pale.
“No.”
I stared at the photograph.
“That's you.”
Marcus shook his head.
“I've never seen that.”
But Noah pointed at the picture.
“That man is the one who came to Grandpa's house.”
I looked at Marcus.
“What?”
“He told Grandpa you were dead.”
Marcus stepped backward.
“That's impossible.”
Noah's face tightened.
“No.”
He pointed.
“That man had your face.”
The room went silent.
Then Marcus pulled out his phone.
He looked at the photograph.
His hands began shaking.
“Adrian…”
“What?”
“I have a twin.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“He disappeared twenty years ago.”
May you like
Marcus looked at Noah.
“And his name is Gabriel.”
