Chapter 7 - The Secret Woman in the Black Crown
The hostage exchange was planned beneath the old harbor tunnels.
Matthew arrived with Penny.
Victor stood in the darkness.
Evelyn sat tied to a chair.
Liam was missing.
Penny's heart pounded.
Victor smiled.
“You came.”
Matthew's gun remained lowered.
“Let her go.”
“First, the key.”
Penny stepped forward.
Victor looked at her.
“You really don't know.”
“Know what?”
“Who your real enemy is.”
Matthew's voice was cold.
“Enough games.”
Victor shook his head.
“Ask your mother.”
Penny looked at Evelyn.
“Mom?”
Evelyn began crying.
“I wanted to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“Your biological father wasn't Richard Cole.”
Penny froze.
Sarah's report had been wrong.
“What?”
Victor laughed.
“The DNA was altered.”
Matthew stared.
“By whom?”
Evelyn looked at him.
“By Daniel.”
Silence.
Penny whispered, “Daniel?”
“He survived.”
Matthew's face drained.
“Where?”
Victor smiled.
“Right here.”
A man stepped from behind the darkness.
Older.
Scarred.
But recognizable.
Matthew stopped breathing.
“Daniel.”
His younger brother smiled.
“Hello, Matt.”
Penny watched the reunion.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Matthew took a step.
“You're alive.”
“Yes.”
“You let me mourn you.”
“I had to.”
“You let me think you were dead.”
“I had to.”
“Why?”
Daniel looked at Penny.
“Because our enemies needed someone to blame.”
Matthew stared.
“What did you do?”
Daniel smiled sadly.
“I built the Black Crown.”
Penny's stomach dropped.
“What?”
Daniel looked at her.
“Your father discovered the truth.”
“He tried to stop you.”
“No.”
“He protected me.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he die?”
“He didn't die because of me.”
Victor interrupted.
“He died because of us.”
Daniel looked at Victor.
“You're not supposed to be here.”
Victor laughed.
“Neither are you.”
A gunshot erupted.
Chaos.
Daniel shoved Evelyn aside.
Matthew tackled Penny.
Victor fired at Daniel.
Liam appeared from the darkness and shot Victor in the shoulder.
“You're late,” Matthew said.
Liam grinned.
“Had to make an entrance.”
Daniel dropped his weapon.
“It's over.”
Matthew looked at him.
“No.”
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
Daniel approached.
“The Crown Ledger was never intended to control Boston.”
“Then what?”
“To destroy the network.”
Penny looked at him.
“Why did you build it?”
“To infiltrate from inside.”
Daniel looked at Matthew.
“I knew someone close to you was betraying you.”
“Who?”
Daniel's expression darkened.
“Your uncle.”
Matthew froze.
“Robert.”
Daniel nodded.
“Robert Cole created the original assassination plan against our father.”
Penny understood.
“The third piece.”
Daniel looked at her.
“It's inside your blood.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your father used your DNA as a cipher.”
“I don't understand.”
“Your childhood medical records contain the final sequence.”
Evelyn whispered, “Your appendix surgery.”
Penny's eyes widened.
“They took blood samples.”
“Yes.”
Daniel continued.
“The ledger will open only with the original blood sequence and the physical key.”
Matthew looked at Penny.
“We can destroy it.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Not until we expose everyone named inside.”
Penny stepped forward.
“Then let's expose them.”
Matthew looked at her.
“You're sure?”
Penny nodded.
“For the first time in my life.”
They escaped the tunnels.
But Robert Cole was waiting.
He stood beside a black car.
Surrounded by armed men.
Matthew's face became stone.
“Uncle.”
Robert smiled.
“You always were difficult.”
“Why?”
“Because your father chose you over the family.”
“He chose me?”
“He chose to end the Crown.”
Matthew stared.
“What happened to Daniel?”
“I ordered his disappearance.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You failed.”
Robert smiled.
“I know.”
Then Robert looked at Penny.
“And now you have everything I need.”
Penny felt Matthew move in front of her.
Robert laughed.
“Love makes men weak.”
Matthew answered.
“No.”
May you like
He raised his gun.
“Love makes us dangerous.”
