Chapter 7 - Khloe Finally Opened the Ledger and Learned Why Roman Had Been Protected His Entire LifeThey hid in an abandoned townhouse.
Roman's shoulder was bandaged.
Khloe sat across from him with the watch between them.
“You could leave,” Roman said.
“No.”
“You should.”
“Probably.”
“But you're staying.”
“Yes.”
Roman smiled faintly.
“You're stubborn.”
“So are you.”
He looked at her.
“I've been trying not to tell you something.”
Khloe's heart skipped.
“What?”
Roman hesitated.
“I don't care about the ledger.”
She stared.
“What?”
“I care about you.”
Silence.
He looked almost embarrassed by the confession.
“You don't have to answer.”
Khloe moved closer.
“I think I cared about you before I understood what I was doing.”
Roman looked at her.
“But?”
“But I hated the way you tried to protect me.”
He smiled.
“I deserve that.”
“You do.”
She reached for his hand.
“And I love you anyway.”
Roman closed his eyes.
For one second, everything disappeared.
The guns.
The secrets.
The betrayal.
Then the watch opened.
A blue light appeared.
Roman placed his thumb against the microchip.
The device scanned his fingerprint.
The screen appeared.
Thousands of names.
Bank accounts.
Politicians.
Judges.
Corporations.
Police officials.
Then one file appeared.
GALLAGHER BLOODLINE — PROTECTED ASSET.
Roman stared.
“What the hell?”
Khloe opened it.
His entire life was there.
Medical records.
School records.
Travel logs.
Every major event.
Someone had been protecting Roman since birth.
“Why?”
Khloe scrolled.
One sentence appeared.
ROMAN GALLAGHER MUST SURVIVE UNTIL THE TRANSFER.
“What transfer?”
Another line.
THE CROWN WILL PASS TO THE LAST SURVIVING HEIR.
Roman stared.
He was the last heir.
That meant the ledger had been waiting for him.
His father hadn't merely built the network.
He had designed Roman to inherit it.
Khloe whispered:
“You were never just the son.”
Roman's voice was hollow.
“You were the plan.”
Then another file opened.
A photograph of Roman's mother.
Sophia.
And beside her stood Edward.
The caption:
KEEPERS.
Roman stared.
His mother had been part of the network.
Edward had too.
Then one final file appeared.
THE BROKER — CURRENT
Loading.
The name appeared.
Roman stopped breathing.
Khloe looked at him.
“What?”
He couldn't speak.
She read it.
ADRIENNE GALLAGHER.
Khloe's face went white.
May you like
Roman whispered:
“My sister.”
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