Chapter 7 - The Betrayal Inside the Bellandi Family
The ransom location was an old printing factory near the river.
Abandoned for twenty years.
Daniel believed Vincent had chosen it because the underground tunnels connected to three different exits.
Adrian believed Vincent had chosen it because Marcus knew something.
I believed he had chosen it because he knew we would come.
We entered through the north side.
No guards.
No cars.
No sound.
That was the first warning.
Adrian raised his hand.
Everyone stopped.
Then the lights came on.
Marcus sat in a chair in the center of the room.
His hands were tied.
His face was bruised.
But he was alive.
Beside him stood a woman.
I recognized her.
Sofia Bellandi.
Adrian’s aunt.
Marcus’s mother.
The woman who had cried at our wedding and called me daughter.
She held a gun.
Adrian froze.
“Aunt Sofia.”
She smiled sadly.
“I’m sorry.”
Marcus shouted.
“Adrian, don't trust her!”
Sofia raised the weapon.
“I didn't want this.”
“Then put it down.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
She looked at me.
“Because of Claire.”
My stomach tightened.
“What did I do?”
Sofia’s eyes filled with tears.
“Nothing.”
She looked at Adrian.
“Your father died because Vincent wanted power. My husband died because Vincent wanted silence. And I spent years doing what I thought would keep our family alive.”
Adrian's voice was cold.
“You worked for him.”
“I survived him.”
Marcus struggled.
“She gave Vincent access to the estate!”
I turned to Adrian.
“That’s how he got inside.”
Sofia lowered her head.
“I gave him codes years ago.”
Adrian stared.
“You betrayed me.”
“I protected Marcus.”
“You endangered Claire.”
“I didn't know Vincent would come back.”
Silence.
Then footsteps echoed.
Vincent emerged from the shadows.
He clapped slowly.
“Family reunions are so touching.”
Adrian raised his weapon.
Vincent smiled.
“Put it down.”
“No.”
Vincent gestured toward Marcus.
“Then he dies.”
Adrian lowered the weapon.
I whispered his name.
“Adrian.”
He looked at me.
“Trust me.”
Vincent laughed.
“Trust is exactly what destroyed you.”
He walked toward me.
“You ran from him.”
I said nothing.
“You believed the kiss.”
My stomach dropped.
“How did you know?”
“I arranged it.”
Adrian’s expression changed.
Vincent smiled.
“I knew Claire would see.”
I stared at him.
“You wanted me to leave.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you were the last thing holding Adrian back.”
Adrian stepped forward.
Vincent raised his gun.
“Stay.”
He looked at me.
“Do you know why your father hid Project Echo?”
“No.”
“Because he wanted a weapon against people like me.”
“And you never found it.”
“I found most of it.”
Vincent touched his chest.
“But not the final memory.”
My father's words echoed in my mind.
The key to Echo is your memory.
Vincent smiled.
“Your father removed the final location from the documents and stored it in your mind.”
I shook my head.
“I don't remember.”
“You do.”
He approached.
“You just need to be reminded.”
He snapped his fingers.
A screen turned on.
A video played.
Me at seventeen.
My father beside me.
A blue door behind us.
I gasped.
The room.
The childhood memory.
It wasn't a childhood room.
It was an archive.
My father had shown me the location once.
Then he had erased every obvious reference.
Vincent leaned toward me.
“The blue door is in the old Bellandi summer property.”
Adrian looked at me.
“There is no summer property.”
“There was,” Vincent said.
“Until your father burned the records.”
My mind raced.
Then I remembered.
A lake.
A red lamp.
A wooden dock.
And my father's voice.
“Some things are safer forgotten.”
I turned to Adrian.
“Michigan.”
He understood.
“Lake Geneva?”
“No.”
“Then where?”
“Indiana.”
Vincent smiled.
“Good girl.”
Adrian's face hardened.
“She is not yours to threaten.”
Vincent laughed.
“You still think this is about power.”
He looked at me.
“It isn't.”
“What is it about?”
“Justice.”
I almost laughed.
“You killed my father.”
“Yes.”
“You destroyed families.”
“Yes.”
“You manipulated everyone.”
“Yes.”
“Then don't call it justice.”
Vincent paused.
“Your father believed everyone deserved a chance to see the truth.”
He looked at Adrian.
“I disagree.”
He lifted his weapon.
“I believe people deserve to see what they become when everything they love is taken away.”
Suddenly, the lights went out.
Gunfire exploded.
Daniel tackled Vincent.
Marcus kicked free.
Sofia dropped her gun.
Adrian grabbed me.
“Run!”
We moved through the chaos.
But Vincent disappeared.
Again.
Outside, sirens approached.
Sofia sank to the floor.
Marcus sat beside her.
Adrian stared into the darkness.
“He wanted Indiana.”
I nodded.
“I remember the lake.”
“Then that's where we're going.”
I looked at him.
“You believe me?”
“With my life.”
The words hurt.
May you like
Because fifteen years ago, those would have been enough.
Tonight, they meant everything.
