Chapter 7 - The Warehouse Where a Dead Man Was Waiting
They arrived before dawn.
The warehouse stood beside the river.
Rust covered the metal siding.
The place looked abandoned.
But the security cameras were new.
Moretti's team entered.
Natalya followed.
The first room contained shelves.
Hundreds of boxes.
Every box carried a date.
She opened one.
Photographs.
Letters.
Bank records.
Political documents.
Orpheus.
The entire archive had been waiting here.
Then she saw the final box.
Natalya Petrov.
Inside was a tape recorder.
She pressed play.
Her father's voice filled the room.
“My little star.”
She began crying.
“I knew they would eventually find you.”
Moretti stood behind her.
Viktor continued.
“If you're hearing this, it means Orpheus is collapsing.”
Natalya covered her mouth.
“I am alive.”
She nearly dropped the recorder.
“I was taken because Bellandi wanted the final code. I refused.”
A door opened somewhere in the building.
Everyone turned.
Viktor's voice continued.
“I did something unforgivable. I created Orpheus believing I could use information to prevent war. Instead, I created another kind of violence.”
Natalya listened.
“I betrayed people. I lied to my family. I taught my daughter to hide because I believed secrecy was protection.”
A pause.
“Forgive me.”
Natalya whispered.
“I do.”
The recording continued.
“There is someone near you who will help you finish what I started.”
Moretti looked at her.
“The man is Adrien Moretti.”
Neither spoke.
“He is not his father.”
Moretti closed his eyes.
“Adrien inherited my greatest enemy's name.”
The recording clicked.
“Do not judge him for that.”
A second voice came from the shadows.
“You heard him.”
Natalya spun around.
A man stepped into the room.
Older.
Thin.
Gray hair.
Her father.
She could not breathe.
“Dad?”
Viktor smiled.
“My little star.”
Natalya ran to him.
He caught her.
She cried against his chest.
For several seconds the world disappeared.
Then she pulled away.
“You let me think you were dead.”
“I know.”
“You let Mom disappear.”
“I know.”
“You let them take Elisa.”
His face broke.
“I failed all of you.”
She slapped him.
The sound echoed.
Viktor accepted it.
“Good.”
Natalya cried harder.
“Why?”
“Because you should be angry.”
Moretti watched quietly.
Viktor looked at him.
“You resemble your father.”
Moretti stiffened.
“I am not him.”
“I know.”
“Did you work with him?”
“Yes.”
“Did you trust him?”
“Once.”
“Why did he betray you?”
“Because Henderson offered him control.”
Viktor explained that Luciano Moretti had eventually tried to take Orpheus for himself.
He had arranged betrayals.
He had ordered murders.
But Adrien had never known.
“What about Bellandi?”
“He is not the mastermind.”
Everyone went silent.
“Then who?”
Viktor looked at Natalya.
“Henderson.”
“He's retired.”
“He faked his death.”
Natalya stared.
“What?”
“Judge Henderson is alive.”
A screen turned on.
Security footage appeared.
A man entered a private office.
Natalya recognized him immediately.
Judge Raymond Henderson.
Alive.
And beside him stood Elisa.
Natalya stepped toward the screen.
“My sister.”
Viktor nodded.
“She has been trying to break free.”
“Then why did she shoot at me?”
“To make you run.”
Moretti's phone rang.
This time it was an unknown number.
He answered.
A man's voice spoke.
“Mr. Moretti.”
“Who are you?”
“Someone who knows where the last page is.”
Moretti looked at Natalya.
“What do you want?”
“The waitress.”
Viktor moved instantly.
“No.”
The voice laughed.
“Bring her to the courthouse by midnight.”
“Or?”
“Her sister dies.”
The line went dead.
Natalya looked at her father.
“We're going.”
Moretti said, “No.”
“You can't stop me.”
“Yes, I can.”
“You've spent months protecting me.”
“And now I'm telling you not to walk into a trap.”
“My sister is there.”
“I know.”
“My father is here.”
“I know.”
“My family is falling apart.”
Moretti stepped closer.
“You are not the sacrifice.”
Natalya's eyes filled with tears.
“Then what am I?”
May you like
Moretti answered without hesitation.
“The reason we finish this.”
