Chapter 6 - At the Abandoned Opera House, Elena Learned Who Had Been Protecting Her for Eleven YearsThe old opera house had been closed for fifteen years.
Its grand staircase was covered with dust.
The velvet seats were torn.
The chandelier hung crooked above the empty stage.
Adrien and Elena entered through the rear doors.
No lights.
No guards.
No Daniel.
Then Elena heard violin music.
She froze.
The melody was the same one her mother had played when she was a child.
“Mother,” Elena whispered.
Adrien looked at her.
“You recognize it?”
She nodded.
Tears filled her eyes.
The music came from backstage.
They followed.
Behind a curtain stood an elderly woman.
Gray hair.
Thin face.
A violin beneath her chin.
Elena dropped the flashlight.
The woman lowered the instrument.
“Hello, Elena.”
Elena could not breathe.
“Mom?”
Isabella Moretti smiled.
“My little girl.”
Elena ran.
They collided.
Adrien stood back.
He watched mother and daughter hold each other.
Eleven years of secrets.
Eleven years of grief.
Finally, Isabella whispered,
“I am sorry.”
Elena pulled away.
“You were dead.”
“I had to be.”
“Why?”
“To keep you alive.”
“You let me believe you were gone.”
“If Thomas knew I survived, he would have killed you.”
Elena's face hardened.
“You could have told me.”
“I couldn't.”
“You could have written.”
“I did.”
“Where?”
“In the music.”
Elena stared.
“The violin lessons.”
Isabella nodded.
“Every piece I taught you contained part of the code.”
Adrien stepped forward.
“What code?”
Isabella looked at him.
“Your father told me you would come.”
Adrien frowned.
“How did you know?”
“I knew Richard better than anyone.”
She handed him a photograph.
Richard stood beside Adrien as a child.
On the back was written:
The boy must inherit the truth, not the company.
Adrien's eyes burned.
“What happened to him?”
“Thomas forced him to cooperate.”
“And Marco?”
“He refused.”
“Then why did my father let him take the blame?”
“Because Thomas had Elena.”
Adrien looked at Elena.
Isabella continued.
“Thomas threatened to kill your daughter.”
Elena whispered,
“I don't remember.”
“You were six.”
Isabella looked toward Adrien.
“Your father chose to sacrifice his reputation to save my family.”
Adrien closed his eyes.
Everything he had believed was falling apart.
“What about the company?”
Isabella smiled sadly.
“Thomas never wanted the company.”
Adrien looked up.
“What did he want?”
“Control.”
She pointed toward the stage.
“The old shipping records were not about money.”
“Then what?”
“Names.”
Isabella walked toward an old trunk.
She opened it.
Inside were files.
Photographs.
Bank records.
Government documents.
And a list.
Politicians.
Judges.
Police officials.
Corporate executives.
People who had helped Thomas build an invisible network.
Adrien recognized half the names.
Elena whispered,
“This is bigger than him.”
“Yes.”
“How do we stop them?”
Isabella looked at Adrien.
“You must expose everything at once.”
“How?”
“The second ledger.”
Adrien frowned.
Isabella looked at Elena.
“Your father left it for you.”
“Where?”
“In the one place Thomas never thought to search.”
Elena looked at the violin.
Her mother's eyes softened.
“Your father's violin.”
Adrien opened the instrument.
Inside was another hidden compartment.
A small black drive.
He stared at it.
Isabella smiled.
“Eleven years ago, I gave it to your father.”
“He hid it?”
“Yes.”
“And why didn't Thomas find it?”
“Because he was looking for money.”
Adrien held the drive.
“What is on it?”
“Everything.”
Daniel suddenly appeared from the balcony.
Elena ran toward him.
“Danny!”
He hugged her.
“I’m sorry.”
She punched his shoulder.
“You disappeared.”
“I was trying to get the evidence.”
“You got kidnapped.”
“Technically, yes.”
She started crying.
Adrien shook his head.
“You're both insane.”
Daniel laughed.
“Runs in the family.”
Then the opera house doors slammed shut.
Adrien turned.
Men entered from both sides.
Thomas walked down the aisle.
Beside him was Sabrina.
Adrien looked at her.
“You.”
She smiled.
“Me.”
Thomas applauded.
“A beautiful reunion.”
Isabella stepped between them.
Thomas stopped.
His smile vanished.
“You.”
Isabella lifted her violin.
“You should have killed me when you had the chance.”
“I thought I did.”
“You were always careless.”
Thomas pointed.
“Take the drive.”
Security moved.
Adrien pulled his weapon.
Elena stepped beside him.
Daniel grabbed a fire extinguisher.
Thomas laughed.
“You think you can fight all of us?”
Adrien looked at Elena.
“No.”
He pressed a button.
The opera house lights exploded on.
Cameras hidden throughout the building illuminated.
Adrien smiled.
“I only need you to talk.”
Thomas's expression changed.
On the wall behind him, a live broadcast appeared.
Every confession.
Every file.
Every recorded conversation.
They had been streaming for twelve minutes.
Thomas stared.
“What did you do?”
Adrien said,
“You came here to threaten us.”
He lifted the drive.
“I came to make you famous.”
Sirens sounded outside.
Thomas turned.
Federal agents surrounded the building.
Sabrina began to run.
Elena caught her.
“You threatened to kill me.”
Sabrina turned.
“I never meant it.”
Elena stared.
“You said I wouldn't survive.”
“I was scared.”
“So was I.”
Then Sabrina whispered,
“You don't understand who R really is.”
Elena's stomach dropped.
“Who?”
Sabrina looked at Adrien.
“He's not alive.”
Adrien frowned.
“What?”
Sabrina smiled.
“R died eleven years ago.”
Then she laughed.
And from somewhere behind the stage came the sound of a man's voice.
“Did I?”
May you like
Adrien turned.
A shadow stepped into the light.
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