Chapter 3 - The Secret Hidden Inside Her Mother’s Letter

Ronin pulled me into the car.

"Don't look back."

I obeyed.

My hands were shaking.

"My father was here."

"I know."

"You heard him?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

"Because you did."

The car moved.

I stared through the window.

The Vale mansion disappeared behind trees.

Ronin sat beside me, silent.

Finally, I asked, "Do you believe my father is alive?"

"Yes."

That answer came immediately.

"Do you think he wants to hurt me?"

"No."

"How do you know?"

"I don't."

I turned toward him.

"You're terrible at comforting people."

"I wasn't trying to comfort you."

"Then what were you doing?"

"Being honest."

For some reason, that helped.

The next morning, I brought my mother's letter to work.

I had kept it locked in my apartment for seventeen years.

The envelope was yellow from age.

My mother had written only one page.

I had never fully understood it.

I placed it on Ronin's desk.

"She gave me this before she died."

He read it.

The first line was simple.

Marin, if someone tells you your father died, don't believe them.

Ronin's eyes lifted.

I continued.

"There's more."

The letter said my father had hidden something.

Something called the Blue Room.

She warned me never to search for it until I was old enough to understand who I could trust.

Then came the last line.

If Ronin Vale ever asks about your father, tell him the truth.

He looked at me.

"She knew my family."

"Apparently."

"She knew me."

"You were a child."

Ronin sat back.

"My mother knew her too."

I stared.

"What?"

"My mother and yours were friends."

I had never heard that.

"My mother never mentioned her."

"Because my family had enemies."

"And now?"

"Now they're back."

That afternoon, one of the warehouse supervisors disappeared.

Calvin Mercer.

The man whose name had started this entire chain of events.

His house was empty.

His car remained parked outside.

The only thing missing was an old metal lunchbox.

I went to the warehouse.

Ronin followed.

"You shouldn't be here."

"I work here."

"Not today."

"I need to find Calvin."

He looked at me.

Then nodded.

We searched the loading office.

Behind Calvin's desk, I found an old photograph.

My father again.

With Calvin.

And another man.

Nolan Price.

I stared.

"These three knew each other."

Ronin took the picture.

His expression darkened.

"Nolan told me he had never met your father."

"So he's lying."

"Possibly."

We searched Nolan's office.

He wasn't there.

But his computer was open.

A spreadsheet showed payments from shell corporations to vendors around the city.

The same pattern I had found earlier.

I pointed.

"These aren't duplicate payments."

"What are they?"

"Transfers."

"To where?"

I followed the numbers.

"They're going somewhere outside the United States."

"Can you trace them?"

"Yes."

I spent two hours doing it.

The final account was connected to a company registered in Palermo.

The account holder name was Elias Whitlock.

My father.

Ronin looked at the screen.

"He's alive."

A message appeared.

STOP LOOKING.

I stared.

Then another.

THE BLUE ROOM IS NOT WHERE YOU THINK.

Ronin stood behind me.

"How did they get into the system?"

I shook my head.

"I don't know."

Then the lights went out.

Someone screamed in the hallway.

Ronin grabbed my hand.

"Stay behind me."

I could hear footsteps.

Three.

Then four.

A door opened.

Gunfire erupted.

Ronin pushed me down.

His body covered mine.

The sound was deafening.

Security rushed in.

Shots were exchanged.

Then silence.

Ronin looked at me.

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

He touched my face.

Only then did I realize his hand was trembling.

"You scared me."

The words were almost inaudible.

I stared at him.

Ronin seemed to realize what he had said.

He pulled his hand away.

"Sorry."

"No."

I touched his wrist.

"Don't be."

For a moment, we simply looked at each other.

Then Wade entered.

"Sir."

Ronin turned.

"Report."

"Two attackers escaped. One is down. We found this."

Wade handed him a phone.

The screen displayed a message.

MARRYING THE BOSS IS ONE WAY TO GET CLOSE TO THE LEDGER.

Ronin's eyes moved to me.

My stomach dropped.

"What?"

He showed me.

"Someone thinks you're involved."

"I'm not."

"I know."

"How?"

"Because if you were involved, you'd have slept more."

Despite everything, I laughed.

It was the first time either of us had laughed all day.

The moment broke when Wade noticed something else.

"Sir."

A second message appeared.

THE GIRL IS THE KEY.

Ronin's face became cold.

"Get her out."

"Where?"

"Somewhere secure."

"I can stay with you."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because the next attack will be aimed at you."

I shook my head.

"Then I won't run."

His eyes met mine.

"Marin."

"I spent seventeen years believing my father was dead. I'm done running from ghosts."

Something softened in his expression.

"You shouldn't have to face them alone."

Neither of us noticed Evelyn standing in the doorway.

She had heard everything.

And later that night, she would tell me something that changed the way I saw Ronin.

"He never protects anyone."

I frowned.

"What?"

"Not like this."

She smiled sadly.

"Whatever you're doing to my brother, be careful."

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"Why?"

"Because I've never seen him afraid to lose anyone."