Chapter 8 - The Truth That Changed Everything
Daniel Voss's headquarters occupied the top four floors of a glass tower overlooking Boston Harbor.
It was beautiful.
Elegant.
Silent.
The kind of place where nobody imagined blood had ever been spilled.
Matteo and I entered through the lobby.
No weapons visible.
No guards.
No resistance.
It was too easy.
The elevator doors opened.
Daniel Voss stood waiting.
He was older than I expected.
Calm.
Silver-haired.
Almost grandfatherly.
That was the most frightening part.
“Emily Carter,” he said.
“You know my name.”
“I've known your name since before you were born.”
I stepped forward.
“What did you do to my mother?”
“She survived.”
“What did you do to my father?”
“He made choices.”
“You killed him.”
“No.”
Daniel smiled.
“Your father chose to disappear.”
Matteo stepped forward.
“You murdered mine.”
Daniel looked at him.
“That accusation is old.”
“So is the truth.”
Daniel laughed.
“Still angry.”
Matteo's jaw tightened.
Daniel looked at me.
“You resemble your mother.”
“I don't want anything from you.”
“You already have it.”
“What?”
“Everything.”
He pointed toward the window.
“Your trust.”
“The money.”
“Your father's secrets.”
“My family.”
He smiled.
“The empire.”
I felt sick.
“I don't want your empire.”
“You already control it.”
“What?”
Daniel leaned closer.
“The moment you turned twenty-six, the Carter Trust became active.”
“And?”
“And seventy percent of my legitimate businesses are tied to it.”
I stared.
“That isn't possible.”
“It is.”
Matteo looked at me.
Daniel smiled.
“Your father planned everything.”
My mother had not created the trust.
My father had.
But why?
Daniel turned on a screen.
Documents appeared.
“Your father built the trust to force me into the open.”
“How?”
“When the assets transferred to you, every hidden account tied to my companies became visible.”
Leo entered.
Daniel looked at him.
“Traitor.”
Leo's expression hardened.
“You took my sister.”
“And you obeyed.”
“Until today.”
Daniel smiled.
“Then you're useless.”
He snapped his fingers.
Two men dragged Leo's sister into the room.
Leo lunged forward.
Gunshots rang out.
Matteo grabbed him.
“Don't!”
Daniel looked at me.
“Give me the USB.”
I didn't move.
“It's not with me.”
“Liar.”
“It isn't.”
He pointed to Matteo.
“Then he dies.”
I looked at Matteo.
His eyes were calm.
“Don't give him anything.”
Daniel laughed.
“Always the hero.”
Matteo smiled.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“She's the hero.”
My heart broke.
Because I knew what he was about to do.
He lunged.
The room erupted.
I dropped behind a desk.
Leo freed his sister.
Someone fired.
Glass shattered.
Daniel ran toward the elevator.
I grabbed the USB and followed.
“Emily!”
Matteo shouted.
I ignored him.
Daniel reached the rooftop.
I followed.
The wind screamed around us.
“You can't run forever,” I shouted.
He turned.
“You really are your mother's daughter.”
“What happened to her?”
“She betrayed me.”
“You deserved it.”
Daniel laughed.
“She loved your father.”
“And?”
“She loved him more than she loved herself.”
I froze.
Daniel pointed toward the edge.
“Your mother made a deal.”
“What deal?”
“She agreed to disappear.”
“In exchange for?”
“Your safety.”
I knew that already.
But Daniel wasn't finished.
“She also agreed to give me Matteo.”
I turned.
Matteo stood behind me.
His expression was unreadable.
“What?”
Daniel smiled.
“Ask him.”
I looked at Matteo.
He was pale.
“It's true.”
My heart shattered.
“What did you promise?”
“To join Voss.”
“For my mother?”
“Yes.”
“And you did?”
“For six months.”
I stared at him.
“You worked for him?”
“To protect your mother.”
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
“Because she made me promise.”
I laughed through tears.
“Everyone keeps promising things to my mother.”
Matteo stepped closer.
“I would make the choice again.”
Daniel raised his gun.
“Touching.”
He fired.
Matteo shoved me aside.
The bullet struck his side.
He fell.
“No!”
I ran to him.
Daniel smiled.
Then Leo's sister hit him from behind with a metal bar.
Daniel stumbled.
Leo rushed in.
Matteo, bleeding, grabbed Daniel's wrist.
Police sirens erupted below.
Daniel's face changed.
“You called them?”
I looked at the USB.
“No.”
A voice came from the rooftop door.
My mother.
She stood with detectives.
And beside her was my father.
Alive.
“You did,” Daniel whispered.
My mother nodded.
“I've been waiting twenty-five years.”
Daniel's face drained.
“You were supposed to be dead.”
She smiled.
“I was supposed to be forgotten.”
The police arrested Daniel.
I dropped beside Matteo.
Blood covered my hands.
“Stay with me.”
He smiled weakly.
“You're bossy.”
“You'll survive.”
“That's an order?”
“Yes.”
He laughed.
Then winced.
“Fine.”
May you like
I squeezed his hand.
For the first time, I realized I was terrified of losing him.
