Chapter 8 - The Betrayal She Never Saw Coming
Daniel came to the apartment that night.
Dora opened the door herself.
Victor stood in the next room.
Hidden.
Watching.
Daniel smiled.
"Dora, sweetheart."
She smiled back.
"Uncle Daniel."
He hugged her.
Victor watched his hands.
Too calm.
Too deliberate.
Daniel stepped inside.
"I heard about the break-in."
"How?"
"The whole city heard."
Dora nodded.
"Of course."
Daniel looked around.
"Where is Victor?"
"Why?"
"Because men like him bring danger."
Dora laughed.
"Funny."
"What?"
"You always told me powerful men were dangerous."
"They are."
"But you knew my mother."
Daniel's smile faded.
"Yes."
"Tell me what happened."
"Dora—"
"Please."
His eyes softened.
For a second, she almost believed him.
Then he reached for her shoulder.
Victor moved.
Daniel immediately stepped backward.
"Victor."
"Daniel."
The two men stared at each other.
Daniel sighed.
"You've grown into your father's son."
Victor raised his weapon.
"You betrayed him."
"I survived."
"You helped kill him."
Daniel shook his head.
"I helped Richard."
Dora felt sick.
"Why?"
"Because I was afraid."
"Of him?"
"Of all of them."
Dora whispered, "My mother trusted you."
"I loved your mother."
"Then why?"
Daniel looked at her.
"Because Richard threatened you."
Dora froze.
"He said if I didn't cooperate, you would die."
Victor's voice was cold.
"So you helped him."
"Yes."
"And when Amelia escaped?"
"I found her."
Dora cried.
"You knew she was alive?"
"Only for a few weeks."
"What happened?"
Daniel looked down.
"Richard found her first."
Dora closed her eyes.
Everything she had believed collapsed.
Daniel reached into his coat.
Victor aimed his weapon.
Daniel pulled out a USB drive.
"I kept this."
Victor didn't lower the gun.
"What is it?"
"The location of the ledger."
Dora stepped closer.
Daniel held it out.
"I couldn't destroy everything."
Victor took it.
Then the window exploded.
A bullet tore through the wall.
Daniel pushed Dora down.
Victor fired toward the rooftop.
More shots.
Security rushed in.
When the shooting stopped, Daniel lay bleeding.
Dora knelt beside him.
"Why did you save me?"
He smiled weakly.
"Because your mother asked me to."
Dora cried.
Daniel's eyes closed.
Victor called an ambulance.
Later that night, Marcus found the ledger location.
An abandoned church outside Boston.
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But there was one problem.
Richard had already arrived.
