Chapter 7 - THE NIGHT EVERYTHING CHANGED
Julian entered the headquarters with six security men.
Lena remained in the armored vehicle.
She hated being left behind.
But Julian had made one promise.
“You are not walking into a war.”
Then the building lights went out.
Lena's heart stopped.
Gunfire erupted inside.
Her driver locked the doors.
“Stay down!”
She ducked.
Bullets struck the vehicle.
The driver accelerated.
Lena screamed.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Safe location.”
She realized immediately.
He wasn't Julian's driver.
The man was working for Adrian.
The car raced through downtown.
Lena grabbed the emergency handle.
It wouldn't open.
Then her phone rang.
Julian.
“Lena, where are you?”
“I don't know.”
“Look outside.”
She did.
“Harbor Road.”
Julian's voice became urgent.
“Get out when the car stops.”
The driver heard him.
He reached for her.
Lena grabbed a metal flashlight and struck his wrist.
The car swerved.
She opened the door.
Rolled onto the pavement.
Pain exploded through her shoulder.
The vehicle disappeared.
Seconds later, another black SUV screeched to a stop.
Julian jumped out.
He ran toward her.
“Lena!”
She looked up.
Blood covered her forehead.
“You came.”
His face broke.
“I always will.”
He lifted her.
Behind him, explosions lit the skyline.
The headquarters was burning.
Martin ran toward them.
“Julian!”
“What?”
“The servers are gone.”
“What about the records?”
“Everything.”
Julian looked at Lena.
Then at the burning building.
Adrian had destroyed the evidence.
The family had won.
Or so they thought.
Lena suddenly remembered something.
“The cleaning department.”
Julian frowned.
“What?”
“I still have access to the old maintenance system.”
“Why?”
“Because I used to clean the executive floors.”
She pulled out her phone.
“I know where the backup servers are.”
Martin stared.
“Those were never on the corporate network.”
“Exactly.”
They returned to the building.
Using an underground service entrance, Lena led them through the maintenance corridors.
She knew every locked door.
Every emergency stairwell.
Every camera.
Finally, she stopped.
“This wall.”
Julian looked at it.
“There's nothing here.”
Lena smiled.
“There is.”
She removed a ceiling panel.
A hidden server cabinet appeared.
Martin stared.
“Oh my God.”
The backup contained everything.
Financial transfers.
Board communications.
Adrian's messages.
And the final piece.
A recording of Julian's mother admitting she had manipulated the trust.
But there was one more file.
A medical report.
Lena opened it.
Her face changed.
“What?”
Julian took the tablet.
The report was about him.
His father had not been murdered by Adrian.
He had been killed because he discovered Julian's mother was stealing from the company.
And Julian's mother had ordered the hit.
Julian stared at the screen.
His entire childhood had been built on a lie.
Then a voice came from behind them.
“You finally found it.”
They turned.
May you like
Julian's mother stood in the doorway.
She held a gun.
