Chapter 5 - THE FILE BEHIND THE WALLCole's confession didn't make Lily forgive him.
It made her furious.
“You should have told me.”
“I couldn't.”
“You could have trusted me.”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“You made me believe I meant nothing.”
“I know.”
For once, Cole didn't defend himself.
That hurt more.
Because Lily heard the truth in his voice.
He regretted it.
But regret didn't erase damage.
Edward listened to the conversation from across the room.
When Lily ended the call, he said:
“Cole may be telling the truth.”
“I know.”
Edward looked surprised.
“You believe him?”
“I believe he's afraid.”
“That isn't the same thing.”
“No.”
Lily looked at the old patent documents.
“But it means Marcus has more power than we thought.”
They needed evidence.
Not theories.
Not suspicion.
Evidence.
Lily returned to her father's old records.
She remembered something from childhood.
Her father had once hidden documents behind a false wall in his study.
The house had been sold years ago.
But Lily still owned one small storage unit containing his personal belongings.
Edward took her there.
They searched for hours.
Nothing.
Then Lily noticed a wooden box.
Inside was a photograph of her father standing beside a younger Cole.
Lily froze.
“What?”
Edward looked closer.
On the back of the photograph was a handwritten note.
The boy knows more than he admits.
Lily stared at Cole's younger face.
“He worked with my father.”
Edward nodded.
“And your father trusted him.”
The box contained another key.
A brass key marked with the number 17.
They traced it to a private bank vault.
Inside was a single hard drive.
Lily's hands trembled.
They accessed it using her father's password.
The files opened.
Financial transfers.
Offshore accounts.
Encrypted messages.
Names.
Marcus Vale.
Several politicians.
Two international investment firms.
And one name that made Lily stop breathing.
Sloan Rivers.
Edward looked at her.
“You thought she was helping you.”
“I thought she hated Cole.”
“She may have.”
The files showed Sloan had been working as an informant.
But not for Marcus.
For Charlotte Langley.
Lily looked at Edward.
“Your wife?”
“She was alive when these files were created.”
Edward's face drained of color.
“That's impossible.”
The timestamp was five years old.
Three months before Charlotte's supposed death.
Lily opened the final file.
A video appeared.
Charlotte stood in front of the camera.
She looked frightened.
“If you're watching this,” she said, “then Edward never received the truth.”
She paused.
“Marcus is not the mastermind.”
Lily leaned forward.
Charlotte continued.
“The person controlling Orion has access to the federal infrastructure database.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“And the person closest to Edward is working for them.”
The video ended.
Edward stared at the screen.
“Who?”
Lily looked at the files.
There was only one person with access to Edward's private systems.
His chief security officer.
Daniel Cross.
Edward stood.
“Call him.”
Lily shook her head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Charlotte said the person is close to you.”
Edward understood.
Daniel could already know they had the drive.
They left the vault immediately.
Outside, a black SUV waited across the street.
Edward grabbed Lily's hand.
“Run.”
They sprinted toward the parking garage.
A gunshot cracked behind them.
Lily stumbled.
Edward pulled her behind a concrete pillar.
Another shot.
Then silence.
Edward looked at Lily.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
Then she felt movement.
One of the babies kicked.
Lily placed a hand over her stomach.
“I think they're okay.”
Edward exhaled.
“Good.”
Then his phone rang.
Daniel.
Edward answered.
A distorted voice spoke.
“Give us the drive.”
Edward's face hardened.
“Who is this?”
“You already know.”
The call ended.
Lily looked at him.
“We have to assume everyone is compromised.”
Edward nodded.
May you like
Then he made a decision.
“We disappear.”
