Chapter 8 - THE TRUTH COMES OUT
Claire triggered the fire alarm.
Sprinklers exploded overhead.
The warehouse plunged into chaos.
Daniel kicked his chair backward.
Claire grabbed the loose wire and pulled.
The electronic lock on the side door released.
They ran.
Two guards spotted them.
Claire grabbed Daniel's hand.
“Left!”
They sprinted through a corridor.
Then headlights appeared.
A black SUV crashed through the loading doors.
Adrien stepped out.
He looked furious.
Claire stopped.
“Adrien.”
He crossed the distance between them.
For one second, neither spoke.
Then he pulled her into his arms.
She buried her face against his chest.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I thought I was going to lose you.”
“I was wrong about you.”
“So was I.”
She pulled back.
“What?”
“I thought protecting you meant keeping you away from my world.”
He touched her cheek.
“It didn't.”
Behind them, Julian appeared.
A gun in his hand.
Adrien immediately moved Claire behind him.
“Julian.”
His brother laughed.
“You always were predictable.”
Police sirens sounded in the distance.
Julian's expression changed.
“You called the police?”
Adrien nodded.
“Yes.”
Julian looked stunned.
“You?”
Adrien's voice was quiet.
“I've spent years trying to protect this family.”
He glanced at Claire.
“But I won't protect criminals anymore.”
Julian lowered the weapon.
Then suddenly fired.
Adrien pushed Claire aside.
The shot struck the concrete.
Security tackled Julian.
Within minutes, police flooded the warehouse.
The evidence they recovered was overwhelming.
Financial records.
Shell accounts.
Photographs.
Emails.
Everything.
Claire later learned Adrien had secretly cooperated with federal investigators for months.
He had been building a case against the people who had threatened his family.
The secret he had hidden wasn't that he was secretly planning a criminal empire.
It was that he had been trying to dismantle the most dangerous parts of the one he inherited.
Victoria testified.
Marco testified.
Adrien testified.
And Julian was arrested.
The newspapers exploded.
But Claire didn't care.
She cared about the man sitting beside her in the hospital waiting room.
“You're hurt,” she whispered.
Adrien looked at his shoulder.
“Barely.”
“You could have died.”
“So could you.”
She touched his hand.
“I don't want a perfect man.”
“Good.”
“Because you're definitely not one.”
He smiled.
“But I want an honest one.”
May you like
Adrien turned his hand and held hers.
“Then I'll spend the rest of my life proving I can be.”
