Chapter 8: The Enemy Inside
I stared at the message until the words blurred.
Ask Adrian why he killed me.
My first instinct was disbelief.
My second was anger.
My third was fear.
Because somewhere deep inside, I knew the person who sent it wanted exactly this.
They wanted me to doubt him.
They wanted me to turn against the one person standing beside me.
And the worst part?
It was working.
I looked at Adrian.
He didn’t look surprised.
That scared me.
“You know who sent this.””
He didn’t answer.
“Adrian.””
His silence became unbearable.
“I asked you a question.””
He closed his eyes.
Then whispered:
“Yes.””
My heart dropped.
“Who?””
“My uncle.””
The man from the photograph.
The dead man who was apparently alive.
James Kane.
“How?””
“I don’t know.””
“But you believe him.””
Adrian looked at the phone.
“I believe he’s capable of making people think anything.””
“That’s not an answer.””
“No.””
He looked at me.
“It’s the truth.””
I stepped away.
“You keep saying that.””
“Because I’m trying.””
“No.””
My voice sharpened.
“You’re trying now because I found out.””
That hurt him.
Good.
Maybe he needed to.
“You should hate me.””
The words surprised me.
“What?””
He looked down.
“You have every reason.””
I waited.
“My father destroyed your life.””
“Yes.””
“Marcus helped.””
“Yes.””
“And I benefited from both.””
I said nothing.
“Maybe I don’t deserve your trust.””
For some reason, that was worse.
I expected arrogance.
I expected excuses.
Not guilt.
The basement door suddenly opened.
Elena rushed inside.
“We have a problem.””
Adrian immediately changed.
“What happened?””
“Someone accessed the security system.””
“Who?””
She looked at me.
“James Kane.””
Silence.
“How?””
“He used an old authorization code.””
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“My father’s code.””
Elena nodded.
“He’s been inside the system for twenty minutes.””
Adrian looked around the basement.
“He wants something.””
I looked at the boxes.
The files.
The secrets.
“What?””
Adrian didn’t answer.
Then he noticed something.
A missing box.
“What?””
He walked quickly to the shelf.
“That was here.””
“What was inside?”” Elena asked.
Adrian’s face changed.
“Everything about Wren.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
“My father kept a complete record.””
“Why?””
Adrian looked at me.
“Because you weren’t just his secret.””
The lights went out.
Everything became black.
A second later, emergency lights turned on.
Red.
Low.
Dangerous.
Then the speakers activated.
A voice filled the basement.
James Kane.
Older.
Calm.
Amused.
“Adrian.””
Nobody moved.
“You always were terrible at protecting people.””
Adrian stepped forward.
“Show yourself.””
A laugh echoed.
“You still think this is about you.””
The voice paused.
“It never was.””
I felt cold.
James continued.
“Wren, if you can hear me…”
I looked around.
“Your mother spent her final night trying to protect one thing.””
A pause.
“You.””
My breathing stopped.
“She didn’t die because she knew too much.””
The voice became quieter.
“She died because she refused to give you to your father.””
Adrian looked at me.
I barely noticed.
“Your father didn’t order her death.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
James continued.
“Marcus did.””
The basement went silent.
Adrian’s face changed.
“No.””
“Yes.””
James laughed softly.
“And the worst part?””
The speakers crackled.
“Your precious Adrian knew.””
I turned slowly.
Adrian looked like someone had punched him.
“No.””
James’s voice echoed.
“He found the truth years ago.””
My hands went cold.
“Adrian?””
He didn’t answer.
That was enough.
“You knew,” I whispered.
“Wren…”
“You knew.””
His eyes met mine.
Pain.
Regret.
Fear.
“I found out after my father died.””
The world felt like it tilted.
“And you said nothing.””
“I was trying to protect you.””
“From what?””
He stepped closer.
“From this.””
I laughed bitterly.
“From the truth?””
“No.””
His voice cracked.
“From me.””
The basement speakers suddenly went silent.
Then one final message appeared on my phone.
Not from James.
From an unknown sender.
A photo loaded.
My breath disappeared.
It showed Adrian.
Years ago.
Standing outside a hospital.
Holding a document.
A document with my name on it.
And underneath the picture was a message.
*He didn’t find you by accident.*
I looked at Adrian.
“What did you do?””
He didn’t answer.
May you like
Because whatever the truth was…
It was worse than anything James had said.
