Chapter 97: The Digital Wall

I woke up with a plan. If the twins wouldn't tell me the truth, I would find it myself. I waited until I heard the familiar sound of their cars leaving the driveway. Once the house settled into its usual morning rhythm, I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop.

I wanted to find more than just a grainy photo of a fire. I wanted to know about the lawsuits, the rumors, and the connections between the Moretti family and the Volkovs that weren't printed in the official biographies.

I typed "Volkov business controversy" into the search bar. The screen flickered for a second, and then a message appeared: No results found. Please check your spelling.

I frowned. That was impossible. Even the most squeaky-clean billionaires had a few bad press cycles. I tried a different approach. I searched for the name of the judge who had handled my father’s estate.

Access Denied. This site is restricted by your network administrator.

I felt a chill run down my spine. I tried a news site I visited every day. It loaded perfectly. I tried a social media platform. It worked fine. But every time I typed a name or a keyword related to the fire or the Volkov history, the screen either went blank or gave me a connection error.

"Looking for something specific, Leo?"

I closed the laptop faster than I should have. Arthur was standing in the doorway, holding a stack of freshly laundered shirts. He wasn't looking at me, but at the reflection of the screen in the window.

"Just browsing the news," I said. My heart was thumping against my ribs. "The internet seems a bit slow today."

Arthur walked into the room and began placing the shirts in my dresser. "The estate uses a very high-level security filter. It’s for your protection. There are a lot of people out there who write terrible things about this family just to get attention. Ivan doesn't want you to have to read that garbage."

"So he just blocks it? All of it?" I asked.

"He curates it," Arthur corrected me gently. "There is no need to fill your head with lies. If you have questions about the family, you should ask Ivan or Dmitri. They have always been honest with you."

"They told me the fire was an accident," I said. "But I can't find the police report. Why would that be blocked?"

Arthur stopped folding a shirt. He looked at me with a look that was almost like pity. "Some things are better left in the dark, Leo. Not because they are evil, but because they are painful. You are finally happy here. Why are you trying so hard to ruin it?"

"I’m not trying to ruin anything," I said. "I just want to know the truth."

"Truth is a matter of perspective," Arthur said. He finished with the shirts and turned to leave. "Lunch will be ready in an hour. Don't spend all morning staring at that screen. It’s a beautiful day outside."

As soon as he left, I felt like the walls of the room were closing in. It wasn't just the internet. It was the whole house. Every corner had a camera, every person had a script.

I grabbed my phone and tried to use my data instead of the house Wi-Fi. I got the same result. The signal was blocked. They must have a jammer on the property that only allowed approved connections.

I spent the next few hours walking around the house, trying to find a spot where the signal might be weak. I ended up in the library, a room I rarely used because it felt too formal. It was filled with thousands of books, most of which looked like they had never been opened.

I sat in a chair near the back and tried my phone again. Still nothing.

"Are you hiding from us, Leo?"

I looked up to see Dmitri standing by the large oak doors. He looked relaxed, his tie loosened, but his eyes were sharp. He had come home early.

"I’m just reading," I said, holding up a random book I’d grabbed from the shelf.

Dmitri walked over and looked at the title. "A history of Mediterranean trade? I didn't know you were interested in economics."

"I was bored," I said.

Dmitri sat on the edge of the table next to my chair. "Arthur told me you were having trouble with the internet. He said you seemed upset."

"I’m not upset," I said. "I just don't like being told what I can and can't look at. I’m not a child, Dmitri."

"We know you aren't," Dmitri said softly. "But you are also very new to this world. People like Sebastian Finch—and others like him—they use the internet to spread poison. They want to turn you against us because they want what we have. We are just trying to keep the noise out."

"By blocking everything?" I asked. "Is that what you do to everyone? Or just me?"

Dmitri sighed. He reached out and tucked a stray hair behind my ear. "We do it for the family. Ivan and I have the same filters on our personal devices. It’s about security, Leo. Nothing more."

"Can I have the password to bypass it? Just for research?"

Dmitri smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Tell me what you want to research, and I’ll find the information for you. I’ll even print it out so you don't have to strain your eyes on a screen."

"I wanted to see the old photos of my dad’s office," I lied. "The ones from before the fire."

Dmitri’s expression shifted, just for a second. It was a flash of something hard and cold. "I’ll see what I can find in the archives. But don't get your hopes up. Most of those records were lost a long time ago."

"Right," I said. "Lost in the fire."

"Exactly," Dmitri said. He stood up and offered me his hand. "Come on. Let’s go get some lunch. Ivan is coming home early too. We’re going to spend the afternoon by the pool."

I took his hand and followed him out of the library. As we walked down the long hallway, I looked at the security cameras tucked into the corners of the ceiling. They were small, black domes that seemed to follow my every move.

I realized then that I couldn't do this from inside the house. The digital wall was too high. If I wanted to find out what happened to my father, I had to find a way to get out of the estate without an escort.

At lunch, Ivan was in a surprisingly good mood. He talked about a new merger and a horse he was thinking of buying. He acted as if the conversation from the night before had never happened.

"You look pale, Leo," Ivan said, cutting into his steak. "You need more sun. Dmitri says you’ve been moping in the library."

"I was just looking for something to read," I said.

"We have the best security in the country," Ivan said, looking me straight in the eye. "If there is something you need to know, you ask us. There is no reason for you to be digging through the trash on the internet. Do you understand?"

"I understand," I said.

"Good," Ivan said. "We only want what’s best for you. Remember that."

I nodded and pushed a piece of salad around my plate. I understood perfectly. They weren't just my brothers. They were my jailers. And the wall they had built around me wasn't made of brick and stone—it was made of silence and filtered data.

I had to find a crack in that wall. And I knew exactly who might be able to help me find it. I just had to figure

out how to talk to him without them knowing.