Chapter Seventy: The Return

Adrian came back to the penthouse at seven that evening.

I was in the kitchen. I was making tea. I didn't hear him come in. I didn't know he was there until he spoke.

"You're still up."

I turned. He was standing in the doorway. He looked tired. More tired than he had that morning. His suit jacket was draped over his arm. His tie was loose. His eyes were dark.

"I was waiting," I said.

"You didn't have to."

"I know."

He walked to the island. He sat down. He didn't speak. He just sat there.

I poured him a cup of tea. I set it in front of him. He looked at it. Then at me.

"You made tea," he said.

"I did."

He picked up the cup. He drank. He didn't say thank you. He didn't need to.

We sat there. The kitchen was warm. The city hummed outside.

"How was the trip?" I asked.

"Long."

"You said that."

"It was longer than I expected."

I looked at him. He looked at me.

"What happened?"

He set down the cup. He folded his hands on the island.

"The deal closed. But there was a complication."

"What kind of complication?"

"Volkov."

I didn't move. I didn't speak.

"He has people in Geneva. People who were watching the meeting. People who were waiting for me."

My hands were steady. My heart was beating normally.

"Did they try anything?"

"No. But they made it clear they were there. They made it clear they knew who I was. They made it clear they were watching."

I looked at him. He looked at me.

"Volkov is sending a message," I said.

"Yes."

"He's telling us he knows what we're doing."

"Yes."

"He's telling us he's not going to hide anymore."

"Yes."

I stood. I walked to the window. I didn't look at the city. I looked at the glass.

"Then we don't hide either," I said.

---

The next morning, I called Felix.

I told him about Geneva. About Volkov's people. About the message.

He was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "He's escalating."

"Yes."

"He's trying to scare you."

"He's trying to warn me."

"Same thing."

I didn't respond. I didn't need to.

"We need to move faster," I said. "We need to go public with everything. The folder. The evidence. Everything."

"We're not ready."

"We're out of time."

He was quiet again. Then he said, "I'll tell the team."

I hung up. I looked at the folder on my desk. My father's folder. Fifteen years of evidence. Fifteen years of hiding. Fifteen years of silence.

I opened it. I started working.

---

That afternoon, I found Daniel in the living room.

He was sitting on the couch. He was reading. He looked up when I entered.

"You okay?" he asked.

"No."

I sat beside him.

"Volkov sent people to Geneva. They were watching Adrian. They were sending a message."

Daniel didn't react. He just looked at me.

"What kind of message?"

"That he knows what we're doing. That he's not going to hide anymore. That he's coming for us."

He was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Then we don't hide either."

I looked at him. He looked at me.

"We don't hide," I said. "We fight."

He nodded. He didn't ask anything else.

---

That evening, I found Adrian in his office.

He was on the phone. He hung up when he saw me.

"I talked to Felix," I said.

"I know. He told me."

"Then you know we're moving faster. Going public with everything."

He looked at me. He didn't blink.

"You're sure."

"I'm sure."

He was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded.

"Then we do it," he said.

I stood. I walked to the door. I paused.

"Adrian."

He looked up.

"Thank you. For coming back."

He didn't respond. He just looked at me.

"I told you I would," he said.

I left.

---

That night, I sat in my office.

I didn't sleep. I didn't try to. I just sat at my desk and stared at the wall.

I thought about Volkov. About Geneva. About the message. About everything that was coming.

I thought about my mother. About her journal. About her hope.

I thought about the woman I used to be. The woman who trusted too easily. The woman who died.

I wasn't her anymore.

I stood. I walked to the window. I looked at the city.

Tomorrow, we go public.

Tomorrow, this ends.