Chapter 19: The Traitor Among Us

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

The night air suddenly felt colder.

Ava stared at Ethan.

“What did you just say?”

Ethan looked at the message again.

As though hoping he had read it wrong.

But his expression only grew darker.

“Lucas is certain.”

Ava’s heartbeat thundered in her ears.

“The person who ordered the crash is here.”

Her eyes immediately moved across the group.

Richard.

Her father.

Elena.

Damien.

Victoria.

Adrian was gone.

At least she thought he was.

Everyone looked shocked.

Everyone except Richard.

Richard simply smiled.

And that terrified Ava.

“Why are you smiling?” she demanded.

Richard looked at her.

“Because for once, the truth isn’t helping you.”

Ethan stepped forward.

“Who did Lucas name?”

Ava held her breath.

Ethan didn’t answer immediately.

His eyes slowly lifted from the phone.

Then he looked toward Victoria.

The color drained from her face.

“What?”

Ava stared.

“No.”

Victoria shook her head immediately.

“No.”

Damien frowned.

“Ethan?”

Victoria took a step backward.

“This is insane.”

Ethan’s expression remained unreadable.

“Lucas named you.”

Victoria’s eyes widened.

“No.”

“You were the last name he remembered hearing.”

“No!”

Tears immediately filled her eyes.

“I didn’t order any crash.”

Ava looked at her.

Part of her wanted to believe her.

But hadn’t she felt that way about everyone?

Ethan.

Her mother.

Her father.

Damien.

Every person she trusted had lied to her.

Why should Victoria be different?

“I swear I didn’t do it,” Victoria said.

Richard laughed.

The sound echoed through the street.

“Interesting.”

Victoria turned toward him.

“You know I didn’t.”

Richard raised an eyebrow.

“Do I?”

“You used me.”

“Yes.”

“You manipulated me.”

“Also true.”

Victoria’s breathing became uneven.

“But I didn’t try to kill Ethan.”

Richard shrugged.

“Perhaps.”

Ethan looked back at his phone.

“Lucas said he heard a woman’s voice.”

Victoria shook her head violently.

“There are millions of women.”

“He heard a name.”

Silence.

Ava’s stomach tightened.

“What name?”

Ethan looked at Victoria.

Then slowly spoke.

“‘V.’”

Victoria looked as if she’d been slapped.

“That’s not enough.”

“No,” Ethan admitted.

“It isn’t.”

Relief flashed across her face.

But it didn’t last.

Because another voice suddenly spoke from the darkness.

“He’s right.”

Everyone spun around.

A figure stepped out from between two parked vehicles.

Ava froze.

Adrian.

The twin’s eyes settled on Victoria.

Then he smiled.

“Tell them.”

Victoria looked horrified.

“Adrian.”

“Tell them what happened.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar.”

The word hit like a bullet.

Adrian walked closer.

No one stopped him.

Even Richard remained silent.

“You met with me three days before the crash.”

Victoria’s face went white.

Ava’s heart sank.

“You knew Adrian before the crash?” she whispered.

Victoria couldn’t answer.

Adrian answered for her.

“Yes.”

“No.”

Victoria’s voice broke.

“It wasn’t like that.”

“What was it like?” Ava asked.

Victoria looked desperately from one face to another.

“I thought I was helping Ethan.”

Nobody spoke.

She continued.

“Adrian came to me pretending he wanted to protect his brother.”

Adrian smiled.

“That part was true.”

“You said Ethan was in danger.”

“He was.”

“You asked me about his travel plans.”

Ava felt sick.

Victoria burst into tears.

“I didn’t know.”

“You told him about the flight,” Ethan said quietly.

Victoria collapsed to her knees.

“I didn’t know.”

Ava closed her eyes.

Everything suddenly made sense.

Victoria hadn’t ordered the crash.

But she had unknowingly helped make it possible.

“I never wanted anyone hurt,” Victoria sobbed.

Adrian’s expression remained cold.

“But people were.”

Silence followed.

Then Richard laughed again.

Ava turned toward him.

“What is so funny?”

Richard’s eyes moved between Ethan and Adrian.

“You all still think the plane crash is the most important secret.”

A chill ran down Ava’s spine.

“What do you mean?”

Richard looked at the second key in her hand.

“The crash was only the beginning.”

Ethan immediately stiffened.

Adrian’s smile disappeared.

Ava noticed both reactions.

“What aren’t you telling me now?”

Nobody answered.

Then Ethan’s phone rang.

Lucas again.

He answered immediately.

“Lucas.”

A weak voice spoke through the speaker.

Everyone could hear it.

“Ethan.”

“What is it?”

“I remembered something else.”

The fear in Lucas’s voice was unmistakable.

“What?”

A long pause followed.

Then Lucas whispered:

“The person who ordered the crash wasn’t trying to kill you.”

Ethan frowned.

“What?”

“They were trying to stop you from reaching the archive.”

Ava’s fingers tightened around the second key.

The archive.

Everything kept leading back to it.

Lucas continued.

“The crash was never about Ethan.”

Ava’s heart pounded.

“Then who was the target?” she asked.

Silence.

Then Lucas answered.

“You, Ava.”

The world seemed to stop.

“What?”

“The moment Ethan put the first key around your neck…”

Lucas’s voice trembled.

“…you became the real target.”

And before anyone could react, a gunshot shattered the night.

Ava felt someone slam into her.

She fell hard against the pavement.

The second key slipped from her hand.

For a moment, she couldn’t breathe.

Then she looked up.

Ethan was lying on top of her.

Blood spreading across his shirt.

“Ethan!”

His eyes met hers.

And somewhere in the darkness, a shooter fired again.