Chapter 8: The Accusation

The barrel of the gun never wavered.

Victoria’s hands trembled, but her eyes remained fixed on Damien.

“Ava,” she said quietly, “step away from him.”

Ava looked from Victoria to Damien, unable to speak.

Only minutes ago, Ethan’s voice had warned her not to trust his brother.

Now Victoria was pointing a gun at Damien, claiming he had arranged the flight that supposedly killed Ethan.

Nothing made sense anymore.

Damien slowly lifted both hands.

“I think you’ve misunderstood.”

“I don’t think so.”

Victoria cocked the pistol.

“Lucas told me everything.”

Ava’s heart skipped.

“Where’s Lucas?”

Victoria’s expression darkened.

“He’s alive.”

Relief washed over Ava.

“But barely.”

“What happened?”

“He collapsed after we got out of the tunnel. Before he passed out again, he told me one thing.”

She never looked away from Damien.

“He said you booked Ethan’s flight.”

Damien let out a slow breath.

“I did.”

The confession echoed through the underground passage.

Ava stared at him in disbelief.

“You… what?”

“I booked the flight.”

Victoria’s finger tightened on the trigger.

“So you admit it.”

“I arranged his travel schedule.”

“And the bomb?”

Damien’s face hardened.

“I knew nothing about a bomb.”

“That’s convenient.”

“It’s the truth.”

Ava took a cautious step forward.

“Then why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because I knew exactly how it would sound.”

Victoria laughed bitterly.

“It sounds like murder.”

Damien met her gaze.

“I booked the flight because Ethan asked me to.”

Silence.

Ava frowned.

“He asked you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“He wouldn’t tell me.”

Victoria shook her head.

“You’re lying.”

Damien reached slowly into his jacket.

Victoria immediately raised the gun.

“Don’t move!”

“I’m taking out my wallet.”

“Slowly.”

He carefully removed a worn leather wallet and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

“It’s a copy of the flight authorization.”

He handed it to Ava.

She unfolded it.

At the bottom of the page was Ethan’s unmistakable signature.

Approved by: Ethan Alexander Cross

Ava recognized the elegant handwriting immediately.

She had seen it on birthday cards, business documents, and little notes he left on the kitchen counter.

It was genuine.

“He approved the trip himself,” Damien said quietly.

Victoria’s confidence faltered.

“But Lucas said—”

“He said I arranged the flight.”

“I did.”

“But arranging a flight isn’t the same as planting a bomb.”

A heavy silence settled between them.

Finally, Victoria lowered the gun slightly.

“If you’re innocent…”

“…then who wanted Ethan dead?”

Before Damien could answer, footsteps echoed from the tunnel behind them.

Everyone froze.

“They found us,” Ava whispered.

Damien looked around quickly.

“We have to keep moving.”

Victoria reluctantly lowered the weapon.

“But if you lie to us again…”

“I know.”

“You’ll regret it.”

Damien gave a single nod.

“I don’t intend to.”

The narrow corridor eventually opened into an abandoned underground train platform.

Dust covered the old tracks.

Rusted warning signs hung crookedly from cracked concrete pillars.

“This place has been closed for years,” Ava whispered.

“It connects to the original foundations of Cross Holdings,” Damien explained.

“My grandfather built emergency escape routes beneath the city during the civil unrest decades ago.”

Victoria frowned.

“Your family really planned for everything.”

Damien gave a humorless smile.

“My grandfather trusted no one.”

Ava’s phone vibrated again.

Everyone looked at it.

The screen lit up.

Unknown Number.

This time, there was no name.

Only one message.

Check your necklace.

Ava’s breath caught.

“My necklace…”

She instinctively touched the silver pendant Ethan had given her on their first wedding anniversary.

“What about it?” Victoria asked.

Ava slowly removed it.

The pendant was shaped like a teardrop.

Simple.

Elegant.

She had worn it every day for two years.

Damien stared at it.

“May I see it?”

Ava hesitated.

Ethan’s warning echoed in her mind.

Don’t trust my brother.

She looked into Damien’s eyes.

“If this is another lie…”

“It isn’t.”

Reluctantly, she handed him the necklace.

Damien turned it over.

His thumb pressed gently against the back.

Click.

A tiny compartment sprang open.

Ava gasped.

Inside was something so small she had never noticed it before.

A metallic object no larger than her fingernail.

Victoria leaned closer.

“Is that…”

“A key,” Damien whispered.

Ava’s mind raced.

The conversation she’d overheard in the ventilation shaft came rushing back.

Because Ethan gave her the key.

She had carried it around her neck all this time without realizing it.

Damien carefully removed the tiny key.

His expression changed.

“I don’t believe this.”

“What?” Ava asked.

“I’ve seen this before.”

“You have?”

“My father kept a safe that could only be opened with a key exactly this size.”

Victoria frowned.

“What was inside?”

“I don’t know.”

“No one was ever allowed near it.”

Ava reached for the key.

“So Ethan hid it with me.”

“Apparently.”

“But why didn’t he tell me?”

Before Damien could answer, another phone buzzed.

Not Ava’s.

His.

He looked at the screen.

The color drained from his face.

“Who’s calling?” Ava asked.

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he switched the phone off immediately.

“What was that?” Victoria demanded.

Damien slipped the phone back into his pocket.

“No one important.”

Ava stepped in front of him.

“After everything that’s happened, you expect us to believe that?”

Damien remained silent.

She folded her arms.

“Show me the phone.”

“No.”

“Damien.”

“It’s safer if you don’t know.”

Ava’s patience snapped.

“I’m done with secrets!”

She reached into his pocket before he could stop her.

He grabbed her wrist.

“Ava, don’t.”

She pulled the phone free.

The screen was still glowing.

One unread message.

She looked down.

Her blood ran cold.

The sender’s name was only one word.

Ethan.

And beneath it…

You have exactly one hour before they discover where Ava is. Get her to the vault. Trust no one—not even me.

Ava slowly looked up.

Her hands were shaking.

“What does this mean?”

Damien didn’t answer.

For the first time since meeting him…

He looked genuinely afraid.