로그인The study was crowded.Rex sat behind his desk. The box of files was open in front of him. Catherine stood by the window, her arms crossed, her face pale. Elena sat on the couch, her hands folded in her lap. Lin was in the corner, her face pale, her hands shaking. Isabella was not there. She was locked in her room. Again.I stood by the door. Watching. Waiting."Open the first file," I said.Rex pulled out a folder. Thick. Old. The paper was yellowed. The edges were frayed."Victor Marchetti," Rex said. His voice was flat. "My father. Original investor. Paid five million dollars into the program."Catherine turned from the window. "Five million?""Five million. In exchange for... what?"I walked to the desk. Looked at the file. At the photographs. At the handwritten notes."In exchange for a child. A perfect child. With green eyes. With intelligence. With loyalty."Rex slammed the file shut. "He used me. He used all of us.""He was not the only one."Rex opened the next file. His hand
The basement was empty.The chains were cut. The chair was overturned. The note was still taped to the wall. Did you really think it would be that easy? - D.Rex pulled the note off the wall. Stared at it."He was never here."I shook my head. "We watched Lin chain him. We watched her lock the door.""Then Lin is involved.""Or someone helped him escape."Rex walked to the door. Examined the lock. "No signs of forced entry.""Then someone used a key.""Who has keys to the basement?""Everyone. Catherine. Elena. Mrs. Park. Lin. You. Me."Rex turned to me. "And Isabella.""Isabella is locked in her room.""She was locked in her room. We do not know if she is still there."We ran up the stairs.Isabella's door was open.The room was empty. The window was open. The sheets were tied together and hanging out the window.Rex looked down at the garden. "She is gone.""We need to find her.""She could be anywhere."I grabbed my phone. Called Lin.No answer.I called again.No answer."Lin is n
The kitchen was quiet.Too quiet.Catherine stood by the window. Her back was to me. Her shoulders were tense. Elena sat at the table. Her hands were folded. Her eyes were on the red notebook in my hands.Rex stood by the door. His gun was in his holster. His eyes moved between the women like he was waiting for one of them to attack.Isabella was not there. Mrs. Park was not there. Lin was in the basement, watching Drake."We need to talk," I said.Catherine turned. "About what?""About the traitor.""The traitor is Mrs. Park. She ran. She is gone."I shook my head. "No. Mrs. Park was a pawn. The traitor is still here. In this house. In this room."Elena looked up. Her green eyes met mine."You think it is me.""I think it could be anyone.""It is not me.""Then who?"Elena stood up. Walked to the window. Stood beside Catherine."We have been over this, Mira. Lin traced the messages. They came from Catherine's phone.""Catherine's phone was spoofed.""Then who has the technology to sp
The basement door was locked.Rex stood beside me. His hand was on the key. His face was hard. Behind the door, Drake was chained to a chair. Wounded. Silent. Waiting.We had brought him here three hours ago. From the estate. From Victor's study. From the place where he had been hiding for three years."He has not said a word," Rex said."I know.""Your mother wants to kill him.""Which mother?"Rex's jaw tightened. "Both of them."I took the key from his hand. "I need to talk to him. Alone.""Ten minutes.""Fifteen.""Twelve.""Fine."I unlocked the door. Walked down the stairs.Drake was exactly where we left him.Chained to a chair. His arm was bandaged. His face was pale. His eyes were closed. Blood had soaked through the bandage. His shirt was stained red.He looked like a dead man. But he was not dead. His chest was rising and falling. Slow. Shallow."Drake."He did not move."Drake, I know you are awake."He opened his eyes. Looked at me. His eyes were red. Tired. Empty."Mira.
The kitchen was quiet.Lena's phone sat on the table between us. The screen was dark now, but the messages were burned into my memory. Drake's words. Lena's fear. Promises made. Promises broken."Three years," I said.Rex looked at me. "What?""Victor has been dead for three years. The real Victor. Not the body double. Not Marco. The real Victor Thorne.""How do you know?"I picked up Lena's phone. Turned it on. Scrolled to the messages."She wrote about it. The night Victor died. She said she watched him take his last breath.""Where?""In his study. At the estate. She was there. She saw everything."Rex walked to the window. "Why did she not tell anyone?""Because she was afraid. Drake told her to keep quiet. He said he would protect her.""He lied."I nodded. "Yes. He lied."Catherine walked into the kitchen. Her face was pale. Her hands were shaking."I could not sleep," she said. "I kept thinking about Lena. About Victor. About all of it."I gestured to the chair across from me.
The garden was dark.The stars were out. The roses were invisible. Rex stood beside me. His hand was in mine. The traitor was somewhere in the house. Watching. Waiting. Planning."We cannot stay here all night," Rex said."I know.""Then what do you want to do?"I looked at the house. The windows were dark. The doors were closed. Somewhere inside, someone was pretending to be on our side. Someone was feeding Drake information. Someone was waiting for the right moment to strike."I want to find out who killed Marco," I said."The body double?""Yes. He was the first death. The one that started everything. If we find out who killed him, we find out who the traitor is."Rex nodded slowly. "Then we go to the basement. Where they found his body.""Now?""Now. Before whoever did it has a chance to clean up."I looked at him. His arm was still in a sling. His face was tired. But his eyes were sharp."Are you sure you are up for this?""I am sure."We walked to the house.The basement was col







