LOGINThe old Sterling headquarters had been abandoned for nearly ten years, but the secrets buried beneath it had survived.I stared at the photograph on Elias's phone, studying the faded sign above the entrance. The building looked like a forgotten monument to a family that had spent generations pretending its name was untouchable.Somewhere underneath it was the truth about our fathers.And possibly the reason they were both dead."We should inform Marcus before we leave," Elias said.I looked at him. "You mean the Marcus who will remind you that you were shot less than two days ago?""Three days.""Congratulations. That makes you practically immortal."A faint smile touched his mouth, but it disappeared almost immediately.He was still pale. His movements were slower than usual, and every time he shifted his weight, I noticed the slight tension around his eyes. The doctors had advised him to rest, but Elias Sterling had never been particularly talented at obeying instructions.Unfortuna
Chapter 33: The Daughter He Tried to SaveAnnabel's POV"Emily?"I repeated the name, hoping I had misunderstood Elias."Yes," he answered. "My father believed someone was planning to kill her."I glanced at my mother, who was watching me with worried eyes."Why would anyone want to kill Emily?""I don't know yet. But there's something else you need to understand. The amendment says my father transferred control of a private trust to your father shortly before his death."I tightened my grip on the phone."Was the trust connected to the company?""Partly. It also contained money intended to protect Emily if something happened to him."I struggled to understand."Then why didn't you know about it?""Because my father deliberately kept me out of it."His voice sounded bitter."He must have believed that keeping me ignorant would protect us."I looked at my mother.She had gone pale."Mum, did you know about Emily?"She slowly shook her head."No. But your father once told me that the St
Chapter 32: The Will He Never MentionedAnnabel's POVI stared at Elias, waiting for him to explain the message.Ask Elias why his father changed his will the day before he died."What does it mean?" I asked.He looked away."Elias.""Not now, Annabel.""My mother has been kidnapped, someone is threatening to kill her, and we're about to walk into an abandoned mansion. I think now is the perfect time."His jaw tightened."My father changed his will the day before he died. I already knew that."I blinked."You knew?""Yes.""And you didn't think to tell me?""It wasn't relevant to our investigation."I laughed bitterly."Everything connected to your father has become relevant to our investigation!"He flinched, and I immediately regretted raising my voice.But I was terrified. Every time I thought we had uncovered the truth, another secret appeared."What did he change?" I asked more quietly.Elias rubbed his forehead."Originally, Sterling Corporation was supposed to pass entirely to
Chapter 31: The Night My Mother DisappearedAnnabel's POV"Mum!"I screamed into the phone, but the call had already ended.I called again. Nothing.My hands trembled as I tried a third time, but her phone was switched off."Annabel!"Elias's voice stopped me at the hospital door.He was struggling to get out of bed, one hand pressed against his bandaged chest."What are you doing?" I demanded. "You can't even stand properly!""And you're planning to run into danger alone?""My mother is in danger!""Which is why you're not going without help."I wanted to argue, but his expression made me pause.He wasn't trying to control me. He was frightened.The realization softened my anger, but only slightly."Fine. Call your security team. But we're leaving now."Elias grabbed his phone and called his head of security, Marcus Reed. Within minutes, Marcus confirmed that a vehicle was ready.Elias insisted on coming with me.I stared at him in disbelief."You've lost your mind.""Possibly.""You
Chapter 30: The Sister Who LiedAnnabel's POV"That person was standing beside your father when he took his last breath."Denis's words hung in the darkness.For several seconds, nobody moved.Elias stood in front of me, his injured body tense despite the pain he was clearly trying to hide. His eyes remained fixed on Denis, but I could feel the storm gathering inside him."Say her name," Elias demanded.Denis smiled."Why don't you ask your sister?""Emily wasn't there.""Is that what she told you?"Elias's jaw tightened."You're lying.""Perhaps." Denis shrugged. "But you should know by now that the truth is rarely as simple as you want it to be."I gripped the letter from Elias's father.Denis was a manipulator. He enjoyed watching people turn against one another. If he couldn't destroy us with bullets, he would use suspicion.And right now, he was trying to make Elias doubt his own sister."You're trying to turn him against his family," I said.Denis looked at me."Your father was
Chapter 29: The Signature That Could Destroy HimAnnabel's POVThe signature wouldn't leave my mind.Elias Sterling.Three words that had suddenly become the difference between the man I loved and the man the world might believe had murdered his own father.I sat in the passenger seat of a black SUV while one of Elias's security men drove us toward the private bank in Manhattan. Elias had insisted on coming despite his doctor's warnings, and I had spent the entire journey regretting that I hadn't tied him to his hospital bed."You should be resting," I said, glancing at him.He sat beside me, one hand pressed carefully against his bandaged chest."And you should stop telling me what to do.""You were shot yesterday.""And yet, somehow, I'm still capable of hearing you complain."I turned toward the window."Fine. Bleed to death, then."He let out a quiet laugh before immediately wincing.I turned back. "See? Even laughing is dangerous for you.""Then stop being funny.""I wasn't tryin







