Все главы THE BILLIONAIRE’S SECOND CHANCE BETRAYAL : Глава 11 - Глава 20

The rain went from bad to worse—a full-on storm now. Water washed the blood from June’s hands, but the cold wind sank into her bones. She stood outside the hospital, clutching the Black Ledger so tight her knuckles hurt. On her left, the hospital where Dante was dying. On her right, a man in a white suit with a gun pressed to her father’s head. He’d just shown her a video of her mother—her mother, the same woman June had spent ten years believing was dead.“The book, June,” the man in the white suit said. Calm as ice. That made him even scarier. “One book for two lives. It’s a good deal. Hand it over.”June glanced at the hospital doors. In Dante’s fourth-floor window, she caught a flicker of movement. The killer was inside. If she didn’t act now, Dante was dead. But if she refused the deal, her father and mother would be gone.A surge of energy shot through her. Fear just vanished, replaced by something cold and unbreakable. She looked at Raven, still in the driver’s seat of the blac

The explosion still rang in June’s ears. The sky above the river glowed orange and black, with thick smoke curling up from what used to be the boatyard. June’s grip on the steering handle was so tight her fingers went numb. Behind them, the river thrashed and flashed with fire."Raven!" June shouted into the wind. The sound vanished before it reached anything. She glanced back at the fireball and yelled, "Dante, we have to go back! She’s still there!"Dante clung to the side of the boat, his hands pale as bone. He stared at the burning shore, eyes filled with something like sorrow. "We can’t go back, June. Look behind us."June twisted around. Out of the haze, two black jet skis ripped across the water, slicing through the waves like sharks. The Vancents weren’t done. Victor Vancent wanted the last thing they had—the secret password."Sit down!" June barked. She slammed the throttle forward. The engine wailed and the boat’s nose shot up. June had never driven a boat before, but panic

The iron door felt icy against June’s forehead. She pressed in, listening. The fight on the other side rattled the air—thuds, scraping, then a deep, echoing bang. And suddenly, silence. All she could hear was a faint hissing, creeping through the cracks.“Gas,” Dante whispered, his voice barely holding together. He yanked June and Leo away from the door, shielding them. “Marcus is doing it. He’s knocking them out with gas.”But June couldn’t move. Her eyes wouldn’t leave the glass jar in her hand. The red letters on its side glowed in the half-light: Daughter of Eleanor.“June? Hey, what’s going on?” Dante reached for the jar, but June jerked it away, her hands shaking.“Don’t touch it!” Her words came out sharp and raw. Her heart slammed against her ribs.Dante froze, staring at her. Then he looked down at the jar, read the label, and his face drained of all color. He looked like he’d seen a ghost.“No,” he whispered, stumbling back until he smacked into a cabinet. “No, that’s a lie.

The SUV’s tires shrieked as June raced up the narrow mountain road, pushing the car as fast as she dared. Rain had turned to icy snow, painting everything outside in quick flashes—dark trees, white ice, and nothing else. Behind them, the FBI’s blue and red lights danced in the storm, angry and relentless, like ghosts on their tail.“They’re catching up, June!” Dante yelled, bracing himself against the door. He pressed a blood-soaked cloth to his side. He looked awful, but his eyes stayed sharp.June kept her gaze locked on the road. Her knuckles turned white around the steering wheel. Every muscle in her body felt ready to snap. In the backseat, Leo curled into Raven’s lap. Raven stared out the back, gripping the handle of the secret briefcase.“I can’t go faster—we’ll slide right off the cliff!” June shouted. Sweat trickled down her neck, even though the car’s heater barely worked. “Dad, where are we even going?”Silas Avery sat in the back, looking like he’d shrunk into himself. His

The wind on the mountain top stopped suddenly. It felt like someone had turned off a giant machine. The silence was heavy and scary. June stood very still. Her boots dug into the cold snow. She kept her body in front of the elevator door. She had to protect her son, Leo, who was waiting inside.The man with the gold key tattoo didn’t look like any soldier June had ever seen. He wore a suit—expensive, sharp. He stood there, hands folded, staring at the burning helicopter like he barely noticed it, like it was just some candle someone forgot to blow out.“Protocol Zero?” June tried to get the words out, slow and careful. Her voice sounded thin in the cold. She hugged the empty briefcase to her chest, as if it could really protect her. “Who are you? Who do you work for?”He slipped his phone away and took a step toward them. Marcus limped forward, blocking him, pain etched across his face but refusing to back down.“Stay back,” Marcus snapped.“Please, Mr. Romano,” the man said, calm and