Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 49

We’ll continue directly into Chapter Forty-Two, with them returning toward Isla Palace while keeping Adrian Bell unresolved as a serious suspect rather than prematurely confirming he betrayed the Martagos.CHAPTER FORTY-TWOGOING BACKAURORA“We are not taking the boat.”Avery said it the second the engine became visible through the narrow mouth of the cove.Samuel frowned.“That boat is why I came.”“And Elias expects us to leave Isla.”“That’s generally what people do when armed men are trying to kill them.”“Not tonight.”Samuel looked at Daniel.Daniel nodded.“We’re going back.”Samuel stared at him.Then at me.Then Whitney.Then Aleksandr.Then back at Daniel.“You were imprisoned too long.”Daniel almost smiled.“Possibly.”“You escaped a man who kept you hidden for years, and your first decision is to walk back toward him?”“He doesn’t have me anymore.”“No. He only has armed men inside the palace.”“Details.”Samuel blinked.I stared at my father.“Did you just make a joke?”

CHAPTER FORTY-FOURTWO MINUTESAURORA01:5901:5801:57“No!”Daniel lunged toward Elias.Viktor caught him around the waist.“LET ME GO!”“Not happening.”“HE KILLED HER!”“I know.”“LET ME GO!”The countdown kept moving.01:5401:5301:52Aleksandr grabbed me around the waist.“Move!”“The evidence!”“Fuck evidence!”“My mother—”“Is dead! You are not!”The words hit me.Hard.Painful.True.Elias laughed.“You should listen to him, Aurora.”I turned.He knew my name.Of course he knew my name.But hearing it from him made my skin crawl.He stood inside the archive like he had all the time in the world.His three men had moved.One toward the door.One along the wall.One directly behind Elias.Avery raised his gun.“Move away from the exit.”The man smiled.“No.”Avery fired.Whitney screamed.The man dropped.Everything exploded.Gunfire.Shouting.Stone shattered.Aleksandr threw me behind a heavy shelf.“DOWN!”I hit the floor.Whitney landed beside me.Avery crouched in front o

Absolutely. I’ll reveal that Anya and Viktor have secretly been together for a while, with Aleksandr realizing he somehow missed it—and being very unhappy that Viktor has been sneaking around with his sister.CHAPTER FORTY-SIXTHE SECRET BETWEEN THEMAURORAElias Vale was arrested at 2:17 in the morning.I knew the exact time because I watched a royal guard snap the second handcuff around his wrist while the digital clock on the hangar wall changed.2:16.2:17.Twenty years of running.Twenty years of secrets.Twenty years of people dying, disappearing, hiding, lying, and trying to survive him.And in the end—two metal cuffs.That was it.No dramatic death.No final explosion.No last-minute escape.Just Elias Vale sitting on the concrete floor of a private airfield with blood soaking through the shoulder of his expensive shirt while investigators from three different agencies started calling Isla Palace.Because my mother’s evidence had reached them.All of them.Avery’s laptop hadn

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHTTHE HOUSE THAT WAS ALWAYS HERSAURORAThree days later.“Absolutely not.”I stood in the middle of our bedroom with my hands on my hips.Aleksandr stood opposite me.Arms crossed.Black shirt.Black pants.That ridiculous expression he wore whenever he believed he’d already won an argument.Which was often.Far too often.“You haven’t even heard my entire argument,” I informed him.“I heard enough.”“No, you didn’t.”“You want take six suitcases.”“Five.”He looked at the luggage scattered across the bedroom floor.“One. Two. Three. Four. Five.”Then he pointed toward the dressing room.“Six.”I followed his finger.Damn it.“That one doesn’t count.”“Why?”“It’s shoes.”He closed his eyes.I smiled.“See? Completely different.”“We’re going to Russia, Aurora. Not moving entire palace.”“I’m aware.”“For two weeks.”I stopped.“Two weeks?”He opened his eyes.“Yes.”I stared at him.“Aleksandr Volkov.”His expression changed.Oh, he knew that tone.“Why exactly are