CHAPTER 19 — THE LAST SECRET OF PROJECT HEIR
The screen went black.
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Then the alarms stopped.
Silence swallowed the room.
I turned toward Alexander.
He was gone.
“Where is he?”
Dominic looked around.
“Seal the exits.”
Ethan ran toward the staircase.
Michael was still bleeding, one hand pressed against his side.
Isabella stood frozen in front of the dead screen.
I grabbed her arm.
“Who is she?”
Isabella looked at me.
“My daughter.”
“Your daughter?”
“She was born after Dominic.”
I stared at her.
“You said there were twins.”
“I thought there were.”
Her voice broke.
“Alexander ordered the third child taken from me.”
My stomach twisted.
“Why?”
“Because he believed one child could inherit the empire…”
She looked at Dominic.
“…and the other could destroy it.”
Then she looked at me.
“But the third…”
She couldn't finish.
Michael did.
“She was insurance.”
I felt cold.
“Insurance for what?”
“The day Alexander lost control.”
Suddenly—
a gunshot echoed upstairs.
Ethan shouted.
“DOWN!”
Dominic grabbed me.
We ducked behind the server bank.
More shots.
Then footsteps.
Heavy.
Fast.
A man appeared at the top of the stairs.
Richard Cole.
Alive.
Again.
He smiled.
“You people are remarkably difficult to kill.”
Dominic raised his gun.
“You're finished.”
Richard laughed.
“No, Dominic.”
He held up a small device.
“I am the only reason any of you are still alive.”
I stepped forward.
“You watched me for twenty-seven years.”
“Yes.”
“You signed Project Heir.”
“Yes.”
“You lied to Isabella.”
“Yes.”
“You kidnapped my father.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Samuel did that.”
“Then who ordered it?”
Richard's smile disappeared.
“Alexander.”
“Where is he?”
Richard looked at the terminal.
“He's going to the hospital.”
My blood froze.
“Why?”
“To kill your sister.”
I ran.
Dominic caught up instantly.
“We're going together.”
The private hospital was chaos.
Security alarms.
Police outside.
Doctors running through the corridors.
We reached the room from the file.
Empty.
The bed was overturned.
Linda was gone.
“No.”
I searched the room.
“Linda!”
A nurse pointed toward the emergency stairs.
“They took her downstairs.”
We ran.
At the bottom, we found Linda.
Alive.
And beside her—
the young woman from the screen.
She was awake now.
Her eyes met mine.
Same eyes.
Same crescent-shaped birthmark near the collarbone.
She whispered:
“Avery?”
I couldn't speak.
Linda stepped toward me.
“I wanted to tell you.”
I shook my head.
“You should have.”
“I was afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
Linda looked behind me.
“Of him.”
The lights flickered.
Alexander stepped from the shadows.
He held a gun against Linda's head.
“Family reunions are always so emotional.”
Dominic raised his weapon.
“Let her go.”
Alexander smiled.
“You still think you're in control.”
Then another gunshot rang out.
Alexander's weapon flew from his hand.
Isabella stood behind him.
“It's over, Father.”
Alexander slowly turned.
“You wouldn't shoot me.”
Isabella's eyes filled with tears.
“No.”
She lowered the gun.
“I won't.”
Alexander smiled.
Then—
Anthony appeared behind him.
“And I will.”
Alexander froze.
Anthony was pale, wounded, but standing.
“You.”
Anthony's voice was cold.
“You destroyed my family.”
Alexander laughed.
“I built your family.”
“No.”
Anthony shook his head.
“You built a prison.”
Alexander reached for another weapon.
Dominic moved first.
He knocked it away.
Richard appeared at the end of the corridor.
For a moment, everyone froze.
Richard looked at Alexander.
“You promised me protection.”
Alexander stared at him.
“You were useful.”
“Useful?”
Richard's voice cracked.
“You told me I would inherit everything.”
Alexander smiled.
“You were never an heir.”
Richard's face changed.
He raised his weapon.
But Samuel Reeves stepped from behind him.
“Enough.”
Richard turned.
Samuel shot him.
Richard collapsed.
Vanessa appeared behind Samuel.
She was holding a second gun.
“You really should have checked who was loyal to whom.”
Samuel looked shocked.
“Vanessa?”
She smiled bitterly.
“I spent years pretending to be a monster for people who promised me protection.”
She lowered her gun.
“But I'm tired.”
She looked at Dominic.
“Your father was right.”
Dominic stared.
“About what?”
“That Alexander was never the real problem.”
Alexander laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
He looked at me.
“The network is already collapsing.”
“Because of the ledger.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Because of you.”
The original Black Ledger began transmitting.
Every screen in the hallway came alive.
Names.
Bank accounts.
Videos.
Judicial payments.
Trafficking records.
Political bribes.
Murder orders.
Everything.
Alexander stared at the screens.
For the first time—
he looked afraid.
Police sirens grew louder outside.
Dominic looked at me.
“You did it.”
I shook my head.
“We did.”
Alexander suddenly lunged toward the terminal.
I blocked him.
He grabbed my arm.
“You belong to me.”
I stared into his eyes.
“No.”
I twisted his wrist.
He dropped to his knees.
“You were never my heir.”
I leaned closer.
“I was your mistake.”
Dominic cuffed him.
Samuel surrendered seconds later.
Richard was taken away alive.
Vanessa put down her weapon and waited for the police.
Isabella walked toward me.
“I am so sorry.”
I looked at her.
“You can't give me back twenty-seven years.”
“I know.”
“But you can help me make sure no other child loses theirs.”
She nodded.
“I will.”
Then Linda stepped beside us.
The woman from the hospital slowly approached.
Her name was Lily.
My sister.
Another piece of our family that had been stolen.
I looked at her.
She looked at me.
Neither of us knew what to say.
So I reached for her hand.
She took it.
For the first time in twenty-seven years—
my family was standing in the same room.
Not perfect.
Not healed.
May you like
But together.
And that was enough.
