Chapter 12 — THE BETRAYAL INSIDE CROSS MERIDIAN
The screen went black.
But Robert Lowell's final words remained in my head.
YOU WERE THE ORIGINAL SUCCESSOR.
I stood frozen.
Lily was still sitting on the couch.
Nathaniel stood beside me.
Gabriel had stopped breathing.
My mother looked like she had just watched the past twenty years collapse in front of her.
Then Marcus spoke.
“Who is the fifth?”
Nobody answered.
He looked at my mother.
“You know.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“You just said Elena was the original successor.”
“Yes.”
“Then who comes before Lily?”
My mother looked at me.
“Elena.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“So Robert wasn't lying.”
“No.”
Nathaniel stared at the blank screen.
“Then why did the trust name Lily?”
My mother answered quietly.
“Because Elena transferred her succession rights.”
I turned.
“When?”
“The night Lily was born.”
I felt something inside me break.
“You transferred my rights without asking me.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You transferred them yourself.”
I stared.
“I was unconscious.”
“You signed the original declaration before Lily was born.”
“That signature was forged.”
“Yes.”
“But the trust recognized it.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
My mother looked at me.
“Because the trust wasn't designed to recognize signatures.”
She pointed at my pendant.
“It was designed to recognize blood, intent, and the founder's seal.”
I touched the silver pendant.
“And mine?”
“Yours.”
She paused.
“And Lily's.”
I didn't understand.
“Then what is Robert trying to do?”
My mother looked terrified.
“He wants you to reclaim the succession.”
“Why?”
“Because if you reclaim it…”
She swallowed.
“…Lily loses her protection.”
The next morning, Nathaniel called an emergency meeting of Cross Meridian's executive board.
Not the private board.
The public one.
The legitimate board.
The people who had spent the last three months trying to understand how their company had been infiltrated.
I sat beside him.
My mother sat behind us.
Marcus stood near the door.
Gabriel remained outside.
Vanessa was there too.
She had agreed to testify.
Nobody wanted her there.
Least of all me.
Nathaniel stood at the head of the table.
“Before we begin, I want everyone to understand something.”
The room went silent.
“Cross Meridian is no longer operating under the old structure.”
One director raised his hand.
“Mr. Cross, the restructuring agreement hasn't been finalized.”
“It doesn't matter.”
He placed a folder on the table.
“Someone inside this company has been feeding information to Robert Lowell.”
The room erupted.
“What?”
“Impossible.”
“Robert Lowell is dead.”
Nathaniel looked at them.
“He isn't.”
Silence.
Then he opened the folder.
Photographs.
Transaction logs.
Encrypted communications.
Security records.
Bank transfers.
And one name.
THOMAS REED.
Everyone knew.
But Thomas was already in custody.
So Nathaniel added:
“Thomas wasn't working alone.”
A woman at the far end of the table suddenly stood.
“I think that's enough.”
Nathaniel looked at her.
She was Evelyn Grant, chief operating officer.
She had worked at Cross Meridian for fourteen years.
I knew her.
Everyone did.
She was respected.
Trusted.
Almost invisible.
She had been the person who recommended Thomas Reed as legal counsel.
She looked at me.
“You've caused enough disruption.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
She turned toward Nathaniel.
“Since this woman entered your house, everything has collapsed.”
Nathaniel's eyes narrowed.
“Be careful.”
Evelyn laughed.
“You still don't see it.”
She pointed at me.
“She was planted.”
My mother stood.
“No.”
Evelyn smiled.
“You've always been good at pretending.”
My mother froze.
Evelyn continued.
“Elena wasn't brought into Cross Meridian to protect Nathaniel.”
She looked at me.
“She was brought here to destroy him.”
I stared at her.
“That isn't true.”
“Then why did your mother hide you for twenty years?”
I couldn't answer.
Evelyn smiled.
“Exactly.”
Nathaniel slammed his hand on the table.
“Security.”
Two guards entered.
Evelyn didn't move.
Instead, she calmly placed a small device on the table.
The screens throughout the boardroom flickered.
A video appeared.
It showed me.
Entering Nathaniel's house five years earlier.
Carrying my suitcase.
Looking directly into the camera.
Then the screen froze.
Evelyn smiled.
“Five years ago.”
Another video.
Me walking through the Cross estate.
Another.
Me standing outside Nathaniel's office.
Another.
Me entering the company archive.
I stared at the screen.
“That footage is manipulated.”
“Is it?”
She pressed a button.
The screen showed something else.
A bank transfer.
Money deposited into an account in my name.
I looked at Nathaniel.
“I never received that.”
“I know.”
Evelyn smiled.
“But the account exists.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“It's a synthetic identity.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“You're very good.”
Marcus froze.
“So are you.”
She smiled.
“That's why they cloned your credentials.”
I understood.
“This was all staged.”
“Yes.”
“To make it look like I was working against Nathaniel.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Evelyn looked at Nathaniel.
“Because Robert doesn't want to kill Elena.”
She smiled.
“He wants Nathaniel to kill her.”
The room went silent.
Nathaniel stared at Evelyn.
“You're saying Robert wants me to believe Elena betrayed me.”
“Yes.”
“And then?”
“Then you eliminate her.”
My blood ran cold.
Evelyn continued.
“Once Elena dies, Lily loses the founder's succession claim.”
My mother whispered:
“And Robert takes control.”
Evelyn smiled.
“Exactly.”
Nathaniel slowly stood.
“You've been working for him.”
“No.”
She smiled.
“I've been working for the person who pays Robert.”
Everyone froze.
I asked:
“Who?”
Evelyn looked at me.
Then at the door.
And smiled.
“Your mother knows.”
My mother shook her head.
“No.”
Evelyn laughed.
“You really thought you could bury him forever?”
My mother went pale.
“Who?”
Evelyn leaned toward the table.
“The original architect.”
Then the lights went out.
Gunfire erupted.
Everyone screamed.
Nathaniel grabbed me.
Marcus tackled Evelyn to the floor.
Glass shattered.
The room filled with smoke.
I heard Lily scream from the hallway.
My heart stopped.
“LILY!”
I ran.
Nathaniel followed.
The hallway was empty.
Her shoes were on the floor.
Her yellow sweater was beside them.
But Lily was gone.
I couldn't breathe.
“No.”
Nathaniel grabbed my shoulders.
“Elena.”
“She was here.”
“I know.”
“Where is she?”
Marcus rushed into the hallway.
“Security cameras are down.”
I looked at him.
“Again?”
He nodded.
I remembered the previous attacks.
The hidden room.
The chapel.
The old estate.
Every time Lily disappeared—
the cameras failed.
But this time, there was something different.
A small red flower lay on the floor.
I picked it up.
My mother's face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“It was here.”
She stared.
“That flower…”
“What?”
“Daniel used to give you those.”
I froze.
Daniel.
The man who had raised me.
My supposed father.
The man who had been hiding behind the Meridian conspiracy.
I looked at Nathaniel.
“This is a message.”
He nodded.
“From Daniel?”
My mother shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
She whispered:
“From someone pretending to be him.”
We searched the entire building.
Nothing.
No broken doors.
No forced entry.
No blood.
No signs of struggle.
Whoever took Lily knew the security system.
They knew the building.
They knew our movements.
They knew exactly when the cameras would go dark.
Nathaniel turned toward Marcus.
“Who had access?”
Marcus hesitated.
“Too many people.”
“List them.”
“Executive security.”
“Who?”
Marcus pulled up the database.
“Me.”
“Nathaniel.”
“Thomas.”
“Evelyn.”
“Daniel.”
I stopped him.
“Daniel?”
Marcus nodded.
“His credentials were never officially revoked.”
I stared.
“But Daniel is—”
“Alive,” Marcus said.
“We know.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“His credentials were used twenty-three minutes ago.”
My blood froze.
“Where?”
Marcus turned the screen.
The location appeared.
CROSS MERIDIAN — PRIVATE ARCHIVE LEVEL B.
Nathaniel looked at me.
“That level doesn't exist.”
Marcus nodded.
“That's what I thought.”
We took the service elevator.
It descended below the company basement.
Then below the parking structure.
Then below the foundation.
The doors opened.
A corridor stretched into darkness.
I had never seen it before.
Marcus looked at the security panel.
“Biometric access.”
Nathaniel placed his hand on it.
Denied.
I tried.
Denied.
My mother stepped forward.
Denied.
Then Lily's photograph appeared on the screen.
A message appeared.
SUCCESSOR REQUIRED.
Nathaniel looked at me.
“Lily.”
I nodded.
“It's using her identity.”
Marcus stared.
“How?”
My mother answered:
“Because the trust has activated.”
I felt sick.
“They're using Lily to open it.”
“Yes.”
We continued.
At the end of the corridor was a steel door.
It opened automatically.
Inside was an enormous archive.
Files.
Servers.
Photographs.
Boxes.
And hundreds of monitors.
One monitor was already on.
Lily appeared on the screen.
She was sitting in a chair.
She wasn't crying.
She looked angry.
A man stood behind her.
His face wasn't visible.
Then his voice came through.
“Hello, Elena.”
I froze.
Robert Lowell.
“You have something I need.”
I stepped toward the screen.
“Where is my daughter?”
“She is safe.”
“If you touch her—”
“I won't.”
He paused.
“Because I need her alive.”
Nathaniel stepped forward.
“What do you want?”
Robert laughed.
“Not you.”
Then he looked directly into the camera.
“Not Lily.”
He paused.
“Elena.”
My heart pounded.
“You want me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you're the final founder.”
“I don't believe you.”
“You should.”
He pressed a button.
A document appeared.
My name.
My fingerprint.
My signature.
And beneath it—
FOUNDER SUCCESSION TRANSFER.
I stared.
“This isn't real.”
“It is.”
“You forged it.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Your mother did.”
I turned toward her.
She closed her eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
My voice cracked.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew this existed.”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Again?”
My mother looked broken.
Robert's voice returned.
“Your mother has spent twenty years protecting you from the truth.”
He paused.
“But the truth is simple.”
The screen changed.
A photograph appeared.
Me.
Sixteen years old.
Standing beside my mother.
Holding the founder's seal.
And behind us—
Robert Lowell.
I stared.
“I met you before.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Three weeks before you met Nathaniel.”
“No.”
“Your mother brought you to me.”
My mother whispered:
“I had no choice.”
Robert continued.
“She asked me to protect you.”
I looked at my mother.
“Then why did you become my enemy?”
Robert laughed.
“Because your mother broke our agreement.”
“What agreement?”
“She promised me the founder's succession.”
My heart stopped.
“And instead…”
He looked at Lily.
“She gave it to her daughter.”
A door opened behind us.
Everyone turned.
Vanessa stood there.
She was holding a gun.
Nathaniel raised his weapon.
“Vanessa.”
She shook her head.
“Don't.”
I stared at her.
“Where were you?”
“Looking for Lily.”
“You know where she is.”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me.”
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because if I tell you, they'll kill her.”
Nathaniel stepped toward her.
“Who?”
She looked at me.
“My father.”
I felt cold.
“Robert.”
She nodded.
“He's been alive my entire life.”
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“And you worked for him?”
“No.”
She lowered the gun.
“I worked against him.”
I stared.
“Then why did you pay Adrian?”
“To find Elena before he did.”
“You were watching me.”
“Yes.”
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
“You terrified me.”
“I know.”
“You hurt Lily.”
Her face collapsed.
“I know.”
Nathaniel looked at her.
“Then why should we believe you now?”
Vanessa swallowed.
“Because I know where Lily is.”
Everyone froze.
“Where?”
She looked toward the monitor.
“She's in the original Meridian vault.”
Marcus frowned.
“That vault was destroyed.”
“No.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“It's under Cross Meridian.”
I looked at the archive.
“Where?”
Vanessa pointed toward a wall.
“There.”
A section of the wall opened.
Behind it was a staircase.
Vanessa looked at me.
“My father wants you to come alone.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“He said you would say that.”
She handed me a small card.
Written on it:
BRING THE FOUNDER'S SEAL.
I touched my pendant.
Then Vanessa whispered:
“And Elena…”
“What?”
“Don't trust the man holding Lily.”
I stared.
“Robert?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
Her eyes moved toward Gabriel.
My blood ran cold.
“Gabriel?”
Vanessa nodded.
“He isn't working for my father.”
She paused.
“He's working for someone much closer.”
I looked at Gabriel.
He stood completely still.
Nathaniel turned toward him.
“Gabriel?”
Gabriel didn't answer.
Vanessa whispered:
“The man holding Lily…”
Her voice broke.
“…is your biological father.”
I stared at Gabriel.
He looked at me.
And for the first time—
he didn't deny it.
Then the monitor showed Lily standing beside a man.
The man turned toward the camera.
It wasn't Robert.
It wasn't Daniel.
It wasn't Julian.
It was Gabriel's father.
The man I had been told was dead.
He looked directly at me.
And said:
“Hello, Elena.”
The screen went black.
May you like
And underneath it appeared one final message:
COME TO THE VAULT BEFORE MIDNIGHT — OR LILY LEARNS WHAT HER FATHER DID TO HER MOTHER.
