Chapter 12 - Claire's Last Recording
The silver key in my pocket suddenly felt heavy.
Victoria noticed my hand move.
Her pistol shifted toward me.
“What did my mother give you?”
Margaret stepped between us.
“Nothing.”
Victoria laughed.
“You were always a terrible liar.”
She ordered Marcus and the agents to place their weapons on the floor.
They obeyed slowly.
Daniel looked at me.
I understood.
Delay her.
I took the key from my pocket.
Victoria's eyes locked onto it.
“Where did you get that?”
“Claire.”
It was a lie.
But it worked.
Her attention narrowed.
“What does it open?”
“I don't know.”
Another lie.
Victoria stepped closer.
Behind her, Daniel moved toward Nathaniel.
Nathaniel's eyes opened.
He had been pretending to be unconscious.
He grabbed Victoria's ankle.
She fired.
The bullet struck the floor beside him.
Chaos erupted.
Marcus tackled Victoria.
Margaret pulled Sebastian's chair sideways.
I ran.
Up the staircase.
Across the west corridor.
Toward the blue-lit bedroom.
Behind me, another gunshot echoed.
I reached Victoria's childhood room and locked the door.
The room had been preserved like a museum.
White canopy bed.
Bookshelves.
Old trophies.
Photographs of a smiling child who had eventually learned that fear was more powerful than love.
I searched desperately.
Claire would not have hidden evidence somewhere obvious.
Then I remembered the photograph.
Victoria in the blue room.
Behind her was a pattern of carved stars.
The same stars decorated the headboard in this bedroom.
I slid my hand beneath the center star.
Metal.
A keyhole.
The silver key fit.
The headboard clicked open.
Inside was a small waterproof case.
I opened it.
A flash drive.
And a note.
ELENA, IF YOU'RE READING THIS, I FAILED TO COME HOME.
My knees nearly gave out.
Below, someone screamed.
I plugged the drive into a laptop on Victoria's desk.
One video file appeared.
Claire's face filled the screen.
She looked exhausted.
“If anything happens to me, Victoria Vale ordered it.”
I covered my mouth.
Claire continued.
“The files attached to this recording contain names, transfers, payments, videos, medical records, and location histories.”
“Sebastian started the network.”
“But Victoria turned it into something much worse.”
Then Claire said the sentence that changed everything.
“There are still thirty-two children missing.”
A pounding struck the bedroom door.
“Elena.”
May you like
Victoria's voice.
“You have something that belongs to me.”
