Chapter 15: The Island of Secrets
Chapter 15: The Island of Secrets
The private island looked peaceful.
That was the first thing I noticed.
Beautiful beaches.
Clear water.
Luxury buildings.
The kind of place people went to forget the world existed.
But I knew better.
Beautiful places often hid ugly secrets.
Agent Sloan, Daniel, and I arrived before sunrise.
No announcement.
No warning.
Adrian Vale expected people to come looking.
He did not expect me.
The doors opened before we reached them.
Adrian was waiting.
Older than the photo.
But exactly the same.
Calm.
Confident.
Dangerously patient.
"Evelyn Hart."
He smiled.
"You look just like your mother."
I stopped.
"I don't know if that's an insult or a compliment."
He laughed.
"Neither."
He looked at me carefully.
"You're stronger than she was."
My expression hardened.
"You destroyed my family."
He tilted his head.
"Did I?"
I stepped closer.
"Grant betrayed me because of you."
"Grant betrayed you because he was weak."
"Vanessa hurt my daughter."
"Vanessa was damaged long before she met you."
"My mother helped them."
His smile faded slightly.
"Your mother made choices."
I stared at him.
"Choices?"
"Yes."
He walked toward the window.
"Your mother chose power over love."
I followed.
"And you?"
He looked back.
"I chose survival."
I almost laughed.
"You destroyed people to survive?"
"No."
He corrected.
"I destroyed people because they refused to understand their place."
There it was.
The arrogance.
The belief that everyone was a piece on his board.
I reached into my bag.
"You're right about one thing."
He looked at me.
"What?"
"My mother did choose power."
I placed a recording device on the table.
"But she forgot something."
His expression changed.
"What?"
I smiled.
"Power can be taken back."
His eyes narrowed.
"You recorded this conversation."
"Yes."
For the first time, Adrian looked surprised.
"You think that changes anything?"
"No."
I stepped closer.
"But it proves something."
"What?"
"You're not untouchable."
The smile disappeared.
Then he said something I never expected.
"Evelyn..."
A pause.
"Ask yourself why I never tried to kill you."
The room became silent.
I stared at him.
"What?"
"If I wanted you gone, you would have disappeared years ago."
My heart tightened.
"Then why?"
He looked directly at me.
"Because you were never the target."
I froze.
"Your daughter was."
The world stopped.
My hand moved instinctively toward my phone.
"What did you say?"
Adrian smiled.
"Now you understand."
A security alarm suddenly sounded.
Agent Sloan reached for her weapon.
I looked outside.
Several vehicles were approaching.
Adrian stepped back.
"Welcome to the real game, Evelyn."
I stared at him.
"Who is coming?"
His answer made my blood run cold.
"The people who started this before any of us."
The doors opened.
And the person walking in...
was someone I thought I had already lost.
Someone impossible.
May you like
Someone who should not be alive.
My mother.
