Chapter 6 — The Woman Who Betrayed Adrian
Chapter 6 — The Woman Who Betrayed Adrian
The first person Adrian suspected was himself.
Not Vincent.
Not Sarah.
Not anyone in his organization.
Himself.
Because every time he looked at Lily, one question returned:
How did they find her?
For three years, Adrian had built layers of protection around his daughter.
False addresses.
Rotating security teams.
Encrypted communication.
No photographs with his face.
No public records connecting him to Sarah.
No family name on Lily's school documents.
He had trusted almost no one.
Yet Volkov's people had known where she lived.
They had known which daycare she attended.
They had photographed her.
They had known Adrian had returned.
That meant someone close to him had talked.
And Adrian knew exactly what betrayal looked like.
It usually didn't come from an enemy.
It came from someone who knew where you slept.
The meeting began at eight in the morning.
Adrian sat at the head of the conference table.
Vincent stood beside him.
Six senior members of the organization sat around the room.
Nobody spoke.
The photograph of Lily lay in the center of the table.
Beside it was the old hospital photograph.
And beside that—
the note Elliot Crane had written before he died.
Ask Adrian why his father was afraid of Lily.
Adrian looked around the room.
“Someone gave Volkov information.”
Silence.
“I want the truth.”
No one moved.
Adrian placed another photograph on the table.
The black SUV outside Sarah's building.
“Two years of surveillance.”
He placed another.
The daycare.
“Eleven months.”
Another.
Sarah leaving the grocery store.
“Six months.”
He leaned back.
“And this.”
A photograph of Adrian meeting Lily.
“Two days.”
Vincent spoke.
“The surveillance increased immediately after Adrian appeared in public with Lily.”
Adrian nodded.
“Which means someone informed Volkov that I had acknowledged her.”
One of the men cleared his throat.
“Boss, maybe Volkov had independent surveillance.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Maybe.”
The man swallowed.
“But?”
“But Volkov doesn't know my daughter's routine unless someone gave him access.”
Silence again.
Adrian's gaze moved from one person to another.
Then stopped.
On a woman sitting halfway down the table.
Isabella Moretti.
His father's former financial adviser.
His own adviser for nearly seven years.
And one of the few people who had known about Lily from the beginning.
She was calm.
Too calm.
Adrian noticed.
“Isabella.”
She looked up.
“Yes?”
“How much did you know about Lily?”
Her expression didn't change.
“Only that she existed.”
“Who told you?”
“Your father.”
“When?”
“Years ago.”
“Before she was born?”
“Yes.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“And you never told me?”
“You weren't supposed to know.”
The room went silent.
Vincent turned toward her.
Adrian's voice became dangerously quiet.
“Why?”
Isabella looked at him.
“Because Richard ordered me not to.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“My father is dead.”
“I know.”
“So his orders don't matter anymore.”
“They mattered to me.”
Adrian stared at her.
Then asked:
“Did you tell Volkov about Lily?”
Isabella didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Adrian stood.
Nobody moved.
“Get out.”
Isabella's face remained expressionless.
“Adrian—”
“I said get out.”
The others left immediately.
Vincent remained.
Isabella slowly stood.
“You think I betrayed you.”
“You gave someone information about my daughter.”
“I gave someone information about Richard's granddaughter.”
“You knew what would happen.”
“I knew what might happen.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“You watched her.”
“Yes.”
“You knew where she lived.”
“Yes.”
“You knew when she went to school.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Sarah's routines.”
“Yes.”
“And you gave that information to Volkov.”
Isabella finally looked away.
“Yes.”
Vincent stepped forward.
Adrian stopped him.
“Why?”
Isabella looked back.
“Because your father told me to.”
Adrian laughed once.
It wasn't amusement.
It was disbelief.
“My father has been dead for twelve years.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you still obeying him?”
Isabella's expression cracked.
“Because he saved my life.”
Adrian said nothing.
Isabella continued.
“Twenty years ago, I owed money to people who would have killed me.”
Richard paid them.
“He gave me a job.”
“He gave you a leash.”
“He gave me a life.”
“And you repaid him by betraying me.”
“I never intended to hurt you.”
“You knew exactly what Volkov would do.”
“No.”
“You knew.”
Isabella shook her head.
“I didn't know Volkov wanted Lily.”
“Then what did you think he wanted?”
“You.”
Adrian stared.
“Why?”
“Because your father believed that if you ever discovered the truth about Lily, you'd destroy everything he built.”
Adrian's expression hardened.
“What truth?”
Isabella hesitated.
“I don't know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I was never told.”
“Then why protect the secret?”
“Because Richard didn't trust you.”
Those words landed harder than the rest.
Adrian stared at her.
“My own father didn't trust me.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Isabella's eyes filled with tears.
“Because you were becoming too powerful.”
The room was silent.
Isabella continued.
“Your father believed you would eventually turn against the family.”
“I did.”
“I know.”
“He was right.”
“Yes.”
Adrian sat down.
“And Lily?”
Isabella's voice softened.
“She was the one thing he could use to control you.”
“He never controlled me.”
“You're wrong.”
She looked at him.
“Look at yourself.”
Adrian didn't answer.
“You nearly died.”
She gestured toward him.
“And the first thing you did when you woke up was find your daughter.”
“Yes.”
“That is exactly what Richard feared.”
Adrian stared at her.
“You think loving my daughter makes me weak.”
“No.”
Isabella shook her head.
“I think Richard believed love made you predictable.”
Adrian's phone rang.
Vincent answered.
His expression changed.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“We have a problem.”
“What kind?”
“Sarah's apartment.”
Adrian stood immediately.
“What happened?”
“Someone tried to enter.”
“Is Lily there?”
“Yes.”
Adrian's blood turned cold.
“Get them out.”
“Already moving.”
“I'm coming.”
The drive took nine minutes.
It felt like an hour.
Adrian sat in the back of the vehicle.
Vincent was beside him.
“How many?”
“Two men.”
“Volkov?”
“We don't know.”
“Dead?”
“One escaped.”
Adrian stared through the window.
“What about Lily?”
“Safe.”
“Sarah?”
“Safe.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
For one second, he allowed himself to breathe.
Then Vincent said:
“They left something.”
“What?”
“A message.”
Adrian opened his eyes.
“Where?”
“In Lily's room.”
The apartment had been torn apart.
Drawers open.
Clothes on the floor.
Photographs scattered.
Lily's crayons everywhere.
But nothing valuable had been taken.
Except one thing.
The old hospital photograph.
Adrian stopped.
His stomach tightened.
“Where is it?”
Vincent looked around.
“Gone.”
Adrian understood.
“They weren't looking for money.”
“No.”
“They were looking for the photograph.”
“Yes.”
Sarah appeared from the hallway.
“Adrian.”
He turned.
“What?”
She held something in her hand.
A folded piece of paper.
“They left this.”
Adrian opened it.
Five words.
She remembers more than you think.
His blood ran cold.
“What does that mean?”
Sarah shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Adrian looked toward Lily's bedroom.
“Where is she?”
“With the security team.”
He walked toward the room.
Lily sat on the bed.
She was holding Mr. Buttons.
Her eyes were wet.
Adrian knelt.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded.
“Did someone come into your room?”
She nodded again.
“What did they do?”
“They looked for something.”
“What?”
“I don't know.”
“Did they talk?”
“Yes.”
“What did they say?”
Lily hesitated.
Then whispered:
“They said my daddy was hiding something.”
Adrian's heart tightened.
“Did they say my name?”
“No.”
“What did they call me?”
She looked at him.
“Mr. Moretti.”
Adrian froze.
No one called him that around Lily.
No one outside the organization should have known she was his daughter.
Lily continued.
“They said I had to give them the picture.”
“What picture?”
“The old one.”
Adrian's expression hardened.
“Did they touch you?”
“No.”
“Did they hurt you?”
“No.”
“Did they say they would?”
Lily nodded.
“They said if I didn't give it to them, they'd come back.”
Adrian's hands curled into fists.
He pulled Lily into his arms.
She held him tightly.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered.
Adrian closed his eyes.
“None of this is your fault.”
Later that night, Adrian returned to the office.
Isabella was waiting.
She hadn't left.
“Why?”
She looked exhausted.
“Because there's something you need to know.”
“What?”
“Volkov wasn't the first person who asked me about Lily.”
Adrian stared.
“Who was?”
“Your father's people.”
“They're dead.”
“Not all of them.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“Three years ago, Richard's old network contacted me.”
“Why?”
“They wanted to know where Sarah lived.”
“Who?”
“I never learned the name.”
“Then how did they reach you?”
“A message.”
“From whom?”
Isabella pulled a phone from her purse.
She handed it to Adrian.
He read the message.
Keep watching the girl. When Adrian comes back, tell us.
Adrian's eyes hardened.
“When did you receive this?”
“Two years ago.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of them?”
“Yes.”
“Then why tell Volkov?”
“I thought Volkov was the one controlling them.”
Adrian stared.
“What?”
“I was wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
Isabella looked at him.
“Volkov isn't the person at the top.”
Adrian went still.
“Who is?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I only know one thing.”
“What?”
“Your father wasn't protecting Lily from Volkov.”
Adrian's face changed.
“He was protecting Lily from someone inside the Moretti family.”
Silence.
“Who?”
Isabella's eyes filled with fear.
“Someone who still has access to your accounts.”
Adrian immediately thought of one person.
Then another.
Then another.
He turned toward the door.
Vincent entered.
“Boss.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Lock everything.”
“What?”
“All financial accounts.”
“Already secured.”
“Not enough.”
He looked at Isabella.
“Find every person who had access to my father's private records.”
Vincent nodded.
“And the hospital photograph?”
“Gone.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“Find it.”
At midnight, Adrian stood alone in the office.
He opened his father's old files.
For hours, he searched.
Birth records.
Financial records.
Trust documents.
Security reports.
Then he found it.
A sealed file.
His own name.
Inside was one sentence:
Lily Moretti — Guardian Protocol: BLACK.
Adrian stared.
Below it was a list of names.
Richard Moretti.
Elliot Crane.
Isabella Moretti.
And one final name.
Adrian stopped breathing.
Victor Moretti.
His uncle.
The man who had raised him after his father died.
The man Adrian trusted more than anyone.
The man who had been beside him for twelve years.
The man who had always told him:
Family protects family.
Adrian closed the file.
His phone rang.
Victor.
Adrian stared at the screen.
Then answered.
“Uncle.”
Victor's voice sounded calm.
“Adrian.”
“How are you?”
“Worried about you.”
“I'll survive.”
“I heard about the girl.”
Adrian's entire body went still.
“What girl?”
Silence.
Then Victor laughed softly.
“You know exactly who I mean.”
Adrian's hand tightened around the phone.
“How do you know about Lily?”
Another pause.
“Because, Adrian…”
Victor's voice became almost gentle.
“I've known about your daughter since the day she was born.”
Adrian's blood turned cold.
“Why?”
“Because your father asked me to watch her.”
“Watch her?”
“Yes.”
“Protect her?”
Victor was silent.
Then:
“No.”
Adrian's eyes hardened.
“Then what?”
Victor's voice dropped.
“To make sure she stayed alive until you were ready to find out what she inherited.”
The line went dead.
Adrian stood motionless.
Behind him, Vincent entered.
“Boss?”
Adrian slowly turned.
“It was never Isabella.”
“What?”
“She didn't betray me.”
Vincent frowned.
“Then who did?”
Adrian looked at the name on the file.
“Someone closer.”
He handed Vincent the document.
Vincent read it.
His expression changed.
“Victor?”
Adrian nodded.
“My uncle.”
Then Adrian's phone vibrated again.
A photograph appeared.
Lily asleep in her bed.
Taken from inside the apartment.
Below it was a single message:
You should have stayed invisible.
Adrian stared at the screen.
For the first time, he understood the real betrayal.
Volkov had been watching Lily.
But Volkov wasn't the one who had shown him where to look.
May you like
Someone inside Adrian's own family had opened the door.
And that person had been watching Lily long before Adrian ever found the courage to become her father.
