CHAPTER 7 — Daniel’s Second Betrayal
CHAPTER 7 — Daniel’s Second Betrayal
The front door exploded inward.
Maya screamed.
Luka grabbed her around the waist and pulled her behind the stone fireplace as splinters tore across the study.
Emma began crying.
"Stay down!"
Luka drew his weapon.
Daniel dropped to the floor.
For three terrifying seconds, nobody could see who had entered.
Then a voice echoed through the hallway.
"Maya Bennett."
A man's voice.
Calm.
Almost polite.
"We don't want to hurt you."
Luka's expression hardened.
"That's what they always say."
He fired once toward the ceiling.
The intruders immediately scattered.
Maya held Emma against her chest.
"Luka, what do we do?"
"There's a basement."
"Where?"
"Behind the bookcase."
Daniel suddenly grabbed her arm.
"This way."
Maya followed him.
They reached the bookcase.
Daniel pushed against the wooden panel.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
"Move."
Luka shoved him aside.
He pressed a hidden latch.
The bookcase swung open.
Maya stared.
A staircase descended into darkness.
"You knew about this?"
Luka looked at Daniel.
Daniel didn't answer.
Maya noticed.
And something inside her tightened.
"Daniel."
He finally looked at her.
"I knew there was a basement."
"You said you didn't know this house."
"I said I didn't know the house was still here."
"That's not the same thing."
Another gunshot sounded upstairs.
Luka pushed them toward the stairs.
"We can argue later."
They descended.
The bookcase closed behind them.
Darkness swallowed the house.
The basement was enormous.
Maya had expected a small storage room.
Instead, they found a corridor extending beneath the entire property.
Old electrical cables ran along the walls.
Metal doors lined both sides.
Some were numbered.
Others carried names.
Luka raised his flashlight.
Maya saw one label.
M-17.
Her stomach turned.
"What is this place?"
Daniel whispered:
"Your father built it."
Luka looked at him.
"How do you know?"
Daniel hesitated.
"I've seen the blueprints."
Maya turned.
"You've seen the blueprints?"
Daniel didn't answer.
"Daniel."
He closed his eyes.
"I worked for your father before I worked for you."
Maya stared at him.
"What?"
"Not directly."
"Then who?"
"His attorneys."
Luka stepped forward.
"You knew about this place."
"Not everything."
"But enough."
Daniel swallowed.
"I knew your father had a private research facility."
Maya's voice shook.
"And you never told me."
"I was trying to protect you."
She laughed bitterly.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
Daniel looked at her.
"I know how it sounds."
"It sounds like a lie."
"It isn't."
"Then tell me the truth."
Daniel was silent.
Luka stepped between them.
"Later."
"No."
Maya shook her head.
"I'm done with later."
She looked directly at Daniel.
"You abandoned me."
"Yes."
"You took money to betray me."
"Yes."
"And now I find out you knew about this place."
Daniel lowered his head.
"Yes."
Maya's eyes filled with tears.
"What else?"
He looked at her.
"I knew your father was alive."
Silence.
Luka turned sharply.
"What?"
Daniel whispered:
"I knew."
Maya's face went blank.
"For how long?"
"Six years."
Her breath caught.
Six years.
"Six years?"
Daniel nodded.
"How?"
"I met him."
"Where?"
"In Geneva."
Maya's knees weakened.
"You saw my father six years ago?"
"Yes."
"And you never told me?"
"He made me promise."
"Another promise."
Daniel looked ashamed.
"He said telling you would put you in danger."
Maya's voice became cold.
"You keep using protection as an excuse."
"I know."
"You could have told me."
"I was afraid."
"Of my father?"
"Of what he had become."
Luka looked at Daniel.
"What did Ethan tell you?"
Daniel hesitated.
"He told me the program had changed."
"How?"
"It wasn't about inheritance anymore."
Maya looked at him.
"Then what was it about?"
"Children."
The word hung in the corridor.
Daniel continued.
"They discovered that M-17 could be passed through generations."
"That's what we already know."
"No."
Daniel shook his head.
"You don't understand."
He pointed toward the numbered rooms.
"They weren't studying the children."
Maya looked at the doors.
"They were selecting them."
"For what?"
Daniel's voice dropped.
"To create a bloodline that could legally and genetically control the old family trusts."
Maya stared.
"And Emma?"
"She is the first child in decades to carry the complete sequence."
Luka's expression hardened.
"How did you know that?"
Daniel looked at him.
"Because I saw her medical report before Maya did."
Maya froze.
"What?"
Daniel swallowed.
"The day Emma was born, I received a copy."
"You were monitoring me?"
"I was trying to understand what they wanted."
"You were spying on me."
"Yes."
Maya stepped backward.
"You were never just my husband."
Daniel's face collapsed.
"I loved you."
"Then why did you do this?"
"Because they threatened you."
"Who?"
Daniel didn't answer.
Maya whispered:
"Who threatened me?"
He looked at Luka.
Then away.
"Your mother."
Maya stopped breathing.
"My mother is dead."
"No."
Daniel's voice was barely audible.
"She's alive."
Maya stared.
"And she contacted you?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Six months before Emma was born."
"Why?"
Daniel's eyes filled with fear.
"She wanted to know whether you were pregnant."
Maya felt sick.
"My mother knew about Emma."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because she needed the child."
Luka's jaw tightened.
"For what?"
Daniel answered:
"To unlock the Moretti trust."
Maya shook her head.
"What does Emma have to do with money?"
"The trust contains a biological succession clause."
"Meaning?"
"The assets can only be transferred to a descendant carrying M-17."
Maya stared.
"How much?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Several billion."
Maya laughed once.
Not because it was funny.
Because the number was too absurd to comprehend.
"So my daughter is worth billions?"
"No."
Daniel looked at Emma.
"That's the problem."
Maya's expression hardened.
"Explain."
"Your daughter isn't worth billions."
He paused.
"She gives someone access to billions."
A metallic sound echoed down the corridor.
Luka immediately raised his weapon.
Someone was coming.
Daniel whispered:
"They're inside."
Luka nodded.
"Stay here."
Maya grabbed his sleeve.
"Don't leave us."
He looked at her.
"I won't."
He disappeared around the corner.
Maya turned to Daniel.
"Tell me everything."
Daniel shook his head.
"You don't have time."
"I'll make time."
"Maya—"
"Everything."
He sighed.
"Your mother wasn't the person who contacted me first."
"Who was?"
"Your father."
Maya froze.
"Before your mother?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Two years ago."
Maya stared.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because he offered me money."
Her face hardened.
"How much?"
"Ten million."
"And you accepted?"
Daniel looked ashamed.
"Yes."
Maya closed her eyes.
There it was.
The truth.
He hadn't only been threatened.
He had been bought.
"You sold me."
"I made a mistake."
"You sold me."
"I regretted it."
"But you kept the money."
"Yes."
Maya's eyes filled with tears.
"Why?"
Daniel's voice broke.
"Because I was a coward."
She turned away.
For a moment, she felt nothing.
Then Emma cried.
Maya looked down at her daughter.
And something changed.
Whatever happened to her didn't matter anymore.
Emma was the reason she had to survive.
Luka returned.
"Three men."
"Dead?"
"No."
"Where are they?"
"Looking."
Daniel stood.
"We need to leave."
Luka stared at him.
"You knew about this place."
Daniel nodded.
"Then you know another exit."
Silence.
Luka's eyes narrowed.
"Don't."
Daniel looked at him.
"There is another exit."
"Where?"
"Behind the old furnace."
Maya looked between them.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
Daniel didn't answer.
Luka stepped closer.
"Because he was waiting."
Daniel's face went pale.
"For what?"
Luka looked toward the corridor.
"For them to arrive."
Maya stared at Daniel.
"No."
Daniel shook his head.
"That's not true."
"Then why did you lead us here?"
"I didn't."
"You knew this place."
"I knew it was safe."
Luka raised his weapon.
"How convenient."
Daniel stepped backward.
"You think I brought them here?"
"I think you knew exactly where we were going."
Maya stared at him.
"Daniel."
He looked at her.
"Tell me he's wrong."
Daniel's silence was devastating.
Maya's voice broke.
"Daniel?"
He finally whispered:
"I'm sorry."
The lights came on.
Every door along the corridor opened simultaneously.
Men stepped out.
Armed.
Surrounding them.
Maya pulled Emma close.
Luka raised his weapon.
A voice echoed from the darkness.
"Put it down, Luka."
Luka froze.
A man walked into the corridor.
Older.
Elegant.
Silver-haired.
Maya recognized him immediately.
The man from the photograph.
Her father.
Ethan Bennett.
Alive.
Maya stared at him.
Her entire body trembled.
"Dad?"
Ethan looked at her.
For a moment, pain crossed his face.
Then it disappeared.
"Hello, Maya."
She couldn't breathe.
"You..."
He looked at Emma.
"Give me the child."
Maya stepped backward.
"No."
Ethan's expression hardened.
"You don't understand what you're carrying."
"She's my daughter."
"She's more than that."
"She's not an asset."
Ethan looked at Luka.
"You know what happens if M-17 falls into the wrong hands."
Luka's voice was cold.
"Your hands aren't the right ones."
Ethan smiled.
"You still sound like your mother."
Luka went still.
Maya stared at her father.
"Where is Mom?"
Ethan didn't answer.
"Where is my mother?"
Still nothing.
Maya stepped forward.
"You lied to me."
"I protected you."
"You erased my life."
"I saved it."
"You let me believe you were dead."
"I had no choice."
"You always have a choice."
Ethan looked at Emma.
"No."
He shook his head.
"Not this time."
Maya's heart pounded.
"What do you want?"
Ethan finally answered.
"The truth."
Maya laughed bitterly.
"You've had twenty-five years to tell me."
"I wasn't protecting myself."
"Then who?"
Ethan looked toward Luka.
"Her."
Luka's expression changed.
"Who?"
Ethan pointed toward a metal door.
"Your mother."
The door opened.
A woman stepped out.
Maya stopped breathing.
She was older.
Her hair was streaked with gray.
Her face was thinner.
But the eyes were unmistakable.
Maya's mother.
Alive.
Maya's knees nearly collapsed.
"Mom..."
The woman covered her mouth.
Tears filled her eyes.
"Maya."
Maya took one step.
Then another.
She wanted to run into her mother's arms.
She wanted to scream.
She wanted to ask why.
But then her mother looked at Emma.
And her expression changed.
Fear.
Pure fear.
"Where did you get that child?"
Maya froze.
"She's my daughter."
Her mother shook her head.
"No."
"What?"
"That's not your daughter."
Maya's blood ran cold.
Her mother stepped backward.
"That's the child they were waiting for."
Luka moved closer.
"What are you saying?"
Maya's mother looked directly at him.
Then at Daniel.
"How did you bring her here?"
Daniel lowered his head.
Maya stared at him.
"You knew."
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
"Yes."
"You knew my mother was alive."
"Yes."
"You knew my father was alive."
"Yes."
"And you brought us here."
Daniel couldn't look at her.
Maya whispered:
"Why?"
He finally answered.
"Because they promised they would let you live."
Maya's heart broke.
Her husband had betrayed her.
Again.
But this time, there was something worse.
Daniel hadn't brought her to the people hunting Emma.
He had brought her to the people who had been protecting the secret.
And the woman who had just called herself Maya's mother was staring at Emma as though the baby in Maya's arms were a nightmare.
Then Ethan said something that made the entire room go silent.
"Daniel didn't betray you, Maya."
He looked at his daughter.
"He betrayed us."
Daniel raised his head.
Ethan continued:
"Because he was supposed to bring me the child."
A long silence followed.
Then Maya looked at Daniel.
"Why didn't you?"
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
"Because I couldn't do it."
Maya stared at him.
"After everything?"
He nodded.
"I couldn't hand over your daughter."
Maya didn't know whether to hate him or believe him.
Then Daniel stepped toward her.
And suddenly a gunshot echoed through the underground corridor.
Daniel jerked backward.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Maya screamed.
He collapsed.
Luka fired toward the darkness.
Everyone scattered.
Maya dropped to her knees beside Daniel.
"Daniel!"
He looked up at her.
His breathing was shallow.
"I'm sorry."
Maya pressed her hands against the wound.
"Don't die."
Daniel smiled weakly.
"I finally did one thing right."
He reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a small memory card.
Then he pressed it into Maya's palm.
"Your medical records."
She stared at it.
"Everything?"
He nodded.
"Everything they erased."
His eyes began to close.
"And Maya..."
"What?"
"Your father lied about one thing."
She leaned closer.
"What?"
Daniel whispered:
"Emma isn't the second M-17 child."
Maya froze.
"Then who was?"
Daniel looked toward the woman claiming to be her mother.
"Ask her."
Then his eyes closed.
And Maya realized the missing medical records had never been missing at all.
Someone had been keeping them.
Someone who had known the truth from the beginning.
And that someone was standing only twenty feet away.
Her mother.
Alive.
May you like
Terrified.
And apparently hiding a secret about Emma that could change everything.
