Chapter 11 — The Man Who Wanted Emma
Chapter 11 — The Man Who Wanted Emma
“I killed her.”
Those three words stayed in the air.
For several seconds, I couldn't understand them.
My father had just confessed to killing my mother.
The woman whose face existed only in my childhood photographs.
The woman whose voice I had heard for the first time through an old recording.
The woman who had supposedly died protecting me.
My mother.
Dead because of Charles.
I looked at him.
“No.”
He didn't move.
“Dad…”
His eyes filled with tears.
“I didn't mean to.”
James stepped between us.
“What happened?”
Charles shook his head.
“Not here.”
A speaker crackled above us.
Victor Kane's voice returned.
“Oh, I think here is exactly where it should happen.”
I looked upward.
“Kane!”
“Hello, Emily.”
“Let us out.”
“No.”
“You want me.”
“No.”
His voice was almost amused.
“I want Emma.”
I tightened my arms around my daughter.
“You're not getting her.”
“That's what your mother said.”
I froze.
“You knew her?”
“I knew her better than anyone.”
“You loved her?”
Silence.
Then Kane answered:
“I destroyed everything around her because I loved her.”
I felt sick.
“That isn't love.”
“No.”
His voice became colder.
“It's possession.”
The lights returned.
A screen appeared on the far wall.
Live footage.
My house.
The nursery.
Emma's empty crib.
Then another camera.
A hospital.
A school.
A street outside Carter's old neighborhood.
Everywhere I had ever lived.
Everywhere I had ever gone.
Kane had been watching.
Then the screen changed.
A photograph of Emma appeared.
Six months old.
Sleeping.
The caption beneath it read:
HEIR CONFIRMED.
I stepped toward the screen.
“You've been tracking her since birth.”
“Since before birth.”
James's face hardened.
“You're sick.”
Kane ignored him.
“Emma is the first child capable of opening the final vault.”
“What vault?”
“The original trust.”
Charles whispered:
“Don't.”
Kane laughed.
“Your father still believes he can protect you.”
I looked at Charles.
“What is in the vault?”
“Nothing you need.”
Kane answered for him.
“Everything.”
The steel door suddenly unlocked.
James raised his weapon.
“Don't.”
Charles grabbed his arm.
“Kane wants us to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because the vault is no longer the objective.”
I looked at him.
“Then what is?”
Charles stared at Emma.
“Her.”
We left through the passage.
But the moment we reached the surface, black SUVs surrounded the station.
Men stepped out.
No uniforms.
No badges.
Just weapons.
James pulled me behind him.
“Stay back.”
A man approached.
Tall.
Gray suit.
Calm expression.
He held no weapon.
“Captain Walker.”
James stared at him.
“Who are you?”
“Daniel Mercer.”
I froze.
“But you died.”
Daniel smiled.
“People keep saying that.”
James raised his gun.
Daniel didn't react.
“I didn't come for you.”
He looked at Emma.
“I came for the child.”
James stepped forward.
“You're not touching her.”
Daniel's expression remained calm.
“You misunderstand.”
“What?”
“I don't want to hurt Emma.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To take her somewhere safe.”
I almost laughed.
“Safe?”
“Yes.”
“With Kane?”
Daniel shook his head.
“From Kane.”
I stared at him.
“You work for him.”
“I did.”
“Did?”
“I changed sides.”
James didn't lower his weapon.
“Why should we believe you?”
“You shouldn't.”
Daniel reached into his jacket.
James raised his gun higher.
Daniel slowly removed a photograph.
He held it out.
I took it.
My breath stopped.
It showed my mother.
Holding a baby.
Not me.
Another baby.
A boy.
On the back was written:
MICHAEL — 1992.
I looked at Daniel.
“Who is this?”
“Your brother.”
My heart stopped.
“I don't have a brother.”
“You do.”
“Where is he?”
Daniel looked toward Charles.
“Ask your father.”
Everyone turned.
Charles closed his eyes.
“No.”
I stepped toward him.
“Dad.”
He said nothing.
“Tell me.”
His shoulders dropped.
“Yes.”
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“You hid my brother from me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he was the reason Kane wanted your mother dead.”
I couldn't breathe.
“Explain.”
Charles looked at the photograph.
“Your mother had two children.”
I stared at him.
“Me and Michael.”
“Yes.”
“Same father?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
“Kane.”
My stomach turned.
“So Michael is Kane's son too?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you hide him?”
“Because Kane didn't know he existed.”
“Why?”
“Your mother never told him.”
“Then how did he find out?”
Charles looked at Daniel.
Daniel answered.
“Lauren.”
My blood ran cold.
“My sister?”
“She discovered the old files.”
“And sold the information.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Money.”
I closed my eyes.
Lauren had been part of this from the beginning.
The Christmas dinner.
The hospital.
The surveillance.
Everything.
“How much?”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Enough to believe she'd never have to worry about money again.”
I looked at Charles.
“Where is Michael?”
He shook his head.
“I don't know.”
Daniel said:
“Kane does.”
A gunshot rang out.
One of the men surrounding us fell.
James pulled me down.
“Get inside!”
We ran back toward the station.
Daniel shouted:
“Move!”
More gunfire.
I held Emma against my chest.
Charles followed.
James fired toward the darkness.
“Who is shooting?”
Daniel yelled:
“Kane's men!”
“You said you switched sides!”
“I did!”
“Then prove it!”
Daniel grabbed a rifle from one of the fallen men.
He returned fire.
We made it inside.
The steel door closed behind us.
I looked at Daniel.
“You said you wanted Emma safe.”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me where.”
He looked at Charles.
“The only place Kane can't reach.”
“Where?”
“Blackridge.”
Charles shook his head.
“It's compromised.”
“Not the original facility.”
“There is no original facility.”
Daniel looked at me.
“There is.”
My heart pounded.
“Where?”
He whispered:
“Under your grandfather's grave.”
We drove through the night.
Nobody trusted Daniel.
Nobody trusted Charles.
I wasn't even sure I trusted myself anymore.
James sat beside me.
Emma slept in the back.
Daniel drove.
Charles sat beside him.
At some point, Charles spoke.
“Daniel.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you betray Kane?”
Daniel's hands tightened around the wheel.
“Because he killed my daughter.”
Silence.
I looked at him.
“Who?”
“Sophie.”
The same name Lauren had mentioned.
“She was involved in Blackridge?”
“No.”
“Then why did Kane kill her?”
“Because she knew who Michael was.”
I frowned.
“Michael?”
Daniel nodded.
“Your brother.”
I stared.
“What did Sophie know?”
“That Michael isn't dead.”
I felt my heart stop.
“Where is he?”
Daniel looked at me through the mirror.
“With Kane.”
The cemetery was empty.
Snow covered the ground.
We stopped beside my grandfather's grave.
Charles stepped out.
“This is impossible.”
Daniel walked toward the headstone.
He pressed his hand against a small metal plate.
A section of stone moved.
A stairway appeared.
I stared.
“My grandfather built this?”
“Yes.”
We descended.
The passage was narrow.
Cold air moved around us.
Then we reached a massive underground chamber.
Computers.
Servers.
Steel doors.
And hundreds of files.
Daniel walked to the central console.
“This is the original Blackridge vault.”
I looked around.
“Where's the trust?”
Daniel pointed toward the center.
A glass cylinder contained a small black device.
“What is that?”
“The master key.”
James frowned.
“And why can't Kane take it?”
“Because it requires three people.”
“Who?”
Daniel looked at me.
“Emily.”
Then Charles.
“Charles.”
Then the empty space beside us.
“Michael.”
I froze.
“Michael isn't here.”
Daniel shook his head.
“He doesn't need to be.”
“How?”
“His DNA is already encoded.”
I looked at the device.
“Then why does Kane need Emma?”
Daniel's answer terrified me.
“Because the system won't recognize the old bloodline anymore.”
“What does it recognize?”
“Your daughter.”
Suddenly, every monitor turned on.
Victor Kane appeared.
He was standing in a room somewhere else.
Behind him stood a young man.
Late twenties.
Dark hair.
Pale face.
He looked directly into the camera.
My heart stopped.
I knew those eyes.
I had seen them in my mother's photographs.
I whispered:
“Michael.”
Kane smiled.
“Yes.”
My brother stepped forward.
He looked terrified.
Kane placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Say hello to your sister.”
Michael stared at me.
“Emily.”
I couldn't speak.
Then Kane moved closer to the camera.
“Now you understand.”
“You have my brother.”
“Yes.”
“Let him go.”
“No.”
“Then what do you want?”
Kane smiled.
“Emma.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Then Michael dies.”
My brother's face changed.
“Don't give him the baby.”
I looked at him.
Michael continued:
“He wants more than her.”
Kane's smile disappeared.
“Enough.”
Michael struggled.
“He wants the entire bloodline.”
Kane struck him.
I screamed.
“Stop!”
James grabbed my arm.
“Don't.”
Kane looked at me.
“You have until midnight.”
“For what?”
“To choose.”
“What choice?”
“Your daughter…”
He looked at Michael.
“…or your brother.”
The screen went black.
Nobody spoke.
I held Emma tighter.
James looked at me.
“You don't have to choose.”
I shook my head.
“He'll kill Michael.”
“We'll rescue him.”
“And if we fail?”
“We won't.”
Charles stepped forward.
“I know where Kane is.”
I looked at him.
“How?”
“He sent the message from an old Kane property.”
“Where?”
“Lake Geneva.”
Daniel nodded.
“That makes sense.”
“Why?”
“Because the estate has an underground shelter.”
James looked at him.
“Can we get inside?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Daniel reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a key.
“Kane gave this to me.”
I stared at it.
“Why?”
“Because he wanted me to bring you to him.”
“Then it's a trap.”
“Yes.”
James looked at me.
“Exactly.”
I looked at Emma.
Then at my brother's face still burned into my memory.
I knew what Kane expected.
He expected me to panic.
To surrender.
To choose between the people I loved.
But he had made one mistake.
He thought I was still the woman who needed other people to explain my family to me.
I looked at James.
“We're going.”
“To the estate?”
“Yes.”
Daniel nodded.
Charles looked afraid.
“Emily, listen to me.”
“No.”
“You don't understand Kane.”
“I understand him perfectly.”
“He won't stop.”
“Neither will I.”
James took my hand.
“Then we do this together.”
An hour later, we reached Lake Geneva.
The Kane estate stood behind massive iron gates.
No lights.
No guards.
No movement.
Too quiet.
James looked at Daniel.
“Your key?”
Daniel inserted it.
The gate opened.
We drove inside.
The mansion looked abandoned.
But the security cameras followed us.
One by one.
I could feel Kane watching.
We entered through the front door.
A voice echoed from the darkness.
“Welcome home, Emily.”
I stopped.
James raised his weapon.
Kane stepped into the light.
He was older than I expected.
Silver hair.
Dark eyes.
And a face that looked disturbingly familiar.
My face.
His face.
The same eyes.
The same sharp jaw.
I couldn't move.
Kane looked at Emma.
Then back at me.
“I've waited thirty years to meet my daughter.”
“You're not my father.”
He smiled.
“Biologically, I am.”
“You abandoned my mother.”
“I lost her.”
“You hunted her.”
“I searched for her.”
“You tried to take me.”
“I tried to protect you.”
“By killing people?”
His expression hardened.
“Some people had to die.”
I stepped closer.
“Not my daughter.”
He looked at Emma.
“No.”
His voice softened.
“Not Emma.”
“Then what?”
Kane smiled.
“Emma is the one person I will never hurt.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
He answered:
“Because she is the only person in this world who can forgive me.”
I felt confused.
“Forgive you for what?”
Kane looked behind him.
A door opened.
Michael was standing there.
Alive.
Then another figure appeared beside him.
A woman.
My mother.
Older.
Gray-haired.
Alive.
My breath stopped.
“Mom?”
She looked at me.
Tears filled her eyes.
“Emily.”
Charles stumbled backward.
“No.”
My mother whispered:
“I'm sorry.”
I couldn't breathe.
Kane looked at all of us.
“The family is finally together.”
Then the doors slammed shut.
And I realized the truth.
My mother hadn't died thirty years ago.
She had been living in Kane's custody.
And now—
he had brought all of us together for one final reason.
The bloodline wasn't the key to the trust.
May you like
The bloodline was the weapon.
And Emma was the only person capable of deciding who would control it.
