Chapter 6 - THE BETRAYAL INSIDE THE SAFE HOUSE
That night, Elena brought me dinner.
Chicken soup.
Fresh bread.
A glass of water.
I hadn't eaten all day.
She sat across from me.
“You should try.”
I smiled faintly.
“I'm not hungry.”
She nodded.
“Grief does that.”
I looked up.
“You knew my father?”
Elena smiled sadly.
“Only briefly.”
She explained that Thomas had visited Damian's office several times.
He always asked about safety procedures.
Always thanked the staff.
Always remembered names.
I swallowed.
“That sounds like Dad.”
Elena reached across the table.
“He loved you very much.”
My eyes filled.
Then she said something that made me freeze.
“He used to call you Little Sparrow.”
I stared.
Only my father had called me that.
“How do you know?”
Elena's smile faded.
For a moment, she looked frightened.
Then whispered:
“He told me.”
I stared.
“When?”
She hesitated.
Then said:
“The night before he died.”
My heart began pounding.
Elena stood abruptly.
“I should check the kitchen.”
I caught her wrist.
“Wait.”
She froze.
“What aren't you telling me?”
Elena looked toward the hallway.
Then whispered:
“Your father left something.”
I stared.
“What?”
She swallowed.
“A recording.”
My pulse hammered.
“Where is it?”
Elena's eyes filled.
“I kept it because I was afraid.”
Before she could continue, the lights went out.
The house fell silent.
Then an alarm sounded.
Damian appeared in the doorway.
“Everyone away from the windows.”
Elena went pale.
I stood.
“What happened?”
Damian looked toward the security monitor.
“Someone just disabled the perimeter cameras.”
A sharp crack sounded outside.
Glass shattered.
Damian pulled me behind a wall.
“Stay down.”
From the darkness beyond the windows came a voice.
Amplified through a speaker.
“Damian Cross.”
Damian's face hardened.
The voice continued.
“Send out Chloe Reed.”
I stopped breathing.
May you like
Then Marcus Vance laughed.
“And I'll tell you where her father hid the truth.”
