Chapter 14 - THE FINAL MOVE
Diego slowly walked down the stairs.
Nobody moved.
My father stepped in front of me.
“You’re insane.”
Diego smiled.
“Maybe.”
He looked around the hidden room.
“But I’m also right.”
Rachel whispered:
“How did you find us?”
Diego laughed.
“You really thought I wasn’t watching?”
My stomach turned.
He had been following us.
Waiting.
Planning.
Always one step ahead.
“You wanted the truth, Elena?”
He picked up my mother’s recorder.
“Here it is.”
I stared at him.
“You knew about this room.”
“Of course.”
“How?”
He smiled.
“Because Victor told me.”
My heart sank.
“So it was him.”
Diego laughed.
“You still don’t understand.”
“What?”
“Victor was never the biggest player.”
Silence.
I felt cold.
“Then who?”
Diego looked at my father.
“Ask him.”
Everyone looked at Alvin.
My father’s face changed.
“No.”
Diego stepped closer.
“Tell her.”
My father closed his eyes.
Then whispered:
“I made a mistake.”
My chest tightened.
“What mistake?”
He looked at me.
“After your mother died, I found the person responsible.”
“Who?”
“I knew Victor was involved.”
“Then why didn’t you expose him?”
My father’s eyes filled.
“Because I was afraid.”
I stared.
“Afraid of what?”
“Losing you.”
Nobody spoke.
He continued.
“Victor threatened you.”
My heart stopped.
“He said if I exposed him, he would come after you.”
“So you stayed silent?”
“I thought I was protecting you.”
I shook my head.
“You let a monster walk free.”
The words hurt him.
But they were true.
Diego smiled.
“That’s the Sterling family.”
I looked at him.
“What do you want?”
His smile disappeared.
“I want what I was promised.”
“By who?”
He looked at me.
“Victor.”
My hands tightened.
“He promised you everything.”
“He promised me control.”
“And Sofia?”
A bitter smile crossed his face.
“She was never important.”
My anger exploded.
“You used everyone.”
He looked at me.
“I learned from the best.”
Then the lights went out.
Darkness filled the room.
A gunshot echoed.
I screamed.
When the emergency lights turned on…
Diego was gone.
And my father was on the floor.
Blood spreading across his shirt.
“Dad!”
I rushed to him.
His hand grabbed mine.
“Elena…”
“Don’t talk.”
His eyes searched mine.
“Listen.”
“No.”
“You have to.”
His voice became weak.
“The person behind everything…”
He coughed.
“Is someone you never suspected.”
I held his hand.
“Who?”
He looked toward the door.
And whispered:
“Your mother’s killer…”
“Is alive.”
Then he lost consciousness.
May you like
And somewhere outside…
Someone was watching.
