Chapter 9 - THE ROAD TO SCRANTON

They found the SUV in a ditch.

Front windshield shattered.

Driver’s door hanging open.

Blood covered the steering wheel.

Adrian was out of the vehicle before Ronan stopped moving.

“Anna!”

No answer.

“Lily!”

Silence.

Marcus lay behind the SUV.

Alive.

Barely.

Ronan dropped beside him.

“Where are they?”

Marcus coughed.

“Taken.”

“By who?”

“Three vehicles.”

“Direction?”

“South.”

Adrian knelt.

“How long?”

“Twenty minutes.”

“Anna fought.”

“Lily was screaming.”

Marcus grabbed Adrian’s sleeve.

“They knew her name.”

Adrian’s face hardened.

“What did they say?”

Marcus swallowed.

“Bring the heir.”

Ronan looked at Adrian.

That confirmed it.

Thomas knew.

Adrian stood.

“Traffic cameras.”

“Already pulling them.”

“Helicopter.”

“Eight minutes.”

“No.”

Adrian stared down the highway.

“Too visible.”

He looked toward Marcus.

“Did you see plates?”

“One.”

Marcus whispered the number.

Ronan entered it.

Several seconds later, his expression changed.

“What?”

“Registered to Shaw Foundation.”

Adrian went still.

Victoria.

He called her.

She answered immediately.

“You found the car.”

Adrian’s voice was ice.

“Where is Lily?”

“I don’t know.”

“Wrong answer.”

“I’m telling you the truth.”

“Your foundation owns the vehicle.”

“My mother’s foundation owns hundreds of vehicles.”

Adrian froze.

Evelyn.

Victoria continued.

“Listen to me.”

“You think I’m your enemy because Anna saw me underground.”

“I was there because I was trying to find proof.”

“Proof of what?”

“That my mother works for Thomas.”

Adrian’s mind shifted.

Evelyn had known the tunnels.

The Circle.

Daniel.

The trust.

Too much.

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know.”

“She disappeared during the attack.”

Adrian realized he had not asked where Evelyn went after the assault.

Security chaos had given her exactly what she needed.

Victoria lowered her voice.

“My mother raised me to marry you.”

Adrian said nothing.

“It wasn’t romance.”

“It was an assignment.”

“From Thomas?”

“Yes.”

“Then you followed it.”

“At first.”

His expression hardened.

“You lied to me for eighteen months.”

“I did.”

“You helped plan my death.”

“No.”

“I was supposed to marry you.”

“Gain access.”

“Transfer specific corporate rights.”

“Then Thomas would remove you.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened.

“Meaning kill me.”

“Yes.”

“And you stayed.”

“I was afraid.”

“That’s convenient.”

“I know.”

Victoria’s voice cracked.

“I started looking for a way out three months ago.”

“Julian found me.”

“He was doing the same.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because Thomas has people everywhere.”

“You would have reacted.”

“You would have started firing people.”

“Making calls.”

“Moving money.”

“He would have known immediately.”

Adrian hated that she was right.

“Where is Evelyn taking Lily?”

Victoria was silent.

“Think.”

“I don’t know.”

“Victoria.”

“There was a place.”

“What place?”

“When I was a child, my mother took me there twice.”

“An old convent near the Delaware River.”

“Abandoned.”

“Owned through a shell company.”

“Location?”

“I’m sending it.”

Adrian’s phone vibrated.

Coordinates.

Ronan checked them.

“Thirty-four miles.”

Adrian hung up.

They drove.

Fast.

Too fast.

Rain began again.

The old convent appeared through trees twenty-six minutes later.

Stone walls.

Broken bell tower.

No lights.

Ronan’s team surrounded the property.

Adrian entered through the front.

Inside smelled like mildew and candle wax.

He heard voices.

A child crying.

Lily.

Adrian moved toward the chapel.

Evelyn stood at the altar.

Anna was tied to a chair.

Lily clung to her.

Three armed men stood nearby.

Evelyn looked at Adrian.

“You came alone?”

“Obviously not.”

She smiled.

“I taught Victoria better than that.”

Adrian looked at Lily.

“Are you hurt?”

She shook her head.

Evelyn raised a pistol toward Anna.

Adrian stopped moving.

“Don’t.”

“You still don’t understand.”

Evelyn’s voice trembled with anger.

“This child is destroying everything.”

“She’s five.”

“She’s a legal weapon.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

“Against Thomas.”

“Against all of us.”

Anna shouted.

“She didn’t choose any of this!”

Evelyn screamed back.

“Neither did I!”

Silence.

Something broke in her face.

“For thirty years, Thomas controlled my life.”

“My husband.”

“My money.”

“My daughter.”

“Everything.”

Adrian stared at her.

“You worked for him.”

“I survived him.”

“You kidnapped Lily.”

“Because he ordered me to deliver her.”

Adrian’s eyes hardened.

“Where?”

Evelyn laughed bitterly.

“You think he trusts me enough to tell me?”

“Then let them go.”

“I can’t.”

“You can.”

“He’ll kill Victoria.”

Adrian said nothing.

Evelyn’s hand shook.

There it was.

Not greed.

Fear.

Adrian slowly lowered his weapon.

“Evelyn.”

She looked at him.

“Thomas will kill everyone eventually.”

“You.”

“Victoria.”

“Anna.”

“Lily.”

“Me.”

“So choose.”

“Choose what?”

“Whether you die obeying him.”

Adrian took one step forward.

“Or fighting him.”

Evelyn’s eyes filled with tears.

Then one of the armed men behind her raised his weapon.

Not toward Adrian.

Toward Evelyn.

She saw it too late.

A shot exploded.

Evelyn collapsed.

Adrian fired.

Ronan’s team stormed the chapel.

Gunfire ripped through the room.

Anna covered Lily with her body.

Thirty seconds later, it was over.

Adrian rushed to Evelyn.

Blood spread across her white blouse.

She looked at him.

“Thomas.”

“Where?”

Her lips moved.

Adrian leaned closer.

“Where?”

“Blackwood Island.”

Adrian froze.

The island.

His childhood home.

Abandoned for twenty years.

Evelyn grabbed his wrist.

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