Chapter 10 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE MASK

For five seconds, nobody moved.

Not Matthew.

Not Anne.

Not Sarah.

Even the hospital alarms seemed quieter.

Because the person standing in front of them wasn’t a stranger.

It was Emily Carter.

Matthew’s assistant.

The woman who had managed his schedule for seven years.

The woman who knew every meeting he attended.

Every decision he made.

Every weakness he had.

And now she was standing in a dark hospital hallway holding a gun.

Sarah pressed herself against Matthew’s leg.

“Daddy…”

The word was quiet.

But Emily heard it.

And something changed in her face.

A flicker of guilt.

Then it disappeared.

Matthew stared at her.

“Emily.”

She didn’t answer.

“Put the gun down.”

Her hand tightened.

“You always were good at giving orders.”

“Emily, what are you doing?”

She laughed softly.

“What I should have done years ago.”

Anne’s face went pale.

“No…”

Emily looked at her.

“You remember me.”

Matthew turned sharply.

“You know Anne?”

Emily smiled.

“Of course she remembers me.”

The hallway became colder.

“Who are you?”

Emily looked at Anne.

“Tell him.”

Anne closed her eyes.

“I can’t.”

Matthew’s anger exploded.

“No more secrets!”

His voice echoed through the hallway.

“Twenty years. Everyone keeps telling me they were protecting me. Everyone keeps lying to me.”

He pointed at Emily.

“You’re going to tell me the truth.”

Emily lowered the gun slightly.

“My father worked for yours.”

Matthew froze.

“Who was your father?”

“Thomas Carter.”

The name meant nothing to him.

Until Anne spoke.

“Oh my God.”

Matthew looked at her.

“You know him?”

Anne nodded slowly.

“He was the man who helped your father hide everything.”

Emily’s eyes filled with anger.

“Hide everything?”

She laughed.

“No.”

She stepped closer.

“He destroyed my family.”

The gun shook.

“My father spent his whole life cleaning up Sullivan mistakes.”

Matthew stared.

“What does that have to do with Sarah?”

“Everything.”

Emily looked at the little girl.

“Your grandfather promised my father protection.”

She swallowed.

“But when things went wrong, the Sullivan family threw him away.”

“That’s not my fault.”

“No.”

Emily looked at him.

“But you inherited everything.”

Her voice became bitter.

“You inherited the company. The money. The power.”

A pause.

“And my family inherited nothing.”

Matthew stepped forward.

“You think hurting a child fixes that?”

Emily looked at Sarah.

For one second, she looked human.

Then the anger returned.

“You don’t understand.”

“No.”

Matthew’s voice became cold.

“I understand perfectly.”

The hospital lights suddenly came back on.

Security alarms started screaming.

Emily looked toward the exit.

She knew she was out of time.

Matthew noticed.

“You’re not here to kill Sarah.”

Emily looked at him.

“No?”

“If you wanted her dead, you would have already done it.”

Silence.

Matthew continued.

“You came here because you want something.”

Emily said nothing.

“Who sent you?”

Her face changed.

Just slightly.

But Matthew saw it.

Someone else was behind her.

Someone more powerful.

Before he could ask, Emily’s phone rang.

She looked at the screen.

Her face turned white.

Matthew saw fear.

Real fear.

“Who is it?”

Emily ignored him.

The phone rang again.

Then a message appeared.

Emily read it.

And suddenly dropped the gun.

Matthew moved quickly, grabbing it.

“What did they say?”

Emily looked at him.

Tears filled her eyes.

“They know.”

“Know what?”

She whispered:

“They know Sarah is alive.”

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Then she looked toward the hospital entrance.

“And they’re coming.”