Chapter 12 - The Enemy Standing Inside My Home
The man who entered the coffee shop looked ordinary.
That was the most terrifying part.
No dramatic appearance.
No obvious threat.
Just a calm face.
A confident walk.
The kind of person nobody would suspect.
Daniel whispered,
“Anastasia…”
“Stay quiet.”
The man looked around.
Then smiled.
“Daniel.”
Daniel froze.
“You’re older than I remember.”
The man sat at the table beside us.
Like this was a normal meeting.
Like he wasn’t the person who might have destroyed my family.
“Who are you?”
I asked.
He looked at me.
Then smiled.
“You look exactly like your father.”
My stomach tightened.
“You knew him.”
“Yes.”
“And you killed him?”
The man didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked at Daniel.
“You told her.”
Daniel said nothing.
The man sighed.
“After twenty years, you still make the same mistake.”
I felt anger rising.
“What mistake?”
“Believing the truth will save you.”
I stood.
“I’m not afraid of you.”
He smiled.
“You should be.”
Then he placed a folder on the table.
My name was written on it.
“What is that?”
“Your marriage.”
I froze.
“What?”
He opened the folder.
Inside were documents.
Photos.
Information about me.
My family.
My relationship with Callan.
My entire life.
Someone had been watching me for years.
Not after the wedding.
Before.
I looked at Daniel.
“Why?”
Daniel looked devastated.
“Because your father knew they would come for you.”
The man smiled.
“Your father was very smart.”
“But not smart enough.”
My hands clenched.
“Who are you?”
He looked directly at me.
“My name is Richard Hale.”
The name meant nothing.
But Daniel’s reaction did.
Because his face turned pale.
Richard continued.
“I was the one who cleaned up your father’s mistake.”
I felt sick.
“My father was not a mistake.”
Richard smiled.
“That is exactly what he believed.”
Then he stood.
“You have forty-eight hours.”
“For what?”
“Leave the Harrington family.”
“Forget about the evidence.”
“Stop asking questions.”
“Or you will lose everything.”
I looked at him.
“What if I don’t?”
His smile disappeared.
“Then history repeats itself.”
He walked away.
But before leaving…
He turned back.
“Your husband knows more than he admits.”
The door closed.
I stood there frozen.
Because once again…
Callan’s name appeared in the middle of everything.
When I returned to Emma’s apartment, Callan was waiting outside.
He looked terrified.
“Where were you?”
I ignored him.
“You knew.”
His face changed.
“Knew what?”
“You knew my father left evidence.”
Silence.
That was enough.
“You knew.”
Callan looked down.
“I suspected.”
I laughed.
“You suspected?”
“You knew enough to marry me.”
His face turned pale.
“That’s not why I married you.”
“Then why?”
He looked at me.
And for the first time…
He told me something I never expected.
“Because my father told me to find you.”
My blood froze.
“What?”
“He knew your father hid something.”
“He believed you were the key.”
I stepped back.
“So this entire marriage…”
“No.”
Callan shook his head.
“I loved you.”
“But I was also trying to uncover the truth.”
I stared at him.
I didn’t know what hurt more.
The lies.
Or the possibility that some part of his love had been real.
Then Emma rushed outside.
“Anastasia!”
Her face was terrified.
“What happened?”
She held up her phone.
“I found something.”
“What?”
She showed me a message.
A message sent from Callan’s phone.
A message sent two years before we met.
The words made my blood run cold.
“Target identified.”
“Begin operation.”
I looked at Callan.
My voice shook.
“Tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”
Callan looked at the message.
And for the first time…
May you like
he had no explanation.
TO BE CONTINUED...
