Chapter 37 - The Choice
We spent the night in a federal safe house.
Nobody slept.
Every few minutes, another phone rang.
Every call brought another problem.
Rachel sat at the kitchen table with stacks of documents.
Martin worked beside her.
Jonathan stood near the windows.
Noah paced.
Gabriel sat alone.
Elias hadn't spoken to anyone.
Mark was the only person who stayed beside me.
At four in the morning, he finally asked:
“Do you hate me?”
I looked at him.
“What?”
“You've been quiet.”
“So?”
“So I'm wondering whether you're looking at me and thinking I'm another person who's been lying.”
I swallowed.
“You didn't lie to me.”
“Not yet.”
The words surprised me.
He smiled sadly.
“I don't know what that means anymore.”
I took his hand.
“You stayed.”
“Yes.”
“You could leave.”
“I know.”
“Why didn't you?”
“Because I love you.”
My eyes filled.
“I don't know how to do this.”
“I know.”
“My whole life was built on things other people decided.”
“Then decide now.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
“Decide who you're going to be after all of this.”
Before I could answer, Rachel entered.
“We have a problem.”
Jonathan turned.
“What now?”
“The preliminary trust is moving.”
Martin looked up.
“How?”
“Someone is accessing it remotely.”
I stood.
“Eleanor?”
“No.”
Rachel shook her head.
“Someone using Hannah Vale.”
I froze.
“I don't have access.”
“Someone does.”
Martin pushed the laptop toward me.
A transaction log filled the screen.
Accounts were being opened.
Money was being moved.
Millions.
Under my old identity.
“This is fraud,” I whispered.
“Yes.”
“Can they prove it's me?”
“That is the point.”
Rachel showed me the signature.
It was mine.
Or almost mine.
“That's a forged signature.”
“Legally, it may still create enough confusion.”
Mark looked at the screen.
“What kind of money?”
Rachel didn't answer.
“Rachel.”
“Eight figures.”
My chest tightened.
“And where is it going?”
“Charitable foundations.”
I stared.
“What?”
“They're trying to make it look like you're laundering the network's money through public institutions.”
Martin whispered:
“They're building a case.”
“For what?”
“Fraud. Money laundering. Conspiracy.”
Jonathan looked at me.
“And maybe worse.”
I felt sick.
“So Eleanor is doing this.”
“Maybe.”
Rachel looked at Martin.
“Maybe?”
He shook his head.
“She doesn't need to.”
“What do you mean?”
“The system is automated.”
He turned the screen.
“Once Hannah was identified as successor, every linked account was programmed to begin redistribution.”
“Why?”
“To protect the archive.”
I stared.
“So someone created this system years ago.”
“Yes.”
“And it is using my identity now.”
“Yes.”
“Can we stop it?”
Martin nodded.
“But we need the original trust.”
Noah looked at me.
“Then let's get it.”
Daniel entered the room.
He placed a keycard on the table.
“I know where it is.”
Everyone stared.
“Where?”
“The founder's private vault.”
Jonathan stood.
“Location?”
Daniel gave him an address.
Elias spoke for the first time.
“No.”
Everyone looked at him.
“You can't go there.”
I turned.
“Why?”
“Because Victor Voss owned it.”
Gabriel stood.
“My father?”
Elias nodded.
“And he's still connected to it.”
Silence.
Daniel looked at Elias.
“How do you know?”
“Because I saw him there three months ago.”
Gabriel moved toward him.
“You knew he was alive.”
“Yes.”
“You lied.”
“I was trying to keep Hannah away from him.”
Gabriel shoved him.
Jonathan stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Gabriel was shaking.
“My father is alive.”
Elias nodded.
“He knows about Noah.”
Noah stopped pacing.
“He knows me?”
“He knows there are two children.”
“What does he want?”
Elias looked at him.
“The same thing Eleanor wants.”
“The trust.”
“No.”
Elias's voice was quiet.
“He wants the archive destroyed.”
I stared.
“Why?”
“Because the archive contains proof that he never died.”
Daniel added:
“And proof that Victor still controls part of the network.”
My phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
A man's voice said:
“Hannah Vale.”
I couldn't move.
Mark took my hand.
“Who is this?”
The man ignored him.
“You have one chance.”
“Who are you?”
“Your grandfather.”
Gabriel went still.
The voice continued.
“Bring Noah.”
My blood froze.
“And come alone.”
The line disconnected.
I looked around the room.
Nobody spoke.
Then Noah said:
“We're going.”
Jonathan shook his head.
“You're not.”
Noah looked at me.
“He knows where our mother is.”
I knew he was right.
“We go.”
Mark stared.
“Both of you?”
“Yes.”
Rachel shook her head.
“No.”
She pulled another document from the folder.
“This is why.”
At the top was an old legal order.
Guardian designation.
Named children.
Hannah Vale.
Noah Carter.
And beneath the names was the signature of the person appointed to control their assets.
Eleanor.
But the document was dated nineteen years ago.
I stared.
“She was our legal guardian?”
Rachel nodded.
“And that means she had authority over everything.”
“Until we became adults.”
“No.”
Rachel looked at me.
“Until the trust was activated.”
My blood ran cold.
“Then she never wanted to own the network.”
Rachel nodded.
“She wanted custody of the evidence.”
“And me?”
“She wanted custody of you.”
Noah stepped closer.
“And me.”
Rachel shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at him.
“She wanted to find you.”
“Why?”
“Because the legal guardian clause contains one more condition.”
She handed me the document.
If both heirs are located, the guardian gains temporary authority over the succession.
I read it twice.
Then a second line appeared beneath the faded ink.
Unless one heir refuses.
I looked up.
“Then I can refuse.”
“Yes.”
“And Noah?”
“He can refuse too.”
Mark exhaled.
“Then Eleanor loses.”
Rachel shook her head.
“No.”
She pointed to the final sentence.
Unless refusal is made under coercion.
A new message appeared on my phone.
A photograph of my mother.
Alive.
May you like
And a caption.
THEN DON'T REFUSE.
