Chapter 6 - The Secret Daughter
Adrian canceled the dinner publicly.
Privately, he accepted.
Helena’s townhouse had three exits, two service elevators, and enough old money in the walls to hide a murder without raising the property tax.
Adrian entered alone.
Sofia stayed in the surveillance van with Marcus and Mateo.
Helena sat at a table set for three.
One empty chair beside Adrian.
“For Sofia?” he asked.
Helena smiled.
“For family.”
Adrian remained standing.
“You knew.”
“I knew Eleanor had a daughter.”
“How?”
“I helped arrange the adoption.”
His hands went cold.
“She trusted you.”
“For many years.”
“Then you tried to kill her grandson.”
Helena lifted her wine.
“Careful.”
“You marked Subject B: no survival.”
She did not blink.
“Documents can be misunderstood.”
“By prosecutors?”
“Especially by prosecutors.”
Adrian sat.
“You placed Ernesto under the bridge.”
“No.”
“You used EC-SAFE.”
That got her.
A tiny tightening around the mouth.
“Eleanor built useful systems.”
“You stole them.”
“I inherited them.”
“From a woman you killed?”
Helena’s glass stopped halfway to her lips.
Adrian heard Marcus in his earpiece.
Keep her talking.
Helena set the glass down.
“You sound like William.”
“My father?”
“He accused first and proved later.”
“You mean before he died.”
“Before he destroyed himself.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“What did he learn?”
Helena smiled.
“That money outlives morality.”
“Victor didn’t create Project Meridian.”
“No.”
“You did?”
“Not alone.”
“My father.”
Silence.
Enough.
Adrian stood.
Helena said, “You still think the bridge was about inheritance.”
He turned.
“What was it about?”
“Mateo.”
Adrian stopped.
Helena folded her napkin.
“Victor spent years trying to find him.”
“The Black Ledger.”
Her eyes sharpened.
So that was real.
Adrian smiled slightly.
“You just confirmed it.”
Helena’s face hardened.
Outside, Marcus whispered, Nice.
Helena stood.
“Mateo never understood what he stole.”
“What did he steal?”
“A map of ownership.”
“Of shell companies?”
“Of people.”
Adrian frowned.
Helena stepped closer.
“William. Victor. Eleanor. Me. Others you still call innocent.”
“Where is the ledger?”
She laughed.
“Ask your sister.”
Adrian’s pulse jumped.
Sofia’s voice came through the earpiece.
No.
Helena watched his face.
“She already had it once.”
Adrian left without another word.
In the van, Sofia stared at Mateo.
Mateo stared back.
Adrian climbed in.
“You had the Black Ledger?”
Sofia swallowed.
“No.”
A pause.
“I gave it to Helena.”
May you like
Adrian stood frozen halfway through the door.
CUT.
