Chapter 5: The Reason He Chose Elena
I hit the basement stairs so hard I nearly fell.
“Lily!””
My voice tore through the house.
Behind me, Harris shouted into his radio.
“Second floor! Protect the child! Suspect is an older male in a dark coat!””
I didn’t wait.
I crossed the foyer and took the staircase two steps at a time.
“Lily!””
“Daddy!””
Her scream came from above.
I reached the second-floor landing and stopped.
Lily stood near the locked room where we had found Elena.
My father was behind her.
One hand rested lightly on her shoulder.
“Take your hand off my daughter.””
Richard smiled.
“Still impulsive.””
“You’re supposed to be dead.””
“Technically, I am.””
Officers rushed up behind me.
Richard didn’t flinch.
Harris raised his weapon.
“Hands where I can see them.””
Richard slowly lifted both hands.
Lily ran to me.
I dropped to my knees and pulled her against my chest.
“Are you hurt?””
“No.””
“Did he touch you?””
“He just asked my name.””
Richard laughed.
“I already knew her name.””
“Stop talking to her.””
Elena appeared at the bottom of the staircase.
When she saw Richard, she went completely still.
Richard’s smile disappeared.
“Elena.””
She gripped the railing.
“You ruined my life.””
“No. Your father did that.””
Elena’s face changed.
I looked at her.
“What does he mean?””
“Not here,” she whispered.
Richard nodded toward the basement.
“That countdown gives us less than eight minutes.””
Harris stepped forward.
“What happens when it reaches zero?””
“The servers erase themselves.””
Vanessa shouted from below.
“He’s lying!””
Richard glanced down the stairs.
“Rebecca. Always emotional at the worst possible moment.””
“Don’t call me that!””
Harris ordered two officers to restrain Richard.
Surprisingly, he allowed them.
“Search him.””
They found no weapon.
Only an old silver watch and a folded photograph.
Harris opened the photograph.
Two young men stood beside a private aircraft.
One was Richard.
The other looked vaguely familiar.
Elena closed her eyes.
“My father.””
I stared at her.
“You told me your father died when you were twelve.””
“He did.””
Richard shook his head.
“That was the first lie.””
I felt something inside me fracture.
“Enough riddles. Why did you choose Elena?””
Richard looked directly at me.
“I didn’t choose her for you.””
“Then what?””
“I chose you for her.””
Silence.
Even Harris looked confused.
Richard nodded toward the basement.
“The proof is downstairs.””
We returned to the hidden room under armed guard.
The countdown read 6:41.
Harris placed Richard in a chair.
“Talk.””
Richard glanced at Elena.
“Her father was David Serrano.””
The name meant nothing to me.
Then Harris inhaled sharply.
“You know him?”” I asked.
“Everyone in federal financial crimes knew that name.””
Elena looked at Harris.
“Tell him.””
Harris hesitated.
“David Serrano was an accountant for several international companies suspected of moving illegal money through legitimate businesses. He disappeared before he could testify.””
Richard smiled without humor.
“He didn’t disappear. I helped him.””
“Why?””
“Because one of those businesses was mine.””
My stomach tightened.
“Bennett Global?””
“Yes.””
I stepped toward him.
“You used our company to launder money?””
“Not exactly.””
“What does that mean?””
“It means I discovered what my partners were doing after it had already begun. David helped me build a record of every transaction.””
Elena’s voice shook.
“My father collected evidence.””
“And people wanted him dead,” Richard said.
“So you protected him?””
“I tried.””
Elena’s eyes filled with tears.
“You failed.””
For once, Richard had no answer.
The countdown reached 5:22.
Harris began photographing documents.
“Why Elena?”” I demanded.
Richard pointed toward the filing cabinets.
“Because David created two encrypted archives before he died. One belonged to him. One belonged to me.””
“And?””
“Neither can be opened alone.””
Elena stared at him.
“You needed our families connected.””
“Yes.””
“You manipulated Mark and me into meeting.””
Richard nodded.
I felt sick.
The charity gala.
Our first conversation.
The restaurant where we talked until midnight.
The proposal two years later.
I had believed those memories belonged to us.
“You arranged my marriage?””
“I arranged an introduction. You did the rest.””
I grabbed his shirt.
“You don’t get to claim the difference.””
Harris pulled me back.
“Mark.””
Richard straightened his collar.
“I needed someone I trusted to protect Elena.””
“You trusted me so much you faked your death?””
“I needed my enemies to stop watching me.””
Elena laughed bitterly.
“So they watched us instead.””
Richard looked at her.
“Yes.””
The countdown reached 3:40.
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
“He still hasn’t told you the worst part.””
Richard’s expression hardened.
“Quiet.””
She smiled through her tears.
“What? Afraid they’ll finally understand?””
“Vanessa,” Harris warned.
She ignored him.
“Ask Richard why Elena was locked upstairs instead of killed.””
I stared at her.
“What are you saying?””
Vanessa looked at Elena.
“Richard’s enemies found out who she was.””
Elena whispered, “When?””
“Eleven months ago.””
The room became silent.
Richard closed his eyes.
Vanessa continued.
“They ordered me to deliver Elena.””
“Who ordered you?”” Harris demanded.
Vanessa looked toward the monitors.
“The people Richard has been hiding from for six years.””
“And you locked Elena away instead?””
“I made them believe she escaped.””
Elena stared at her.
“You imprisoned me to save me?””
“I didn’t know who I could trust.””
“You could have trusted Mark!””
Vanessa’s laugh was hollow.
“No. I couldn’t.””
I stepped toward her.
“Why?””
The countdown reached 2:11.
She looked at Richard.
“Tell him.””
Richard said nothing.
“Tell your son who authorized the payments.””
“What payments?””
Vanessa’s eyes returned to me.
“The money used to hunt Elena.””
My stomach dropped.
“It came from Bennett Global.””
“That doesn’t mean—”
“Your authorization code was attached to every transfer.””
I stared at her.
“I never authorized anything.””
“I know.””
Richard stood suddenly.
The officers grabbed him.
“That is enough.””
“No,” I said.
I turned toward him.
“How could someone use my authorization?””
He looked away.
“Dad.””
The countdown showed 1:27.
“Who has access to my code?””
Richard’s silence answered before his mouth did.
Elena covered her lips.
I felt cold.
Because there was only one other person who had been granted full emergency authority over my company accounts.
Someone I had trusted since childhood.
My younger brother.
“Daniel?””
Richard finally looked at me.
May you like
And in his eyes, I saw fear.
“Mark,” he said quietly, “your brother is the reason I came back.””
