The gunshot exploded through the room.
I screamed.
My mother staggered backward.
But she didn't fall.
For one terrifying second, I couldn't understand what had happened.
Then I saw the blood.
It wasn't hers.
Victor stood between Richard and my mother, clutching his shoulder.
He had taken the bullet.
"Victor!"
Richard stared at him in disbelief.
"You."
Victor slowly lowered his injured arm.
"I told you not to touch her."
Richard's face twisted with anger.
"You betrayed me."
Victor laughed bitterly.
"No."
He looked at my mother.
"I corrected my mistake."
Another gunshot rang out.
Adrian fired.
Richard ducked behind the steel door.
"Everyone move!" Adrian shouted.
Malik grabbed my hand.
"Lina, now!"
I didn't move.
My eyes were fixed on Victor.
He was bleeding badly.
Yet he was still standing.
"Why did you save her?"
Victor looked at me.
"Because your father asked me to."
My heart stopped.
"My father?"
He nodded.
"Samuel knew Richard would eventually come for your mother."
He glanced at the gunshot wound.
"He made me promise."
Richard shouted from behind the door.
"Victor! You don't know what you're doing!"
Victor looked toward him.
"I know exactly what I'm doing."
Then he pulled something from inside his jacket.
A small black device.
He threw it onto the floor.
The underground room filled with a sharp electronic beep.
Adrian's eyes widened.
"Everybody out!"
"What is that?" I asked.
"An explosive."
My blood ran cold.
Malik pulled me toward the stairs.
Daniel grabbed my mother.
Adrian helped Victor.
We ran.
Behind us, the device began counting down.
10.
9.
8.
I stumbled.
Malik caught me.
"Keep moving!"
7.
6.
We reached the stairs.
I looked back.
Richard was still inside.
"Richard!"
Malik grabbed my arm.
"Leave him!"
"But—"
"He made his choice."
5.
4.
We reached the cemetery.
I fell onto the grass.
Malik pulled me behind a stone wall.
Adrian pushed Victor down beside us.
"Get down!"
3.
2.
1.
The explosion shook the cemetery.
A wave of heat rushed over us.
Dirt and pieces of stone flew through the air.
I covered my head.
Then everything went silent.
For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything.
I slowly lifted my head.
Smoke rose from the ground.
The entrance to the underground room was gone.
"Is everyone alive?"
Adrian looked around.
Daniel nodded.
My mother was crying.
Victor was still conscious.
But Richard—
I stared at the destroyed entrance.
"Richard is dead."
Nobody answered.
I didn't know how to feel.
He had ruined my childhood.
Destroyed my family.
Used Daniel.
Manipulated Malik.
Yet somehow, knowing he might be dead didn't bring relief.
It only left another question.
If Richard was gone…
Who was behind everything?
I looked at Victor.
He was sitting against a gravestone, pressing his hand against his shoulder.
I walked toward him.
"Victor."
He looked up.
"Yes?"
"Why did you give me the key?"
"To make sure you found the truth."
"What truth?"
He hesitated.
"The truth about your father's death."
"I already know Richard killed him."
Victor shook his head.
"No."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
"Richard didn't pull the trigger."
The world seemed to tilt.
My mother stared at him.
"Victor…"
He looked at her.
"I'm sorry."
I turned toward my mother.
"You knew?"
She shook her head.
"No."
"Then who killed my father?"
Victor looked at me.
"You're asking the wrong question."
I frowned.
"What should I ask?"
He took a slow breath.
"Who ordered it?"
Silence.
I remembered all the conflicting stories.
Elena.
Richard.
My mother.
Daniel.
Adrian.
Malik.
Everyone had been connected.
But someone had been giving the orders.
"Who?" I whispered.
Victor looked at Malik.
My heart sank.
"No."
Malik's face became pale.
Victor said quietly,
"Ask him."
I turned toward Malik.
"Is it you?"
He shook his head immediately.
"No."
"Then why is Victor looking at you?"
"I don't know."
Victor laughed weakly.
"You really don't?"
Malik stared at him.
"Don't do this."
"You've lied to her long enough."
I stepped between them.
"Tell me."
Malik looked at me.
"Lina…"
"Tell me!"
He closed his eyes.
Then whispered,
"Your father asked me to keep you away from the truth."
My stomach dropped.
"What truth?"
Malik looked at Victor.
Victor answered for him.
"Your father wasn't killed because of Richard."
I stared at him.
"He was killed because of you."
My breath caught.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Why would anyone kill my father because of me?"
Victor's eyes darkened.
"Because you inherited something from him."
I shook my head.
"I inherited nothing."
"You did."
"What?"
Victor reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a small photograph.
He handed it to me.
I looked down.
It was a picture of me as a baby.
Samuel was holding me.
My mother stood beside him.
But there was something strange.
Around my tiny wrist was the same silver heart bracelet I wore now.
My eyes widened.
I looked at my bracelet.
Then back at the photograph.
"I've had this since I was a baby?"
My mother nodded.
"Yes."
"Why?"
She began crying.
"Because it belonged to your father."
I turned the photograph over.
There was writing on the back.
My father's handwriting.
THE HEART IS NOT JEWELRY.
My fingers trembled.
I read the next line.
IT IS A KEY.
I looked at the silver bracelet.
Victor nodded.
"The bracelet doesn't open a door."
"Then what does it open?"
He looked toward the ruined underground chamber.
"It opens the truth."
Suddenly, Malik grabbed my wrist.
"Lina, we need to go."
I pulled away.
"Why?"
His face was filled with fear.
"Because if Victor is telling the truth…"
He looked toward the road.
"…then the people who killed your father know you're alive."
A black car appeared at the end of the cemetery.
Then another.
Then another.
My mother whispered,
"They found us."
I stared at the approaching vehicles.
And for the first time, I realized something terrifying.
Richard had never been the end of the story.
He had only been protecting someone more powerful.
Someone who had been watching me since the day I was born.