Chapter 8 - THE MAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD
Richard entered Aura slowly.
No guards.
No weapons.
Just a cane and a dark coat.
Theresa backed away.
“Richard.”
He looked at her.
“You look older.”
She whispered,
“You're dead.”
“I've heard that.”
Chloe stood.
“You lied to me.”
Richard looked at her.
“I protected you.”
“You abandoned me.”
“I kept you alive.”
“You let me believe you were murdered.”
“I had no choice.”
I stepped forward.
“You have a lot of explanations.”
He looked at me.
Then smiled.
“My daughter.”
The words made my skin crawl.
“You knew about me.”
“Of course.”
“Why didn't you find me?”
“Because finding you would have killed you.”
“You've been watching me?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Since you opened Aura.”
I felt sick.
“All those years?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the people behind Crown Harbor were looking for the ledger.”
I held it tighter.
“Why?”
“Because it proves who owns the money.”
“And who does?”
Richard smiled.
“Not me.”
“Then who?”
He looked at Chloe.
“Your mother.”
I stared at Theresa.
She shook her head.
“No.”
Richard laughed.
“She still doesn't know.”
“Know what?”
He stepped closer.
“Your mother inherited Crown Harbor.”
I looked at Theresa.
Richard continued.
“She was the legal beneficiary after Jonathan's death.”
“Then why did she give it up?”
“Because she thought the company would destroy you.”
I looked at Theresa.
“Is that true?”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
Richard sighed.
“She sacrificed everything.”
“Except me.”
“I thought I was protecting you.”
“You made me live a lie.”
“I know.”
Suddenly Richard's expression changed.
He looked toward the front doors.
“Someone followed me.”
Everyone turned.
Black SUVs pulled up outside.
Three.
Then five.
Then seven.
Richard's face went pale.
“They found us.”
Daniel locked the doors.
David killed the lights.
Chloe pulled me behind the bar.
Theresa crouched.
“Who are they?”
Richard whispered,
“The people I spent twenty years running from.”
Gunfire erupted outside.
Glass shattered.
The restaurant erupted into chaos.
Daniel shouted,
“DOWN!”
We crawled toward the basement.
Richard followed.
Amelia appeared from the stairwell.
“There's another exit.”
“Where?”
“Kitchen.”
We ran.
The back door opened onto the alley.
But a black SUV blocked it.
Someone stepped out.
A man in a black coat.
He shouted,
“Give us the ledger!”
Richard pushed me behind him.
“No.”
The man raised his gun.
Then a police siren screamed.
More vehicles arrived.
Federal agents flooded the street.
The gunman dropped his weapon.
I stared.
“What is happening?”
Daniel looked at me.
“Someone tipped them off.”
“Who?”
He looked toward Mark.
My husband stood across the street.
Blood covered his shirt.
“Mark?”
He looked at me.
“I told you.”
I ran toward him.
“What happened?”
He collapsed into my arms.
“I got the ledger.”
“You already had it.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“The real one.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
He pulled a small black drive from inside his jacket.
“This contains everything.”
“Everything?”
“Every account.”
“Every name?”
“Yes.”
“Who gave it to you?”
Mark looked at Richard.
Then Theresa.
Then Chloe.
Finally, he looked at me.
“Your father.”
Richard stared.
“That wasn't supposed to exist.”
Mark smiled weakly.
“He made a copy.”
Richard whispered,
“Where?”
Mark looked at me.
“Inside Aura.”
I frowned.
“Where?”
He pointed toward the ceiling.
“The original building plans.”
Daniel suddenly understood.
“The walls.”
Mark nodded.
“There are tunnels beneath the restaurant.”
My blood ran cold.
“Tunnels?”
Mark smiled.
May you like
“Your restaurant was built over them.”
Then he passed out.
