Chapter 25: Daniel’s Choice
Nina fired toward the entrance.
The shot struck the wall beside the first intruder and forced him back.
Adrian pulled Leah behind a concrete support column.
Daniel and Grace moved toward the rear exit.
Celia remained frozen.
A woman’s voice came through the broken doorway.
“Celia, this has gone far enough.”
Celia’s face lost all color.
“Margaret.”
Leah stopped breathing.
Her biological mother was outside.
Alive.
The woman entered wearing a long black coat.
She appeared to be in her late fifties, with silver-streaked hair and Eleanor’s sharp features.
She held no weapon.
Four armed guards stood behind her.
Margaret looked at Leah.
For a moment, her expression softened.
Then it became unreadable.
“You look like him,” she said.
“Julian?”
“Yes.”
“Are you my mother?”
Margaret did not answer.
Celia stepped forward.
“You promised the child would be free.”
“I promised to keep her alive.”
“You built Halcyon.”
“I built a shield.”
“You leaked Nora Ellis’s address.”
Margaret’s eyes hardened.
“Nora stole information she did not understand.”
“Where is Nora?” Leah asked.
“Safe.”
“Mara believes she is dead.”
“Mara believes many things.”
Adrian faced Margaret.
“You attacked the Courage Fund.”
“I tested it.”
“People were hurt.”
“People always get hurt when Eleanor Ashford decides to become moral.”
Leah moved out from behind the pillar.
“Stop talking about me like I’m an asset.”
Margaret studied her.
“You created the Courage Fund. You gathered the families. You restored the records Julian spent decades destroying.”
“So you framed me?”
“I needed to know whether Adrian would protect you or the company.”
Adrian stepped beside Leah.
“You have your answer.”
“Yes.”
Margaret almost smiled.
“And that makes both of you dangerous.”
Sirens sounded in the distance.
The federal agents had located Adrian’s interrupted call.
Margaret’s guards began retreating.
She looked at Leah.
“Ask Daniel why he contacted me before Mara entered the ballroom.”
Everyone turned toward him.
Daniel’s face changed.
Leah stared at her brother.
“You knew her?”
Daniel said nothing.
Margaret walked backward toward the door.
“Your brother understood that the Courage Fund could never survive without leverage.”
“What did you give her?” Leah asked Daniel.
He looked ashamed.
“The applicant database.”
Grace gasped.
Daniel raised his hands.
“I removed the addresses and medical files. I gave her names only.”
“Why?”
“She said she could identify which cases were connected to Hawthorne House.”
“And you believed her?”
“She had photographs of Mom meeting Celia.”
Leah felt betrayed.
“You gave a stranger the names of vulnerable people.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
The federal vehicles arrived outside.
Margaret disappeared through the trees before agents surrounded the building.
Daniel reached into his jacket.
“I found something in Halcyon’s system.”
He gave Leah a small drive.
“It proves Nora Ellis is alive.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
“What does it prove?”
“A video recorded three days ago.”
They played it.
Nora sat in a brightly lit room.
She appeared unharmed.
She looked directly into the camera.
“Leah, do not trust Mara.”
The video glitched.
May you like
Nora leaned closer.
“She is not my sister.”
