Chapter 13 The Choice He Could Not Make for Her
The door opened another inch.
Marcus stood between Emilia and the entrance.
Daniel remained near the wall, watching the darkness beyond the doorway.
Clara's hand disappeared beneath the table.
Samuel whispered, "Don't."
She looked at him.
"They have Thomas."
"We don't know that."
"Charlotte wouldn't bluff about him."
Marcus heard every word.
His heart was pounding.
"Show me the photograph."
The hand holding it moved forward.
Marcus stepped closer.
Charlotte's voice remained calm.
"Come outside."
"No."
"Then you'll never see your father-in-law again."
Marcus looked at Emilia.
Her face had gone pale.
She was frightened, but she wasn't falling apart.
That strength had always been part of her.
He had simply failed to understand how much she had carried alone.
"Let me see the photograph," he said again.
The photograph slid through the opening.
Marcus picked it up.
Thomas was sitting in a chair inside what appeared to be the clinic.
His eyes were closed.
A man stood behind him.
Marcus recognized the room immediately.
"The clinic."
Charlotte laughed quietly.
"Very good."
Emilia moved closer.
"Is my father alive?"
Charlotte answered immediately.
"Yes."
"Let me speak to him."
"Not yet."
Emilia's voice hardened.
"Then you have no reason to expect us to trust you."
A pause followed.
Then Charlotte said, "You always were more perceptive than people gave you credit for."
Marcus glanced at Emilia.
She ignored him.
"What do you want?"
"The film."
Marcus looked down at the small strip in his hand.
"This?"
"Yes."
"What does it contain?"
"Something that doesn't concern you."
"Then why are you willing to threaten my family for it?"
Charlotte's voice became colder.
"Because your family has spent decades hiding what it did."
Marcus's expression tightened.
"What did we do?"
"Ask your father."
"He disappeared."
"Exactly."
The door opened wider.
Charlotte stood in the corridor.
She looked almost exactly as Marcus remembered her.
Elegant black coat.
Dark hair pulled neatly back.
Controlled expression.
She didn't look like a criminal.
She looked like the woman who had once helped organize his father's funeral.
The woman who had sent flowers to Emilia.
The woman Marcus had trusted.
Her eyes moved to Emilia.
"You've caused more trouble than I expected."
Emilia met her gaze.
"I didn't ask for any of this."
"No."
Charlotte smiled faintly.
"But you inherited it."
Marcus stepped forward.
"Leave her out of this."
Charlotte looked at him.
"That is the problem, Marcus. Everything involving Bellweather leads back to her."
She extended her hand.
"The film."
Marcus didn't move.
"First, Thomas."
Charlotte shook her head.
"You're still trying to negotiate."
"I'm not negotiating."
He held her gaze.
"I'm setting a condition."
Charlotte studied him for several seconds.
Then she smiled.
"Your father would be proud."
Marcus felt a chill.
"What does that mean?"
"It means you're finally becoming difficult."
She turned toward the corridor.
"Bring Thomas."
Two men appeared.
One held Thomas's photograph.
The other carried a phone.
Charlotte nodded.
"Call the clinic."
The man dialed.
A moment later, the phone was placed on speaker.
Emilia heard a weak voice.
"Dad?"
Thomas answered.
"Emilia?"
Her eyes filled immediately.
"I'm here."
"Where?"
"I'll explain later."
Thomas coughed.
"Don't trust—"
The call ended.
Emilia stared at the phone.
"Why did you cut him off?"
"Because he was about to say something inconvenient."
Marcus stepped forward.
"You have ten seconds."
Charlotte laughed.
"There is the man everyone fears."
Marcus's expression didn't change.
"I'm not afraid of you."
"No."
She looked at Emilia.
"You're afraid of losing her."
The words landed heavily.
Marcus didn't deny them.
Charlotte extended her hand again.
"The film."
Marcus looked at the strip.
Then at Emilia.
He knew what Charlotte wanted.
He also knew giving it to her could destroy the only evidence they had.
Emilia saw the conflict in his face.
"Don't."
Marcus looked at her.
She shook her head.
"Don't give it to her."
Charlotte smiled.
"Interesting."
Emilia looked directly at Charlotte.
"If you wanted the film badly enough to threaten my father, then it matters."
Charlotte's expression hardened.
"You think you're clever."
"No."
Emilia took a step forward.
"I think you're frightened."
The room went silent.
Charlotte's eyes narrowed.
Emilia continued.
"You've spent years manipulating everyone around you. You made yourself indispensable. You gave advice. You earned trust. You convinced people you were helping them."
Charlotte said nothing.
"But now you're standing here demanding one tiny piece of film."
Emilia held her gaze.
"That means whatever is on it can hurt you."
For the first time, Charlotte's composure slipped.
Only slightly.
But Marcus noticed.
So did Daniel.
Charlotte recovered quickly.
"You've become bolder."
"I had to."
Emilia's voice trembled.
"But I won't let you use my father to control me."
Charlotte looked at Marcus.
"She really is different now."
Marcus answered quietly.
"Yes."
Charlotte looked back at Emilia.
"Give me the film."
"No."
Charlotte's face hardened.
"Then Thomas dies."
Marcus moved.
Daniel caught his arm.
"Don't."
Marcus looked at him.
Daniel whispered, "She's trying to provoke you."
Marcus took a slow breath.
He hated it.
But Daniel was right.
He had spent too much of his life reacting to threats by trying to overpower them.
This time, he needed another way.
He looked at Charlotte.
"You don't have Thomas."
She smiled.
"How can you be sure?"
"Because if you did, you wouldn't need to prove it with a photograph."
Charlotte's smile disappeared.
Marcus continued.
"You need us to believe he's in danger."
"You think I'm bluffing?"
"I think you're protecting someone."
Silence.
Charlotte's eyes changed.
Marcus saw it.
There.
Fear.
Not much.
But enough.
"Who are you protecting?" he asked.
Charlotte said nothing.
Marcus stepped closer.
"Victor?"
Still nothing.
"Or someone else?"
Charlotte's jaw tightened.
Daniel suddenly spoke.
"Your son."
Charlotte looked at him.
Daniel continued.
"Victor's son."
Marcus looked at his brother.
Charlotte's face had gone completely still.
Daniel had found something.
"Where is he?" Marcus asked.
Charlotte stared at him.
Daniel shook his head.
"You wouldn't risk everything for Victor."
Charlotte said nothing.
"But you would for your son."
Marcus understood.
Charlotte had a son.
A fact Marcus had never known.
Daniel had been investigating more deeply than he had realized.
Charlotte finally spoke.
"You know nothing about him."
"Then tell us."
"I don't owe you anything."
"No," Daniel said. "But you owe him the truth."
Charlotte's eyes flashed with anger.
"Don't speak about my family."
Daniel's voice remained calm.
"Then stop destroying ours."
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Charlotte looked at the film.
Then at Emilia.
Then at Marcus.
"You have no idea what you're holding."
"Then explain it."
"I can't."
"Won't."
"Can't."
The word came out differently.
Not like a threat.
Like a confession.
Marcus studied her.
"Why?"
Charlotte looked toward the floor.
"Because the moment that film is decoded, people will come after everyone connected to Bellweather."
Samuel stepped forward.
"That's already happening."
Charlotte looked at him.
"You still don't understand."
"What?"
"The film isn't the evidence."
Samuel frowned.
Charlotte looked at Marcus.
"It's the key."
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"To what?"
"To the archive."
The word changed everything.
Daniel stepped forward.
"Where is it?"
Charlotte smiled sadly.
"That's what everyone has been trying to find."
Marcus looked at the film.
"Then why does it say the trust is invalid?"
"Because it is."
Emilia frowned.
"But my grandfather's letter said the marriage activated it."
"Your grandfather was wrong."
Marcus shook his head.
"Why?"
Charlotte looked at Emilia.
"Because he trusted the wrong person."
Emilia's face tightened.
"My grandfather?"
"No."
Charlotte paused.
"Your father."
Emilia went still.
"What did my father do?"
Charlotte looked at Marcus.
"That's the question you should have been asking from the beginning."
Marcus's voice became low.
"What does Thomas have to do with Bellweather?"
Charlotte hesitated.
Then she said,
"Everything."
At the clinic, Thomas lay awake.
Dr. Cole stood beside him.
"Don't try to move."
Thomas looked toward the door.
"Where is Emilia?"
"Safe."
Thomas closed his eyes.
"Thank God."
Dr. Cole studied him.
"You knew this would happen."
Thomas opened his eyes.
"I knew someone would eventually come for her."
"Why didn't you tell her?"
"Because I wanted her to have one ordinary life."
Dr. Cole's expression softened.
"You knew her life with Marcus wasn't ordinary."
Thomas gave a weak smile.
"Neither of them has ever known how to live ordinary lives."
Dr. Cole adjusted the blanket.
"There's something else."
Thomas looked at her.
"The security system was disabled from inside."
Thomas's expression changed.
"Who had access?"
"Three people."
"Who?"
"Me."
She paused.
"Your wife."
Thomas went still.
"And Charlotte."
Thomas stared at her.
"Charlotte was never supposed to know about the clinic."
Dr. Cole looked at him.
"Then how did she?"
Thomas slowly sat up.
His face had lost its color.
"Because someone told her."
"Who?"
Thomas looked toward the window.
"I don't know."
A shadow moved outside.
Dr. Cole turned.
"Did you see that?"
Thomas nodded.
"Lock the door."
She did.
Then someone knocked.
Once.
Twice.
Thomas's eyes widened.
"Don't answer."
The knocking stopped.
A few seconds passed.
Then a woman's voice came through the door.
"Thomas?"
His face changed.
He knew the voice.
"Who is it?"
The answer came softly.
"Your daughter."
Thomas stared at the door.
Dr. Cole looked at him.
"You heard her."
Thomas shook his head.
"No."
His voice trembled.
"That's not Emilia."
Back at the underground chamber, Charlotte turned toward the corridor.
"I've given you enough."
Marcus stepped in front of her.
"No."
She looked at him.
"You have the film."
"And you have Thomas."
"I've kept my side of the arrangement."
"You haven't."
Charlotte smiled.
"You've learned quickly."
Marcus lowered his voice.
"Bring him here."
"Impossible."
"Then we have nothing to discuss."
Charlotte studied him.
"You really would risk the evidence."
Marcus looked at Emilia.
"I would risk everything before I let someone use her father as a weapon."
Emilia stared at him.
Something moved across her expression.
Pain.
Hope.
Fear.
She knew he meant it.
But she also knew that love did not erase the years of hurt.
It could only begin to repair them.
Charlotte stepped backward.
"Then we have a problem."
She raised her phone.
"Because Thomas isn't the only person I have."
Marcus's phone vibrated.
He looked down.
A photograph appeared.
It showed Daniel.
Standing alone.
Outside the clinic.
Marcus looked up.
Daniel was beside him.
The photograph had been taken minutes ago.
Then another message appeared.
One of your family members is already with me.
Marcus looked at Daniel.
Daniel's face had gone pale.
"That's impossible."
Marcus's phone rang.
He answered.
No one spoke.
Then he heard breathing.
A familiar voice whispered,
"Marcus..."
His mother's voice.
Evelyn.
Then the line went dead.
Marcus looked at Emilia.
The color had drained from her face.
Charlotte stepped toward the exit.
"Now you understand."
Marcus's voice was cold.
"What?"
"You're not fighting to save your marriage anymore."
She opened the door.
"You're fighting to keep your entire family alive."
Then she disappeared into the darkness.
Marcus looked at the film in his hand.
For the first time, he understood the true cost of the truth.
And somewhere above them, a car engine started.
A second later, the underground lights went out.