Chapter 15 - THE MARRIAGE NOBODY REMEMBERED
Eleanor denied the marriage until Sebastian placed the recovered image in front of her.
Then she closed her eyes.
“Adrian was nineteen,” she said.
“He was helping Daniel collect evidence against Conrad.”
“You married him?” Valerie asked.
“To give him legal access to the records.”
“Were you in love with him?”
Eleanor’s silence was an answer.
Valerie stood and walked to the window.
Every truth about her family seemed to arrive wearing another lie.
Eleanor explained that Adrian had betrayed them only once.
He had told Conrad where Daniel would be on the night of the car fire.
He claimed he did it to save Eleanor and Valerie.
Daniel died instead.
Sebastian called Adrian and demanded a meeting.
They met in the empty observation deck of Crown Meridian Tower.
Lightning moved beyond the glass.
“Did you kill Daniel?” Sebastian asked.
“No.”
“Did you betray him?”
“Yes.”
Adrian did not defend himself.
“I gave Conrad the route because he promised to arrest Daniel, not burn him alive.”
“You believed him?”
“I was nineteen and in love.”
“With Eleanor.”
“With the idea that I could save her.”
Adrian looked older than Sebastian had ever seen him.
“Conrad has Marcus beneath the tower.”
“Margaret has him.”
“They are the same problem now.”
Adrian revealed that Margaret planned to kill Conrad only after Project Meridian launched.
She wanted control of the global network, not justice.
“Why should I trust you?” Sebastian asked.
“You should not.”
Adrian handed him a gun.
“But Valerie is already inside the tower, and she believes she is meeting you.”
Sebastian checked his phone.
A message sent from his number had instructed Valerie to come alone.
On the security monitor, Julian entered the penthouse with Valerie beside him.
May you like
She looked up at the man wearing Sebastian’s face.
Then the elevator doors closed.
