Victor went to the hospital with Samira. He protested until the paramedics threatened to sedate him. Before leaving, he assigned two Sterling security officers to us and made Luna promise not to pursue Voss directly.<\/p>\n
She promised.<\/p>\n
I knew immediately she intended to interpret \u201cdirectly\u201d creatively.<\/p>\n
The childhood home was not Blackwood.<\/p>\n
Richard and Eleanor had raised Luna and Derek in a smaller property outside Boulder before Sterling became large enough for Blackwood to become the family estate. Eleanor had kept the house after they moved.<\/p>\n
Nobody lived there now.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d I asked as we drove.<\/p>\n
Eleanor sat beside Derek in the second row.<\/p>\n
\u201cSentiment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek said, \u201cGuilt.\u201d<\/p>\n
His mother looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou couldn\u2019t sell it because it was the last place we were normal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleanor did not argue.<\/p>\n
Luna stared through the windshield.<\/p>\n
I touched her hand between us.<\/p>\n
She looked down.<\/p>\n
Then threaded her fingers through mine.<\/p>\n
Nobody commented.<\/p>\n
Not even Derek.<\/p>\n
The house stood at the end of a narrow street beneath old cottonwood trees.<\/p>\n
It was surprisingly ordinary.<\/p>\n
Two stories.<\/p>\n
White siding.<\/p>\n
Green shutters.<\/p>\n
A basketball hoop leaning slightly over the driveway.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is where you grew up?\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil I was fourteen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou had a basketball hoop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDerek played.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLuna broke the backboard,\u201d Derek said.<\/p>\n
She turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou promised never to tell anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re married. He deserves informed consent.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou broke it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was eleven.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA ladder was involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
For three seconds, we were simply people arriving at an old family home.<\/p>\n
Then Eleanor unlocked the door.<\/p>\n
Dust floated in late-afternoon light.<\/p>\n
Furniture remained beneath white covers.<\/p>\n
Luna stopped in the hallway.<\/p>\n
A pencil mark was visible on the doorframe.<\/p>\n
Height measurements.<\/p>\n
Derek \u2014 12.<\/p>\n
Luna \u2014 9.<\/p>\n
Derek \u2014 13.<\/p>\n
Luna \u2014 10.<\/p>\n
I watched her touch one.<\/p>\n
Her father\u2019s handwriting.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Progress.<\/p>\n
She was learning to stop lying about that.<\/p>\n
Eleanor led us upstairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard gave me a package.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d Luna asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cSix days before he died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat if anything happened, I should put it somewhere Derek would never look.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cCharming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked where that was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleanor almost smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cLuna\u2019s room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek looked offended.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t I look there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you spent your childhood insisting your sister\u2019s room was contaminated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was eight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou continued until twelve.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI had principles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna actually laughed.<\/p>\n
Then we entered her childhood bedroom.<\/p>\n
The laughter stopped.<\/p>\n
The room had been preserved almost exactly.<\/p>\n
Books.<\/p>\n
A desk.<\/p>\n
Old debate medals.<\/p>\n
A faded astronomy poster.<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou liked stars?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek leaned against the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe loved them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna glared.<\/p>\n
He shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? We\u2019re revealing childhood secrets.\u201d<\/p>\n
I noticed a telescope near the window.<\/p>\n
The same kind as the one in Richard\u2019s library.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe bought you that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy tenth birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleanor walked to the closet.<\/p>\n
She removed a wooden box from the highest shelf.<\/p>\n
Inside was an old sewing kit.<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is your hiding place?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleanor said, \u201cDerek never repaired clothing in his life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
She removed the tray.<\/p>\n
Underneath lay a sealed black envelope.<\/p>\n
Richard\u2019s handwriting covered the front.<\/p>\n
ELEANOR \u2014 ONLY IF NECESSARY.<\/p>\n
She handed it to Luna.<\/p>\n
Luna opened it.<\/p>\n
Inside was a small external drive and another letter.<\/p>\n
This one was addressed to both children.<\/p>\n
Luna read aloud.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are reading this, then my attempts to contain the consequences of my decisions have failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek looked away.<\/p>\n
Richard admitted protecting Sterling\u2019s reputation after Thomas exposed Voss.<\/p>\n
He called it cowardice.<\/p>\n
Not strategy.<\/p>\n
Not necessity.<\/p>\n
Cowardice.<\/p>\n
Luna stopped.<\/p>\n
I squeezed her hand.<\/p>\n
She continued.<\/p>\n
Richard had preserved duplicate records of Voss\u2019s payments, surveillance operations, bribery, and blackmail.<\/p>\n
He also admitted something neither child expected.<\/p>\n
Derek was not the first Sterling Voss had manipulated.<\/p>\n
Richard himself had hired Voss decades earlier to conduct illegal surveillance against a competitor.<\/p>\n
Derek whispered, \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe always acted like I invented corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was admitting he started it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter he was dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bitterness was understandable.<\/p>\n
Richard wrote that his willingness to tolerate Voss created the environment that later endangered Thomas.<\/p>\n
Then he described Celeste Morgan.<\/p>\n
Derek stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna stopped reading.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face had gone white.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep reading.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard had noticed Celeste four years earlier, shortly after she began dating Derek.<\/p>\n
He did not distrust her because of her relationship.<\/p>\n
He distrusted her because her name appeared in records associated with a consulting company Voss used.<\/p>\n
Derek stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna continued.<\/p>\n
Richard had ordered an investigation.<\/p>\n
Celeste\u2019s mother had worked for Voss\u2019s company.<\/p>\n
Celeste herself had received payments from a shell corporation tied to him.<\/p>\n
Derek grabbed the letter.<\/p>\n
He read the section himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleanor touched his shoulder.<\/p>\n
He pulled away.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was twenty-eight when we met.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna said quietly, \u201cRichard says payments started before that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody knew.<\/p>\n
The drive did.<\/p>\n
We connected it to a secure laptop one of the security officers carried.<\/p>\n
Files opened.<\/p>\n
Photographs.<\/p>\n
Invoices.<\/p>\n
Audio.<\/p>\n
A folder labeled C.M.<\/p>\n
Celeste Morgan.<\/p>\n
The earliest payment was seven years old.<\/p>\n
Three years before she met Derek.<\/p>\n
Another file contained surveillance photographs.<\/p>\n
Thomas.<\/p>\n
Mom.<\/p>\n
Me.<\/p>\n
My stomach turned.<\/p>\n
Celeste had helped track my family.<\/p>\n
Derek sat on the edge of Luna\u2019s childhood bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knew who Adam was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Thomas said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knew before I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd she dated me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas did not answer.<\/p>\n
Derek looked sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an assignment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna crouched in front of him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think she accidentally started dating the son of the man Voss was blackmailing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we need evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek laughed harshly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sound like Father.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna recoiled.<\/p>\n
He regretted it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stood.<\/p>\n
I opened another file.<\/p>\n
Audio.<\/p>\n
Dated eight months earlier.<\/p>\n
A woman\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n
Celeste.<\/p>\n
\u201cDerek still believes the trust gives him a path to control. Luna won\u2019t marry unless forced.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone becomes practical when enough pressure is applied.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste said, \u201cAnd Bennett?\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin went cold.<\/p>\n
Voss replied, \u201cLeave him where he is. Richard put him inside Sterling for a reason. Eventually Luna will notice him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna and I looked at each other.<\/p>\n
Seven months before her proposal.<\/p>\n
They had predicted us.<\/p>\n
Not romance.<\/p>\n
Utility.<\/p>\n
Voss understood Richard\u2019s design.<\/p>\n
Celeste asked, \u201cWhat if she chooses someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss said, \u201cThen we make the alternative inconvenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
The recording ended.<\/p>\n
Luna sat beside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI chose you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he expected it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Richard did.\u201d<\/p>\n
We turned.<\/p>\n
My father stood by the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard knew you better than you think.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone keeps saying that while describing a man who manipulated my life from beyond the grave.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is fair.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he intend Adam to become my husband?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I asked.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFive years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Richard arranged your interview.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat he wanted you somewhere he could quietly protect you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Luna?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said you might meet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna folded her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently he had opinions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe thought you were lonely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her face changed.<\/p>\n
Thomas continued gently.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe thought Adam was lonely too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not a reason to manipulate people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you approve?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told Richard to watch me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you manipulated me too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
No defense.<\/p>\n
No excuse.<\/p>\n
That made anger harder.<\/p>\n
A security officer interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cMovement outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone froze.<\/p>\n
He checked the camera feed from the temporary system they had placed at the entrance.<\/p>\n
A vehicle had stopped two houses away.<\/p>\n
Black sedan.<\/p>\n
Derek stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cCeleste.\u201d<\/p>\n
We looked.<\/p>\n
She stepped out.<\/p>\n
Alone.<\/p>\n
No weapon visible.<\/p>\n
Derek moved toward the door.<\/p>\n
Luna blocked him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe came here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t make it safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe left me that voicemail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe may have brought Voss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek looked through the window.<\/p>\n
Celeste stood beside the car.<\/p>\n
Waiting.<\/p>\n
Then she raised both hands.<\/p>\n
Empty.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna grabbed his arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cDerek.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was going to be my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sentence carried more pain than anger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to hear it from her.\u201d<\/p>\n
We went downstairs together.<\/p>\n
Security opened the door but kept us behind cover.<\/p>\n
Celeste walked toward the porch.<\/p>\n
Her face was streaked with tears.<\/p>\n
Derek stepped outside.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop there.\u201d<\/p>\n
She did.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWere you working for Voss when we met?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her face crumpled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
Luna stood beside him.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor how long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree years before.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat were you supposed to do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste looked at Derek.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet close.\u201d<\/p>\n
He laughed once.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid any of it become real?\u201d<\/p>\n
She started crying.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cConvenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you steal the key from my safe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you give it to Voss?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you attack Naomi?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know he would?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you plant her badge in my office?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone went still.<\/p>\n
Derek stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t plant anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen who did?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCeleste.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI swear.\u201d<\/p>\n
She reached into her coat.<\/p>\n
Security weapons rose.<\/p>\n
\u201cSlowly.\u201d<\/p>\n
She removed a flash drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cVoss keeps copies of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas whispered, \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste held it out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took this before I ran.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s on it?\u201d Luna asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis current operations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIncluding?\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste looked directly at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then at Luna.<\/p>\n
\u201cNaomi.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then Derek.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek\u2019s voice was hollow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was planning to eliminate every person who could connect him to Richard\u2019s files.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas stepped onto the porch.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celeste looked toward the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knows this house.\u201d<\/p>\n
A faint red point appeared on her coat.<\/p>\n
I saw it before anyone else understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cDown!\u201d<\/p>\n
I hit Derek and Luna simultaneously.<\/p>\n
The window behind us shattered.<\/p>\n
Celeste fell.<\/p>\n
For one terrible second I thought she had been shot.<\/p>\n
Then she crawled behind the stone porch wall.<\/p>\n
Security dragged us inside.<\/p>\n
Another shot cracked through the front door.<\/p>\n
Thomas shouted, \u201cBack!\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone moved.<\/p>\n
The lights went out.<\/p>\n
Darkness swallowed the hallway.<\/p>\n
And from somewhere behind the house came the unmistakable sound of breaking glass.<\/p>\n
Voss had never intended Celeste to walk away.<\/p>\n
He had followed her.<\/p>\n
And now he was inside.<\/p>\n
Victor went to the hospital with Samira. He protested until the paramedics threatened to sedate him. Before leaving, he assigned two Sterling security officers to us and made Luna promise … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16812"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16838,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16812\/revisions\/16838"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}