Chapter 8: The Gun Wasn't For Me
The gun in Rebecca’s hand was pointed at the floor.
That was the first thing Danielle noticed.
The second was the way Rebecca was holding it.
Not like someone who had used a weapon before.
Her index finger was rigid against the frame, nowhere near the trigger.
Her breathing was shallow.
Her face was pale.
She was terrified.
Danielle looked at Evelyn.
“You gave her a gun?””
Evelyn shook her head.
“She brought it herself.””
Rebecca’s eyes filled with panic.
“That’s not what happened.””
“Then tell me what happened,” Danielle said.
Rebecca swallowed.
“They said I needed to bring it.””
“Who?””
Rebecca glanced toward the gray-haired man beside Daniel.
He finally stepped into the light.
Danielle recognized the face from the photographs.
Daniel’s father.
Or someone who looked exactly like him.
The man smiled.
“Names are becoming rather complicated tonight, aren’t they?””
Daniel moved between him and Danielle.
“Stay away from her.””
The older man laughed.
“You always were dramatic.””
Daniel’s fists tightened.
“You’re dead.””
“So were many useful people.””
Danielle stared at him.
“Who are you?””
The man extended a hand.
“Arthur Kane.””
Evelyn looked at him.
“Don’t.””
Arthur ignored her.
“Or at least, that’s the name your husband remembers.””
Daniel’s face hardened.
“You’re not my father.””
Arthur smiled.
“No.””
He turned toward Danielle.
“But I knew him very well.””
Danielle looked at Daniel.
His expression told her enough.
This was not a reunion.
This was a trap that had taken years to construct.
She stepped toward the ledger.
Arthur moved instantly.
“Don’t touch it.””
Danielle stopped.
“You brought me down here for this.””
“We brought you here because only you can activate it.””
“You mean because you need me.””
Arthur nodded.
“Correct.””
Evelyn said, “Arthur, we agreed.””
He glanced at her.
“I agreed to let you speak.””
“Not to threaten her son.””
“I never threatened the boy.””
Rebecca suddenly spoke.
“Yes, you did.””
Everyone turned toward her.
Rebecca’s voice shook.
“You told me his location.””
Arthur’s eyes narrowed.
“You were instructed to remain silent.””
“I’m done being silent.””
Evelyn looked furious.
“You have no idea what you're doing.””
Rebecca raised the gun slightly.
“I know exactly what I’m doing.””
Danielle watched her carefully.
“Rebecca.””
Rebecca looked at her.
“Are you protecting us?””
Rebecca’s eyes filled with tears.
“I’m trying to protect my brother.””
Arthur stepped forward.
“Lower the weapon.””
Rebecca’s hand trembled.
“No.””
“Rebecca.””
Danielle’s voice stayed calm.
“Look at me.””
Rebecca did.
“Breathe.””
Rebecca inhaled shakily.
“Again.””
She did.
Danielle held her gaze.
“Now tell me where your brother is.””
Rebecca looked at Arthur.
Then Evelyn.
Then Daniel.
“I don’t know.””
Danielle frowned.
“You said they threatened him.””
“They did.””
“Where is he?””
Rebecca shook her head.
“They took him.””
The room became still.
“Who took him?”” Danielle asked.
“They called themselves security.””
Arthur gave a dismissive smile.
“Your little employee is confused.””
Rebecca suddenly turned the gun toward him.
“Don’t call me that.””
Arthur stopped smiling.
Daniel stepped toward Danielle.
“Rebecca is telling the truth.””
Arthur looked at him.
“You have no idea what she's been told.””
“I know what I saw.””
“You saw what we wanted you to see.””
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
Then he looked at the old man.
“You've been using replicas.””
Arthur smiled.
“You finally noticed.””
Danielle looked between them.
“Replicas of what?””
Daniel answered.
“People.””
Arthur said nothing.
Danielle felt a chill.
“The people I thought were dead.””
Arthur’s expression remained neutral.
“The easiest way to control an organization is to make everyone believe the person above them is still giving orders.””
Claire stepped forward.
“That’s why the board changed.””
Arthur turned.
“Claire.””
She flinched at her name.
“You were warned not to come here.””
“I’m not leaving.””
Arthur smiled.
“You always confuse courage with loyalty.””
Claire looked at Danielle.
“I owe her the truth.””
Arthur laughed.
“You’ve had ten years.””
Claire’s face fell.
Danielle snapped toward her.
“Ten years?””
Claire closed her eyes.
Arthur answered for her.
“She knew where the trust was hidden.””
Danielle looked at Claire.
“You knew this place existed for ten years?””
Claire nodded.
“I did.””
“And you said nothing.””
“I was protecting you.””
“Stop saying that.””
Claire’s eyes filled.
“I was trying to keep Ethan out of this.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“She did.””
Danielle looked at him.
“And you?””
“I made the worst decision of my life.””
“You left.””
“Yes.””
“You let me believe you abandoned me.””
“I did.””
“Why?””
Daniel looked toward Ethan’s name glowing on the terminal.
“Because the trust was never supposed to be inherited by you.””
Danielle stared at him.
“What?””
“The system selected Ethan before he was born.””
Her heart stopped.
Arthur smiled.
“Now we’re getting somewhere.””
Daniel continued.
“My father established the succession protocol decades ago.””
“For me?””
“For your bloodline.””
Danielle looked confused.
“I’m not a Kane.””
Arthur gave a quiet laugh.
“You are closer than you think.””
Danielle looked at him.
“What does that mean?””
Arthur took one step toward the glass case.
“You remember your mother’s maiden name?””
Danielle froze.
She did.
She remembered her mother talking about a family she had cut ties with.
A family Danielle had never met.
A family her mother refused to discuss.
“Why?””
Arthur looked at her.
“Because Whitwear was never your only inheritance.””
Danielle shook her head.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“That’s impossible.””
Arthur smiled.
“Open the ledger.””
Danielle looked at the reader.
Her hand hovered over it.
Daniel grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t.””
She looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because once it opens, every dormant account tied to Ethan activates.””
“And then?””
“They’ll know exactly where he is.””
Arthur corrected him.
“They already know.””
A soft chime sounded from Danielle’s phone.
A new notification.
She looked down.
The hotel security app had opened by itself.
A map appeared.
One blinking red dot.
Ethan.
Danielle’s blood ran cold.
The dot was moving.
Fast.
She looked at Marcus.
“Where is he?””
Marcus checked his phone.
His face went blank.
“He never made it to the east stairwell.””
Danielle spun toward him.
“What?””
“I lost contact with him.””
“With Ethan?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
Marcus looked horrified.
“The elevator.””
Daniel’s voice broke.
“No.””
Danielle ran toward the archive exit.
Arthur moved to block her.
She stopped inches from him.
“Move.””
“You can't leave.””
“My son is missing.””
“That’s why you must stay.””
Danielle stared at him.
Arthur pointed at the terminal.
“The system is waiting for you.””
“Let it wait.””
“If you walk away, you may never see him again.””
Danielle’s face hardened.
“You made one mistake.””
Arthur frowned.
“What?””
“You told me where my son was.””
She held up her phone.
“The system is tracking him.””
Arthur’s eyes flicked toward it.
Danielle saw his reaction.
He hadn’t expected that.
She smiled.
“Now I know you don’t control everything.””
She turned toward Marcus.
“Take us to him.””
Marcus nodded.
Arthur shouted, “Stop them!””
Rebecca raised the gun.
“Don’t.””
Arthur stopped.
Rebecca was shaking violently now.
But the barrel was no longer pointed at the floor.
It was pointed directly at Arthur.
Evelyn stared at her.
“Rebecca, think carefully.””
Rebecca’s voice broke.
“You told me my brother was safe.””
Evelyn said nothing.
“You told me no one would hurt him.””
Silence.
Rebecca’s eyes narrowed.
“You lied.””
Danielle looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn’s expression remained cold.
“I did what I had to.””
Rebecca’s finger moved closer to the trigger.
Danielle stepped between them.
“Rebecca.””
Rebecca looked at her.
“Put the gun down.””
“They took my brother.””
“I know.””
“They’ll kill him.””
Danielle nodded.
“Then we need everyone alive long enough to find him.””
Rebecca stared at her.
Danielle held out her hand.
“Give me the gun.””
Rebecca hesitated.
Finally, she handed it over.
Danielle immediately gave it to Marcus.
“Lock it away.””
Marcus nodded.
Arthur watched them.
Then he smiled.
“You still don’t understand.””
Danielle turned.
“What now?””
Arthur pointed toward the terminal.
The screen had changed.
*SUCCESSION PROTOCOL ACTIVATED.*
Danielle’s stomach dropped.
“I never touched it.””
Daniel stared at the screen.
“Someone else did.””
They all looked around.
Nobody was near the machine.
Then Ethan’s name disappeared.
A new name appeared beneath it.
*PRIMARY BENEFICIARY: DANIELLE WHITWEAR.*
Claire gasped.
“No.””
Arthur’s smile widened.
“That wasn't supposed to happen.””
Danielle looked at him.
“What does it mean?””
Daniel stared at the screen.
“It means the trust has changed ownership.””
“To me?””
He nodded.
“Not just the hotels.””
Arthur’s face darkened.
“Someone rewrote the succession.””
Danielle looked toward the archive entrance.
“Who?””
A voice came through the speakers.
Calm.
Male.
Familiar.
“Me.””
Daniel turned white.
Danielle’s pulse stopped.
The speakers crackled again.
“You spent two years looking for the wrong enemy.””
Daniel whispered:
“Victor.””
The voice laughed.
Then every light in the archive went out.
A single emergency lamp flickered on above the elevator.
Its doors opened.
Ethan stepped out.
Alone.
Danielle screamed his name and ran toward him.
He threw his arms around her.
“Mom!””
She dropped to her knees and held him tightly.
“Are you hurt?””
“No.””
“Where were you?””
Ethan pointed toward the elevator.
“I was with the man who said he was Dad.””
Danielle’s blood went cold.
“What man?””
Ethan looked confused.
“The man upstairs.””
Daniel stared at his son.
“That wasn’t me.””
Ethan shook his head.
“He said he was.””
Danielle stood.
“Ethan, what did he tell you?””
The boy looked at her.
“He told me something.””
“What?””
Ethan whispered:
“He said you would know what to do when you saw this.””
He reached into his pocket.
And pulled out a small brass key.
Danielle stared at it.
The key carried the same black eagle symbol.
Arthur took one step backward.
For the first time all night, he looked genuinely afraid.
Daniel whispered:
“Danielle…”
She turned.
“What?””
He pointed at the key.
“That isn’t for the hotel.””
Danielle looked at him.
“Then what is it for?””
May you like
Daniel’s face went pale.
“The account that can destroy everyone.””
