Chapter 6 - What Arthur Found Behind the Locked Door
Arthur moved before anyone else.
He stepped between Chloe and the bathroom.
"Come out."
A hand appeared.
Then a woman.
Arthur stared.
"Mom?"
Eleanor Romano looked terrified.
Arthur lowered his fists.
"What are you doing here?"
"Hiding."
"From whom?"
"Daniel."
Everyone turned.
Daniel's face changed.
Arthur didn't.
"Explain."
Eleanor pointed at him.
"I saw him speaking to your father downstairs."
Daniel shook his head.
"That's impossible."
"When?"
"Twenty minutes ago."
Daniel looked at Arthur.
"I haven't left this floor."
Pike moved toward the door.
Arthur said, "Nobody leaves."
Daniel slowly removed his phone and placed it on the table.
"Check everything."
Arthur did.
No suspicious calls.
No messages.
Vivian looked at Eleanor.
"Are you sure it was Daniel?"
"I saw his face."
Pike suddenly understood.
"Deepfake?"
Daniel shook his head.
"Not in person."
"Then a lookalike."
Arthur thought of the fake Michael Torres.
Dominic had built layers of false identities.
Confusion was part of the strategy.
Eleanor sat beside Chloe.
"I'm sorry."
Chloe frowned.
"For what?"
"For what my family did to you."
"You didn't do it."
"I let Arthur grow up believing silence was strength."
Arthur heard.
Eleanor looked at him.
"Your father taught you that protecting people meant deciding for them."
Chloe glanced at Arthur.
He almost smiled.
"Apparently everyone's reviewing my personality today."
His mother didn't smile.
"Arthur, the archive opens tomorrow."
His birthday.
Arthur nodded.
"Victor told me."
Eleanor went pale.
"You saw Victor?"
"Yes."
She covered her mouth.
Arthur crouched in front of her.
"He's alive."
Tears filled her eyes.
"I knew."
Arthur froze.
"What?"
"I didn't know where. But years after his funeral, I received a birthday card."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because the card said if Dominic discovered Victor survived, he'd finish what he started."
Arthur stood.
Another secret.
Another decision made for him.
But this time he understood how the pattern had begun.
Fear.
Silence.
Protection that became control.
The next morning, Arthur turned thirty-eight.
Instead of cake, he entered Romano Tower with federal investigators.
The corporate archive lay three floors underground.
Biometric locks recognized him.
A steel door opened.
Inside were decades of records.
Arthur found his father's private files.
Payments.
Surveillance.
Threats.
Evidence tying Dominic to Victor's attempted killing.
Evidence of financial crimes involving Richard.
And finally:
CHLOE HENDERSON.
Arthur couldn't open it at first.
His hands shook.
Then he did.
Photographs.
Her apartment.
Her diner.
Her prenatal clinic.
The damaged brake line.
Arthur's eyes burned.
The final page contained an instruction.
REMOVE AFTER WEDDING.
Arthur stared at it.
Daniel swore.
Arthur photographed everything.
Then a voice came from the doorway.
"You always were sentimental."
Dominic Romano stood there.
Arthur slowly turned.
His father looked immaculate.
Gray suit.
Silver hair.
Calm expression.
"You threatened Chloe."
Dominic sighed.
"I protected you."
"You tried to kill the mother of my child."
"I prevented weakness from destroying everything I built."
Arthur stepped forward.
Federal agents moved behind him.
Dominic noticed them.
For the first time, his confidence flickered.
Arthur said, "It's over."
Dominic smiled.
"No."
He held up his phone.
On the screen was Chloe.
She was no longer at the hospital.
Arthur's blood turned cold.
The live video showed her sitting inside a car.
Beside her was Vivian.
Arthur stared at his father.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing."
"Where are they?"
Dominic smiled.
"Ask the man you trusted enough to leave guarding them."
May you like
Arthur turned toward Daniel.
Daniel was gone.
