Chapter 9: The Last Witness
Claire walked toward us without fear.
Ethan pointed his gun at her.
"Stop.""
She didn't.
"Claire.""
She stopped.
"You've been dead for thirteen years.""
"No.""
She touched the scar on her cheek.
"I've been waiting.""
Sarah rushed toward her.
"I thought you were dead.""
Claire looked at her.
"You were supposed to.""
Sarah froze.
"What?""
"You were supposed to die with me.""
I looked between them.
"Someone please tell me what is happening.""
Claire's expression softened.
"You're right.""
She looked at me.
"You deserve the whole story.""
Ethan fired.
Claire dropped.
I screamed.
But the bullet struck the wall behind her.
Ryan had knocked Ethan's arm upward.
Ethan swung the gun toward him.
Ryan tackled him.
The two men crashed into the servers.
Sparks flew.
Cole grabbed Ethan's weapon.
"Hands behind your back!""
Ethan elbowed him.
I ran to Claire.
She was on the floor, breathing.
Blood spread across her shoulder.
"Are you okay?""
She smiled weakly.
"I've survived worse.""
"You're my mother?""
"Yes.""
I swallowed.
"Why did everyone lie to me?""
"Because everyone who knew the truth was being hunted.""
Sarah came toward us.
"I didn't have a choice.""
Claire looked at her.
"You always had a choice.""
Sarah stopped.
Claire softened.
"But you chose my daughter over yourself.""
Sarah began crying.
"I promised Daniel.""
Claire looked surprised.
"You knew Daniel?""
"He found me after the explosion.""
Ryan stared.
"You never told me.""
"I couldn't.""
Claire looked at me.
"Daniel wasn't your father.""
I looked at Ryan.
"I know.""
Claire nodded.
"Ryan was.""
Ryan lowered his head.
"But Daniel was the man who saved both of us.""
I asked,
"Then why did Ethan think Daniel was my father?""
Claire smiled sadly.
"Because we wanted him to.""
She explained.
Before I was born, Claire had been investigating the Black Ledger.
She discovered Ethan's network.
Daniel helped her.
Ryan was an undercover agent.
Together, they planned to expose everything.
But Ethan discovered Claire was pregnant.
He wanted the child because Ryan had access to classified information.
So Claire disappeared.
Sarah took her place.
Daniel created the false identity.
And Ryan became officially dead.
"But the night I was born...""
Claire looked at Ryan.
"Everything went wrong.""
Ryan closed his eyes.
"Ethan found us.""
"Daniel stayed behind," Claire said.
"He knew he wouldn't survive.""
I whispered,
"And you?""
"I escaped.""
"Why didn't you come back?""
"Because Ethan had people everywhere.""
She touched my cheek.
"I watched you grow up from a distance.""
I stepped back.
"You watched me?""
"Every birthday.""
"Every first day of school.""
"Every Christmas.""
My eyes filled.
"Why didn't you come to me?""
"Because the moment Ethan knew I was alive, he'd come for you.""
Ethan laughed from across the room.
"You should have killed me when you had the chance.""
Claire looked at him.
"I almost did.""
Cole handcuffed Ethan.
"You're finished.""
Ethan smiled.
"No.""
He looked at me.
"Ask Claire what happened to the Ledger.""
I turned.
Claire's expression changed.
"The Ledger was destroyed.""
Ethan laughed.
"That's what she told you.""
He nodded toward the servers.
"Look.""
I walked closer.
A file was flashing on the screen.
*BLACK LEDGER — ACTIVE.*
Then another line appeared.
*PRIMARY ACCESS: EMILY DANIELS.*
My heart pounded.
"I thought I was the key.""
"You are," Claire said.
"Then what does that mean?""
"It means the archive recognizes you.""
"Can I destroy it?""
Claire hesitated.
"Yes.""
"How?""
"You have to make a choice.""
"What choice?""
"Expose everything.""
I looked at the names on the screen.
"If I do?""
"People will go to prison.""
"And if I don't?""
Claire looked at Ethan.
"The network survives.""
Ethan smiled.
"Now you understand.""
Ryan walked toward me, pressing a hand against his bleeding shoulder.
"Emily, don't let him manipulate you.""
"I don't know what to do.""
"You do.""
I looked at him.
He nodded toward the screen.
"Your entire life, adults made choices for you.""
He placed the phone in my hand.
"Make this one yourself.""
My fingers tightened around it.
A prompt appeared.
*RELEASE ARCHIVE?*
Two options.
*YES.*
*NO.*
I looked at Mom.
She was crying.
I looked at Claire.
She nodded.
I looked at Ryan.
He simply said,
"Whatever you choose, I'll stand beside you.""
Ethan laughed.
"Press yes and you'll destroy all of us.""
I looked at him.
"That's the point.""
I pressed *YES*.
The system began uploading.
One percent.
Five.
Ten.
Ethan's smile disappeared.
"No.""
Twenty.
Thirty.
He lunged toward me.
Cole tackled him.
"Stop!""
Ethan screamed.
"YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DOING!""
I kept my hand on the console.
Fifty.
Sixty.
The screens filled with names.
Seventy.
Phones began ringing throughout the building.
Eighty.
The network started collapsing.
Ninety.
Ethan stopped struggling.
He stared at me.
"Emily.""
I looked at him.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
"You'll never know why I really chose you.""
The upload reached ninety-nine percent.
Then stopped.
I frowned.
"Why did it stop?""
Claire looked at the screen.
Her face went pale.
"Someone is blocking the release.""
Ryan checked the system.
"It's coming from inside the house.""
I looked around.
Everyone froze.
Mom whispered,
"That's impossible.""
The screen displayed one final message.
*SECOND AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED.*
Then a name appeared.
Not Claire.
Not Ryan.
Not Sarah.
Not Ethan.
A name none of us recognized.
Beneath it were four words:
*AUTHORIZATION: YOUR SISTER, EMILY.*
I stared at the screen.
"I don't have a sister.""
Claire looked at me.
Her face had gone completely white.
"Yes, you do.""
The servers suddenly powered down.
The house fell silent.
Then a little girl's voice came from the darkness behind us.
"Mom?""
Sarah turned.
The voice continued.
May you like
"Is she finally ready to meet me?""
And somewhere upstairs, a bedroom door slowly opened.
