CHAPTER 6: The Man Everyone Trusted
Emily's heart pounded so hard she could barely hear the blaring hospital alarms.
The anonymous text glowed on her phone.
"DON'T TRUST DETECTIVE BROOKS."
She slowly raised her eyes.
Samuel Brooks was standing only a few feet away, his hand resting on the pistol at his waist.
For twenty-six years, he had been the man searching for her.
The man who reunited her with her mother.
The man she believed had saved her life.
Now every memory suddenly felt like a lie.
Samuel noticed her expression.
"You got the message too."
Emily nodded cautiously.
"So did you."
Samuel pulled out his phone.
The exact same warning appeared on his screen.
Victoria immediately stepped between Samuel and Emily.
"Stay away from my daughter."
Samuel slowly raised both hands.
"If I wanted Emily dead, I had dozens of opportunities long before today."
The room fell silent.
No one could deny it.
Just then...
One of the hospital security officers burst into the room.
"We caught the fake doctor!"
Samuel reacted instantly.
"Take me to him."
Minutes later, they reached the hospital's underground security office.
The suspect sat handcuffed to a chair.
His white medical coat was stained with blood.
His surgical mask had been removed.
Emily gasped.
She had never seen the man before.
Samuel placed Ryan's photograph on the table.
"Do you know him?"
The man smiled.
"I knew his father better."
Emily felt chills race down her spine.
Samuel leaned closer.
"Who sent you?"
The stranger laughed.
"You still don't understand, Detective."
"You've been protecting us your entire career."
Samuel's face hardened.
"What are you talking about?"
The man nodded toward Emily.
"Every clue you discovered..."
"We wanted you to discover."
Victoria whispered,
"No..."
The stranger continued.
"We needed Emily to return to the Harrington family."
Emily stared in disbelief.
"Why?"
The man looked directly at baby Hope sleeping peacefully in Victoria's arms.
"Because we were never after you."
"We were waiting..."
"For her."
The room froze.
The man smiled wider.
"Children inherit more than money."
"They inherit blood."
Emily instinctively held Hope tighter.
"What does that mean?"
The stranger chuckled.
"You still haven't opened your grandfather's vault."
Samuel frowned.
"What vault?"
The man laughed again.
"So the old man died before telling her."
Emily looked at her mother.
Victoria's face had turned completely white.
"You know what he's talking about..."
Victoria slowly nodded.
"There is a vault."
Emily whispered,
"What's inside?"
Victoria could barely speak.
"Your grandfather built Harrington Global from nothing."
"But before he died..."
"He hid something worth far more than the company."
Samuel asked quietly,
"What is it?"
Victoria closed her eyes.
"A ledger."
"The names of every politician..."
"Every billionaire..."
"Every judge..."
Who had secretly helped build a criminal empire known only as...
The Circle.
Emily's breathing stopped.
The stranger began laughing uncontrollably.
"You finally understand."
"The Circle doesn't want Harrington Global."
"They don't care about your inheritance."
"They want the ledger."
Before anyone could move—
The lights throughout the hospital suddenly went out.
Complete darkness.
A gunshot echoed through the hallway.
Then another.
People screamed.
Emergency lights flickered on.
The interrogation chair was empty.
The handcuffs lay open on the floor.
The fake doctor had vanished.
But he left one thing behind.
A folded piece of paper.
Emily opened it with trembling hands.
May you like
There was only one sentence written in red ink.
"At midnight, Hope belongs to us."
