THE LAWYER WHO LOVED HER ENEMY

Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

LET THEM FALL

The rain continued falling long after we left the warehouse.

Neither Adrian nor I spoke.

His head was still bleeding slightly, despite the handkerchief I had pressed against the wound.

I kept glancing at him while he drove.

Every few seconds, my eyes returned to the small stain of blood on the white cloth.

"You should go to a hospital."

"I'm fine."

"You were hit in the head."

"I've survived worse."

"That's not reassuring."

He smiled faintly.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For worrying you."

I looked out the window.

"I wasn't worried."

He laughed softly.

"You hugged me."

"I was scared."

"Of losing me?"

I turned toward him.

"Don't push your luck."

His smile widened.

For the first time that night, I smiled too.

But it disappeared quickly.

Because I remembered the photograph.

THE HEIR.

THE PROTECTOR.

THE KEY.

THE GIRL KNOWS.

And one sentence kept echoing inside my head.

When the girl learns the truth, the Cross heir must choose.

What was Adrian supposed to choose?

His family?

Or me?

---

We stopped at a small twenty-four-hour clinic near the university.

The nurse cleaned Adrian's wound.

"It's not deep," she said. "But you should rest."

Adrian nodded.

I stood beside him.

The nurse looked at me.

"Are you his sister?"

Adrian nearly laughed.

"No."

The nurse smiled.

"Girlfriend?"

Both of us froze.

"No," I answered immediately.

Adrian looked at me.

"Not yet."

I stared at him.

The nurse laughed.

"Young people."

She left.

I crossed my arms.

"Not yet?"

He smiled.

"I was joking."

"Don't."

"Why?"

"Because we're investigating a criminal conspiracy."

"And?"

"And this isn't the time for jokes."

He looked at me.

"Maybe that's exactly why we need them."

I couldn't argue with that.

---

We returned to the university the following morning.

Neither of us had gone home.

The moment we entered the law library, Professor Reyes approached us.

Her eyes immediately went to Adrian's bandage.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," he said.

She looked at me.

I didn't answer.

Her expression became suspicious.

"Where were you?"

"Professor—"

"I need the truth."

I looked at Adrian.

Then back at her.

"We found something."

"What?"

I handed her the photograph from the hidden room.

She stared at it.

The color drained from her face.

"Where did you get this?"

"An abandoned warehouse."

"Whose?"

"Cross Holdings."

She looked at Adrian.

"Did you go there?"

"Yes."

"Alone?"

"No."

Her eyes returned to me.

"Serena, you shouldn't be involved in this."

I felt my patience disappear.

"Everyone keeps telling me that."

"Because you're in danger."

"I know."

"Then stop."

"No."

She sighed.

"You don't understand what you're dealing with."

"Then explain it."

She remained silent.

I stepped closer.

"You knew my father."

"Yes."

"You knew Marcus."

"Yes."

"You knew Victor."

"Yes."

"And you knew Adrian."

She looked at him.

"Yes."

"Then you know what happened that night."

"I know part of it."

"Tell me."

She shook her head.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I'm afraid."

The admission surprised me.

"Of whom?"

She looked toward the library entrance.

Then lowered her voice.

"Of the person who has been watching you."

My stomach tightened.

"You know who it is?"

"No."

"But you know they're powerful."

She nodded.

"Powerful enough to make people disappear."

I thought of Adrian's mother.

"Where is Adrian's mother?"

Professor Reyes looked at Adrian.

"I don't know."

His jaw tightened.

"Someone has her."

"I know."

"Then help us."

"I am trying."

"How?"

She hesitated.

Then whispered:

"By finding the person your father trusted most."

I frowned.

"Marcus?"

She shook her head.

"Not Marcus."

"Then who?"

She looked directly at me.

"Your mother."

---

My mother.

Again.

It seemed that every path led back to her.

I left the library with Adrian.

Neither of us spoke.

Finally, he asked:

"Are you okay?"

"No."

He nodded.

"Me neither."

I stopped walking.

"Why does everyone keep saying my mother knows something?"

"Because she probably does."

"But she wouldn't hurt Dad."

"I don't think she did."

"Then what did she do?"

He looked at me.

"Maybe she made a deal."

My heart tightened.

"The man at the warehouse said she traded Dad's life for mine."

Adrian's expression darkened.

"I know."

"What if it's true?"

"Then we'll find out."

"And if it is?"

"Then we'll deal with it."

I looked at him.

"How?"

"Together."

That word again.

Together.

Somehow, it was becoming our shield.

---

That afternoon, we went to my house.

My mother wasn't home.

I called her.

No answer.

Again.

Nothing.

Adrian looked around.

"Maybe she's at work."

"She doesn't work on Sundays."

He frowned.

"Where would she go?"

"I don't know."

I entered her room.

Something felt wrong.

The drawers were open.

Her closet had been searched.

Papers were scattered across the floor.

I rushed inside.

"Someone's been here."

Adrian followed.

He examined the room.

"Nothing looks stolen."

"Then what were they looking for?"

He looked at the desk.

"Documents."

I opened the drawers.

Nothing.

Then I remembered something.

"My mother keeps important things in the sewing box."

I opened it.

Thread.

Needles.

Buttons.

Nothing.

Adrian lifted the bottom.

There was a hidden compartment.

Inside was an envelope.

I pulled it out.

My name was written on it.

SERENA.

My heart pounded.

I opened it.

A letter.

My mother's handwriting.

I began reading.

My daughter,

If you're reading this, then I've failed to keep you away from the truth.

My eyes filled with tears.

I know you will hate me.

I looked at Adrian.

He remained silent.

I continued.

But I need you to understand one thing.

Your father didn't die because of Victor Cross.

My breathing stopped.

He died because he refused to give them what they wanted.

I swallowed.

And what they wanted was you.

I stared at the page.

"What?"

Adrian stepped closer.

"What does it say?"

I handed him the letter.

He read.

His expression changed.

I continued.

When you were born, your father discovered that your birth had been connected to a secret agreement between several families.

I frowned.

You were not supposed to know.

You were supposed to become the successor.

My hands trembled.

"Successor?"

Adrian looked at me.

"Of what?"

I continued reading.

The people involved believed that one day you would inherit everything your father had built.

But your father refused to let them use you.

That was why they wanted him silent.

I couldn't breathe.

Then came the final paragraph.

Adrian Cross was the only person your father trusted from that family.

I looked at Adrian.

He was staring at the letter.

Your father believed that if anything happened to him, Adrian would protect you.

I felt tears falling.

Then the final line.

If Adrian is still beside you, trust him.

I lowered the letter.

Neither of us spoke.

Then Adrian whispered:

"Your father knew."

"Knew what?"

"That I would find you."

I looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

He reached into his pocket.

Slowly, he pulled out a small object.

A silver necklace.

I recognized it immediately.

It had belonged to my father.

"Where did you get that?"

"He gave it to me."

My heart stopped.

"When?"

"That night."

I stared at him.

"You had it all these years?"

He nodded.

"He told me to give it to you when you were ready."

I took the necklace.

My fingers trembled.

On the back was an engraving.

S.V.

My initials.

"Why didn't you give it to me before?"

"Because I didn't know when you were ready."

I looked at him.

"And now?"

"Now I think you are."

He gently placed the necklace around my neck.

His fingers brushed my skin.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then he whispered:

"Your father trusted me with your life."

I looked into his eyes.

"And now?"

His voice softened.

"Now I want to protect more than your life."

My heart skipped.

"Adrian..."

He leaned closer.

I could feel his breath.

But before either of us could say anything—

A loud crash came from downstairs.

We pulled apart.

Adrian immediately grabbed my hand.

We ran downstairs.

The front door was open.

The curtains moved in the wind.

On the floor was a broken picture frame.

The photograph inside was gone.

I looked around.

"Someone was here."

Adrian nodded.

Then he noticed something on the wall.

Written in black ink:

YOU SHOULD HAVE LET THE PAST DIE.

My heart raced.

Then my phone rang.

Unknown number.

I answered.

"Hello?"

No response.

Then a man's voice.

Calm.

Cold.

"Your father was a fool."

I froze.

"Who are you?"

"You've inherited his stubbornness."

"Where is my mother?"

A quiet laugh.

"She's alive."

"Let her go."

"You want your mother?"

"Yes."

"Then stop investigating."

"No."

The man paused.

"You sound like your father."

"I'll find you."

"I know."

"Where is she?"

"Ask Adrian."

I looked at him.

"What does that mean?"

The call ended.

I lowered the phone.

Adrian's face was pale.

"What did he say?"

"He said to ask you."

"About what?"

"I don't know."

Adrian suddenly looked toward the necklace around my neck.

His expression changed.

"What?"

He stepped closer.

"Give me that."

I touched the necklace.

"Why?"

"Because I remember something."

"What?"

He stared at the engraving.

"S.V."

"Yes."

He swallowed.

"Those aren't your initials."

I frowned.

"What?"

He turned the necklace over.

There was another engraving I hadn't noticed.

Tiny letters.

S.V. — SUBJECT V

My blood ran cold.

"Subject?"

Adrian stared at me.

"Your father wasn't protecting you because you were his daughter."

"What?"

"He was protecting you because..."

He stopped.

"Because you were part of the experiment."

I stared at him.

"What experiment?"

He shook his head.

"I don't know."

Then he looked at the necklace again.

"But I remember hearing one word that night."

"What word?"

He whispered:

"Project."

My heart stopped.

"Project what?"

Before he could answer, the lights in the house suddenly went out.

Darkness swallowed us.

Then a voice came through the speakers of my mother's television.

A recorded voice.

My father's voice.

"If you're hearing this, Serena..."

I froze.

"...then the people who came for you have finally found you."

Adrian grabbed my hand.

The recording continued.

"Don't trust the person who tells you the truth."

A pause.

Then my father's final words:

"Because the person who knows the truth... is the person who caused it."

The television went black.

I looked at Adrian.

He looked at me.

And for the first time since we began this investigation...

I wondered whether the person standing beside me was really my protector.

Or whether he had been part of the secret all along.