My Childhood Crush Knocked on My Door After 15 Years… She Was Holding a Letter With My Name On It.
Chapter 10
Michael admitted the truth the next morning.
He had been working with Daniel from the beginning.
The symbol was their private code.
Michael had helped Daniel collect evidence.
But after Daniel died, Michael became afraid.
He ran.
“I thought I was protecting myself,” Michael said.
“You were protecting the evidence,” Ethan replied.
Michael shook his head.
“I was protecting you.”
He explained that Daniel had suspected the organization would target Ethan eventually.
So they created a contingency plan.
If Claire ever returned with the letter, Michael would reveal the final location.
A server hidden beneath an abandoned Chicago theater.
The theater had been closed for years.
They entered through a side door.
Beneath the stage, they found a steel staircase.
At the bottom was a small server room.
Michael entered a password.
The screens came alive.
Thousands of files appeared.
Financial records.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
Photographs.
Videos.
Evidence covering fifteen years.
Ethan realized Daniel had succeeded.
He had gathered everything.
But there was one problem.
The files were encrypted and could not be released without a second key.
Michael looked at Claire.
“Your father had it.”
“Where?”
“He gave it to Thomas.”
They returned to Thomas.
He was still under protective custody.
When Claire showed him the letter, he finally stopped lying.
“Robert knew he was going to be exposed,” Thomas said.
“He created Northstar as leverage.”
“Against whom?”
“Everyone.”
Thomas revealed that Robert had copied evidence against politicians, developers, bankers, and executives.
He planned to use it to protect himself.
But Daniel discovered the archive.
Robert ordered Thomas to retrieve it.
Thomas refused.
That was when Robert turned against him.
“So you helped Daniel?” Ethan asked.
Thomas nodded.
“I tried.”
“Why didn’t you save him?”
Thomas looked down.
“I was too late.”
He removed a small key from his pocket.
“This opens the second archive.”
Ethan took it.
“Why help us now?”
Thomas looked at Claire.
“Because your father destroyed enough lives.”
He handed Ethan a flash drive.
“This is everything I have.”
The second archive contained the missing evidence.
It proved that Daniel’s accident had been caused intentionally.
The brakes on his car had been tampered with.
Michael’s disappearance had been ordered.
Ethan’s father had been framed.
And Claire’s letter had been intercepted.
The person who ordered it all was not Robert.
It was Victor Shaw.
But Victor had died two years ago.
Ethan frowned.
“Then who continued the operation?”
Thomas looked terrified.
“His daughter.”
“Who?”
Thomas didn’t answer.
Claire opened the file.
A photograph appeared.
Ethan recognized the woman.
His blood turned cold.
She had been at the storage facility.
She had been outside Claire’s mother’s house.
She had been in the black SUV.
And she was someone Ethan knew.
Someone he had trusted.
His former business partner.
Rachel Morgan.
Ethan whispered,
“No.”
Rachel had worked beside him for six years.
She had helped build his architecture firm.
She knew his schedule.
His passwords.
His projects.
She knew everything.
And now Ethan understood how his digital signature had been forged.
Rachel had access.
Claire looked at him.
“She used you.”
Ethan shook his head.
“There has to be another explanation.”
His phone rang.
Rachel.
He answered.
“Ethan.”
Her voice was calm.
“You found it.”
Ethan said nothing.
Rachel continued.
“I hoped you’d never find the archive.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You tried to kill people.”
“I tried to survive.”
“Rachel, stop.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand enough.”
Silence.
Then she said,
“The tower collapses tomorrow.”
Ethan’s blood ran cold.
“Why?”
“Because when it falls, Northstar disappears.”
“How?”
“Every server connected to the system will be wiped.”
Rachel’s voice softened.
“And you will be blamed.”
The call ended.
Ethan looked at Claire.
They had less than twenty-four hours.
