Chapter 201

Chapter 201

Avery

I didn’t breathe.

The voice memo replayed in my head, over and over again, like a curse I couldn’t escape.

“Mommy? Why is that man standing in my room?”

Ryan’s voice. Tired. Soft. Innocent.

My stomach twisted, and I felt my knees buckle. Liam caught me before I could fall.

“Where’s Ryan?” I gasped. “Where the hell is he?!”

“He’s with Maya and two armed guards,” Tobias said immediately, already moving toward the hallway. “But we’re checking everything. Now.”

I didn’t wait.

I bolted from the room, heart pounding like a war drum, storming toward the secured guest room where we’d set Ryan up for the night. The door was shut, but not locked.

“Maya?” I called, voice shaking.

She opened it slowly, holding Ryan in her arms. He was rubbing his eyes, confused by all the noise.

“What’s happening?” she asked.

I rushed to them. “Did someone come in here tonight? Anyone?”

“No,” she frowned. “It’s been quiet. He just woke up about fifteen minutes ago, said he had a weird dream.”

My legs nearly gave out again.

“A dream?” I whispered, kneeling in front of him. “Sweetheart… what did you see?”

He blinked slowly, still groggy. “A man. He was tall. Standing near the window. But… I think I was dreaming.”

He pointed toward the window.

Tobias moved in fast, pulling back the curtains and scanning the area.

“Nothing out there now,” he muttered. “But this was too specific. Someone could’ve used a laser mic. Or—”

“They were watching,” Liam finished darkly from the doorway.

I stood and held Ryan close, kissing the top of his head even as my blood ran cold. “You’re safe now, baby. I promise.”

But I didn’t believe it.

Because I knew what this was.

They were playing a game.

A cruel, calculated psychological game.

And they were using my son as the board.

Thirty minutes later, after Liam had double-checked every lock, camera feed, and security guard’s shift, Tobias came in holding a small device.

“Found this taped under the windowsill,” he said, holding up a bug. “It’s been transmitting for days. That’s how they heard Ryan’s voice.”

My throat went dry.

“They were listening. The entire time.”

Liam looked ready to break something. “How did we miss this?”

“They’re professionals,” Tobias replied. “Someone’s funding them, giving them military-grade tools. I have a few guesses, but one of them…” He glanced at me. “It’s Evelyn.”

I didn’t flinch.

Not anymore.

She wanted me to crumble. Wanted to prove I wasn’t strong enough to play in her world.

But she’d underestimated the most dangerous kind of woman—one with everything to lose.

“We hit back,” I said. “Hard.”

Liam’s expression mirrored mine. “What’s your plan?”

I took a breath. “Evelyn wants a war. Let’s give her one.”

The next morning, I stepped out of the shadows—publicly.

A press release. A televised statement.

Avery Lockhart, twin sister of Evelyn Lockhart, reveals herself to the media.

I called her out.

Told the world that the Evelyn they trusted was a fraud.

That she’d manipulated investors, built a secret empire using deception, and threatened the life of my son.

I named names.

I backed it with the documents we stole.

And I made one final promise on live TV.

“I’m not afraid of her. She’s not the smarter twin. Or the more dangerous one. I am.”

The internet exploded.

Within minutes, Evelyn’s name trended across every platform. The stocks tied to her shell companies took a dive.

And behind the scenes, I knew she was seething.

Because I’d stolen her power.

And now, I was coming for the rest of it.

That night, a single black envelope arrived at the gates.

It wasn’t addressed to me.

It was for Liam.

He opened it, and his entire face went still.

I stepped closer, reading the card over his shoulder.

“She’s forcing your hand, Liam. Choose your family… or her.”

Inside the envelope was a second photo.

One of his father.

Alive.

Bound to a chair.

Bloodied.

Blinking toward the camera.

I covered my mouth in shock.

Tobias cursed under his breath. “They’ve been hiding him… this whole time.”

Liam said nothing.

He just stared at the photo.

A man he thought was dead.

And a decision that could break all of us.

Liam’s phone rings. The caller ID says: “Father.”

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