Chapter 39 New Threat
"We'll find her." Adrian's voice hardened. "She's the key to all of this. If we can catch her and make her talk, we might be able to unravel the whole network."
"You think Helena will talk?"
Adrian gave a grim smile. "She might not talk right away, but eventually, everyone does. Helena will too. The real question is how long she can hold out and what it will take to make her talk."
He paused, then added quietly, "She was closer to the people from the Consortium than anyone we've ever caught. If she is willing to reveal what she knows, it could bring down powerful people."
"That's true." Daniel nodded. "There are secrets only Helena has seen in close proximity. She might know some dangerous secrets that could destroy everything we've been fighting against."
A shadow crossed Adrian's eyes, and Eva felt a chill. She didn't want to imagine what he was thinking.
Eva's life was once simple. At that time, getting away from Derek's control felt like the hardest thing she would ever have to do.
Afterward, she thought that if she dealt with Reena, everything would finally be over. Then she could relax and focus on her children and her career.
Now, looking back, Eva saw how naive she had been.
Helena's call had shaken Eva deeply. She was terrified that her children could get caught up in this.
But when she looked around the room at her father, her brother, and the man she was starting to love, she felt something unexpected.
It wasn't fear. It was determination.
If she were alone, Helena's threat would have frightened her. But with her family beside her, Eva felt strong.
Whoever the Consortium was, Eva believed she could face them.
Still, every rumor she heard about the group pointed to a single, chilling truth: the Consortium never acted without a purpose.
They didn't just want control over families; they wanted them to obey, to have access to their secrets, and maybe something even more personal.
No one knew exactly what limits they would break to get what they wanted.
With her family's support, she had come this far. She had survived so much and uncovered truths that were supposed to stay hidden forever.
No matter who the Consortium was or what threats they sent, she would face them with her family by her side.
She would protect her children, no matter what.
And together, they would win.
The morning air was fresh and cold when Eva opened the front door of the Fransis estate.
She woke up early, unable to sleep. Her mind was full of thoughts about Helena, the Consortium, and what might happen next.
She hoped a walk in the gardens would help. Maybe the fresh air and quiet would give her a moment to calm down before another busy day began.
Instead, she found an envelope lying on the floor.
It was white, with no sender's name. It lay on the stone steps, as if someone had just left it there.
Eva knew she shouldn't touch it. She should have called security, told Adrian, and done what she was supposed to.
But something inside her, maybe instinct or a new kind of courage, made her reach down and pick it up.
She searched for any clue about the sender but found nothing.
There was no stamp or return address, just her name written in fancy handwriting on the front.
Eva.
A shiver ran through her.
The envelope was light and thin. Inside, she felt the edges of something that might be a photograph.
Eva's fingers shook as she broke the seal.
A photograph slid out.
Her heart stopped.
It was a picture of Lily and Ethan at school.
She was sure the photo was from yesterday. She recognized Lily's purple backpack, the one Lily always carried, even though the straps were falling apart.
In the photo, Lily and Ethan walked across the playground, laughing at something, completely unaware that someone was taking their picture.
Someone had been spying on her kids.
A sudden wave of fear hit Eva's chest. She gasped, and her hands began to shake.
Her heart raced wildly, making her feel dizzy, as if the world was spinning beneath her feet.
A strong, basic fear took hold of her, overwhelming her, and for a moment, Eva froze: she could almost hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
Someone had gotten close to them, too. They had found her kids.
Eva flipped the photograph over. On the back, written in the same elegant script:
"You know what to do, right? Cooperate, or lose everything you love. Choice is yours. - Consortium."
The world felt like it was spinning.
Eva stepped back, her shoulder hitting the doorframe. The photo slipped from her hand and fell to the floor like a falling leaf.
No.
No.
No. No. No. Not her children. Not Lily and Ethan. They were supposed to be safe. She had changed their school and hired guards to protect them. She had done everything she could to protect them.
Yet someone still got close enough to take their photo.
How could this happen? Why?
"Eva?"
Adrian's voice cut through her panic. She looked up and saw him coming down the hallway, his face changing from curious to worried when he saw how pale she was.
"What happened? What's wrong? You look sick. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Adrian hurried over, checking her for any sign of injury.
Eva couldn't speak. She just pointed at the photo on the ground.
Adrian followed her gaze and saw the photo on the floor, facedown. He picked it up, read the message, and then turned it over to see Lily and Ethan's smiling faces.
His entire demeanor transformed.
The warm, caring man Eva had been getting to know was gone.
In his place stood the ruthless billionaire, the man who had survived attempts on his life, defeated his enemies, and built a business from the mistakes of those who underestimated him.
As Adrian looked at the photograph, memories came to him: the time he found a threatening note under his office door, the long nights spent planning every possible escape route, the feeling of cold resolve that had helped him through every crisis before.
Adrian had never backed down from a threat, and he would not start now.
Beneath the rage and fear, his determination hardened. He would protect his family, no matter what it cost him.
Adrian's eyes turned cold. His jaw tightened. When he spoke, his voice was hard.
"Get the children. We're leaving now."