Chapter 245: Traitor

Chapter 245: Traitor
Jasmine's POV

Something flashed in her eyes—longing, regret, resignation. "I've made arrangements. A new identity, somewhere far from here, far from my father's reach. If I survive that long."

"You really believe he would harm his own daughter?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. Heinrich Weiss had proven himself capable of extraordinary ruthlessness.

"He sees me as a traitor now," Eva said simply. "In his world, there's only one punishment for betrayal."

Louis was quiet for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he said, "If your father's information is genuine, if it helps us identify this traitor, I'll ensure your safety. New identity, new location, enough resources to start over."

I stiffened in surprise, but kept silent. This was Louis's decision to make.

Eva's eyes widened slightly. "Why would you do that? After everything I've done?"

"You saved my life," Louis said simply. "Both at the beginning, when you nursed me back to health, and at the end, when you took a bullet meant for me. It doesn't erase the years of deception, but it counts for something."

Tears filled Eva's eyes. "I'm sorry, Louis. For everything. I know that's not enough, that it changes nothing, but I need to say it."

Louis nodded once, acceptance but not forgiveness. "Tell us how to contact your father. We'll consider his proposal and communicate our decision through Marcus."

After Eva had provided the contact protocol, we prepared to leave. As Louis's wheelchair was turned toward the door, Eva called out one last thing.

"Louis, Jasmine—be careful who you trust with this..."

"Do you believe her?" I asked Louis quietly as we made our way to the elevator.

His jaw tightened. "I believe she believes it. Whether Heinrich's information is accurate or just another manipulation is another question entirely."

Marcus remained silent until we were safely in the car, hospital security cameras well behind us. "I'll need to handle this personally," he said finally, his voice grim.

"It could be anyone," Louis finished, staring out the window at the passing city lights. "Someone who's had access to family information, someone we've trusted."

Back at the house, Richard was waiting for us, his expression darkening as Marcus briefed him on our meeting with Eva. "A traitor?" he repeated, voice dangerously low. "Within the family?"

"Not necessarily family by blood," Marcus clarified. "But someone close enough to have access to sensitive information. Someone who's been feeding intelligence to Heinrich for years."

Richard poured himself a drink, his movements controlled but tense. "And Heinrich's offering to identify this person in exchange for—what, exactly? Immunity?"

"A truce," Louis said, easing himself carefully into a chair. "He stays away from us, we stay away from him. He also wants assurance we won't pursue Eva."

"Which we've already decided," I added, taking the seat beside Louis, my hand finding his.

Richard nodded thoughtfully. "The question is whether we can trust anything Heinrich says. This could be another trap."

"It could be," Marcus agreed. "But what if it's not?"

A heavy silence fell over the room.

"We can't risk ignoring this," I said finally. "But we also can't blindly trust Heinrich's information."

Marcus leaned forward, his expression resolute. "I have a suggestion. We accept Heinrich's offer, but with conditions. We want proof—something concrete that identifies the traitor beyond any doubt."

"And we provide a test," Louis added, his mind clearly working through the problem. "Feed different pieces of information to different people, see which piece reaches Heinrich."

Richard nodded approvingly.

"And when Heinrich acts on one of those narratives," Marcus concluded, "we'll know exactly who betrayed us."

The plan took shape over the next hour, carefully constructed to minimize risk while maximizing the chance of exposing the traitor. By the time we finished, it was well past midnight, and Louis was visibly exhausted, though he tried to hide it.

"You need rest," I told him firmly, brooking no argument. "We all do. Nothing more can be done tonight."

Reluctantly, Louis agreed, and I helped him upstairs to our bedroom.

"It's never really over, is it?" he said quietly as I helped him into bed. "Just when we think we're safe, there's something else. Someone else."

I slid in beside him, careful of his healing injuries. "We'll get through this," I promised. "Just like we've gotten through everything else."

Louis pulled me closer, burying his face in my hair. "I sometimes wish we could just disappear. Take Grace and go somewhere no one could find us."

"We could," I replied.

He was quiet for so long I thought he might have fallen asleep. Then, softly: "Maybe someday. But not running away. Moving forward, on our terms."

I smiled against his chest. "On our terms. I like that."

Over the next week, our plan unfolded with precision.

Marcus handled communication with Heinrich personally. And we waited.

The betrayal, when it came, was still painful despite our preparation. Ryan Cooper, Louis's nightclub manager for years, a man who had been welcomed into family gatherings, who had sent gifts when Grace was born. He had been Heinrich's eyes and ears within the Mitchell organization all along.

"I didn't want to believe it," Louis said quietly as Marcus showed us the irrefutable evidence—recordings, financial transactions, the specific false information that had made its way back to Heinrich. "He was at our wedding, Jasmine. He helped carry my coffin at my funeral."

The arrest was handled discreetly, away from the estate, away from the press. Ryan didn't deny his actions when confronted, just asked about his family's safety—his wife and young daughter, innocent of his betrayal.

"His family will be provided for," Richard assured Louis later that evening. "Whatever his crimes, they shouldn't suffer for them."

Louis nodded, his expression still haunted. "And Heinrich?"

"Keeping his distance, as agreed," Marcus reported. "He got what he wanted."

As the night deepened around us, Louis stood carefully and walked to the window, looking out at the moonlit garden where Grace had played earlier that day, her laughter a healing balm to all of us.

"It's really over now," he said softly. "The traitor exposed, Alan in prison, Heinrich neutralized." He turned back to us, a smile touching his lips. "Maybe now we can focus on the future."

I went to him, sliding my arm around his waist, feeling the solid warmth of him beside me. "That sounds perfect," I whispered.