Chapter 104 The freaking meeting

Chapter 104 The freaking meeting
"Don't go." Beck's voice cut through the dark, sharp and urgent. He was standing in the doorway, still in his practice gear, his hair wet and his eyes wild. "I saw the text. You left your phone on the counter."

I stared at him. "You followed me."

"I followed the truth." He crossed the room and grabbed my shoulders. "You were going to walk into another trap alone."

"I had to."

"No, you didn't."

I pulled away. "Whoever sent that text knows something about the network. About Diana. About everything."

"Then we go together." His voice was final, brooking no argument. "We're done with secrets."

The old rink loomed out of the darkness, its windows shattered, its doors chained. The moon was hidden behind clouds, and the only light came from a single flickering bulb inside. Beck's truck was parked a block away, hidden behind a crumbling brick building. We'd walked the rest of the way in silence, our footsteps echoing off the empty streets.

I pushed open the rusted side door. It groaned in protest, the sound sharp and piercing in the quiet. Inside, the air was cold and heavy, thick with dust and memories. "Hello?" My voice echoed off the walls.

A figure stepped out of the shadows. Diana. She was older than I remembered, her dark hair streaked with silver, her eyes sharp and tired. "You came."

"You said you had information."

"I do." She gestured to the bench. "Sit."

I didn't sit. Beck stayed close, his hand resting on my lower back. "Why should we trust you?"

"Because I'm the only one who knows the truth about your mother's network." Diana's voice was flat. "Margaret ran the show. But she wasn't the only player. There were others. People who used her, manipulated her, and eventually abandoned her."

"Who?"

"Your father." She looked at me. "He wasn't just an informant. He was a key player. He fed information to Victoria, yes. But he also helped Margaret escape the first time."

My blood ran cold. "He helped her?"

"He gave her money. A safe house. A new identity. He's been playing both sides for years." Diana pulled out a folder. "I have proof. Bank records, emails, photographs."

Beck took the folder. "Why didn't you come forward sooner?"

"Because I was afraid. Margaret had people everywhere. If I'd spoken up, I would have been dead within the week." She looked at me. "I'm telling you now because your father is planning something. He's been meeting with Victoria's contacts. He's trying to rebuild the network."

I stared at her. "Why?"

"Because he's afraid. He's been living in the shadows for years, and now that Margaret is in custody, he knows it's only a matter of time before the truth comes out. He's trying to build a new power base, a new web to protect himself."

Beck's jaw tightened. "Where is he now?"

"I don't know. But I know where he's going." She pulled out a slip of paper. "An address. A warehouse on the edge of the city. He's meeting with someone tomorrow night."

She handed me the paper. "Do what you want with it."

We sat in the truck, the slip of paper burning a hole in my palm. Beck didn't start the engine. He just sat there, staring at the windshield.

"Ivy."

"I know what you're going to say."

"Then say it for me."

I turned to look at him. "My father has been lying to me my whole life. He helped Margaret escape. He's been rebuilding her network. He's been playing everyone."

"And now you have to decide what to do with that information."

"I have to stop him."

He reached across the console and took my hand. "Then we stop him together."

I squeezed his fingers. "What if he's dangerous?"

"Then we'll be ready."

He leaned over and kissed me. Not soft, not gentle. His lips were urgent, hungry, like he was trying to memorize the shape of my mouth. "I love you," he whispered against my lips.

"I know."

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

"I know."

"Not your father. Not your mother. Not anyone."

I pulled back, my forehead resting against his. "Then let's go."

The warehouse was on the edge of the industrial district, surrounded by empty lots and rusted fences. We parked a block away and walked the rest of the way, staying in the shadows. A single light flickered inside.

Through a grimy window, I could see my father. He was standing at a table, a phone pressed to his ear. His voice was low, urgent.

"...no, I told you, she doesn't know anything. She's just a kid."

A pause. Then: "She's not going to be a problem. I'll make sure of it."

My blood ran cold. Beck grabbed my arm.

"Don't."

"I need to hear this."

He let go, but stayed close. We crept closer to the window.

The door behind us creaked open. I spun around. A figure stepped out of the shadows. A woman. Young, dark hair, sharp eyes.

"Ivy." Her voice was calm. "I've been waiting for you."

"Who are you?"

"Someone who's been watching your family for a long time." She stepped into the light. "My name is Lena. I'm your father's daughter."

I stared at her. "Lena is in a safe house."

"No." She smiled. "That was a decoy. I've been here the whole time."

Beck stepped in front of me. "What do you want?"

"I want to help you. Your father is dangerous. He's planning to run, to take everything and disappear. I want to stop him."

"Why should we trust you?"

"Because I'm the only one who knows where he's going." She held out her hand. "Come with me. I'll show you."

We followed Lena through the warehouse. She moved like a ghost, silent and certain. She led us to a back room, where a safe sat open on a table.

"He's been hiding money here," she said. "Cash, documents, fake passports. He's been planning this for years."

I looked at the safe. Thousands of dollars. Multiple passports. A stack of papers.

"Why are you helping us?"

"Because he abandoned me." Her voice cracked. "He chose Victoria over my mother. He chose the network over his own daughter. I've been waiting for years to get revenge."

I turned to face her. "That's not a good enough reason."

"Maybe not. But it's the only one I have."

Beck put his hand on my shoulder. "We need to go. He's going to find us."

We turned to leave. My father was standing in the doorway.

"Lena." His voice was ice. "I should have known."

"Dad." She didn't flinch. "You should have stayed away."

He pulled a gun. "You've made a mistake."

The gun was aimed at my chest. My father's hands were steady, his eyes cold.

"Ivy, you shouldn't have come here."

"Dad, please."

"I'm sorry." His voice cracked. "But I can't let you stop me."

Beck stepped in front of me. "You'll have to go through me."

"I will."

"Then do it."

The warehouse door burst open. Elena, flanked by officers, her gun raised. "Drop the weapon!"

My father hesitated. Then he lowered the gun.

"It's over," Elena said.

He looked at me. "I did what I had to do."

"You did what you wanted to do."

He didn't deny it.

The officers cuffed him. He didn't resist.

Lena watched from the shadows.

I looked at her. "Why?"

"Because I wanted to see him fall." She walked away.

Beck pulled me into his arms.

"It's over."

"Is it?"

The warehouse was silent.

The dark was still there.

But I was still standing.