Chapter 7: The Survivor From Pier 44
For several seconds, nobody in the room moved.
Not me.
Not Ewan.
Not Marco.
It was as if the entire house had stopped breathing.
The voice on the phone continued.
"Are you still there?""
I forced myself to answer.
"Yes.""
My voice sounded distant.
"Who else survived?""
The woman hesitated.
And that hesitation told me the answer mattered.
More than anything else she could have said.
"I can't tell you over the phone.""
I looked at Ewan.
He was staring at me.
"What is your location?""
I asked.
"I will send it.""
"Why should I trust you?""
A quiet breath came through the line.
"You shouldn't.""
The answer surprised me.
"Then why call?""
"Because six years ago, I made a mistake.""
"What mistake?""
The woman became quiet.
Then she said:
"I helped your father hide what happened.""
My chest tightened.
"Who are you?""
"My name is Isabella Vale.""
I looked at Marco.
He immediately searched the name on his phone.
A few seconds later, his face changed.
"Lucian.""
I covered the receiver.
"What?""
He looked at the screen.
"She's real.""
"Who is she?""
Marco swallowed.
"She was an investigator for the company that insured Pier 44.""
I looked back at the phone.
"An investigator?""
"Yes.""
The woman's voice came through.
"You found out.""
I frowned.
"You knew I would search.""
"I knew you would eventually.""
The way she said it bothered me.
Not like she was guessing.
Like she had been waiting.
"Send me the location.""
"I will.""
"And Isabella?""
"Yes?""
"If this is a trap...""
I didn't finish.
I didn't need to.
Her voice became quieter.
"Then you will finally know who your real enemy is.""
The call ended.
The location led us to an old church outside the city.
Abandoned.
Forgotten.
The kind of place people passed without noticing.
Marco hated it immediately.
"Too open.""
I looked at him.
"You think someone is waiting?""
"I think everyone is waiting.""
He wasn't wrong.
After everything that happened, trust had become a luxury I couldn't afford.
Ewan stood beside the car.
He looked at the building.
"I know this place.""
I turned.
"What?""
He looked uncomfortable.
"I came here after I left Chicago.""
"Why?""
He didn't answer.
That was becoming a habit.
I stepped closer.
"No more.""
He looked at me.
"No more what?""
"No more half-truths.""
His expression softened.
"You're right.""
"Then talk.""
Ewan looked at the church.
"After the fire, Celeste moved me between safe locations. But she wasn't the only person helping me.""
"Who else?""
He looked toward the building.
"Isabella.""
I froze.
"You knew her?""
"Yes.""
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I didn't know if she was still alive.""
Marco interrupted.
"That's not possible.""
We looked at him.
He held up his phone.
"Her official record says she died three years ago.""
The three of us stared at each other.
Another dead person.
Another person who wasn't supposed to exist.
My patience disappeared.
"Everyone in this story is either dead or lying.""
Ewan looked at me.
"Welcome to the truth.""
Inside the church, the air smelled like dust and old wood.
The lights flickered above us.
We walked toward the altar.
Nobody spoke.
Then a woman stepped out from behind a column.
She looked nothing like I expected.
No dramatic entrance.
No fear.
No attempt to appear powerful.
Just a woman in her late forties with tired eyes and a scar near her wrist.
She looked at Ewan first.
Then me.
And tears immediately filled her eyes.
"You look like him.""
I stopped.
"Who?""
She looked at me.
"Your father.""
I didn't like hearing that.
Not anymore.
"Tell me what happened.""
She nodded slowly.
"Before I do, I need you to understand something.""
I waited.
"Your father was not the only person who made choices that night.""
My expression hardened.
"Everyone keeps defending him.""
"I'm not defending him.""
She stepped closer.
"I'm explaining him.""
"There's a difference?""
"Yes.""
She looked at Ewan.
"Because your father made terrible decisions.""
Then at me.
"But he was trying to stop something worse.""
I crossed my arms.
"What?""
Isabella took a deep breath.
"The Moretti family had been infiltrated.""
"Elias.""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
I looked at Ewan.
"But Elias said my father knew.""
"He did.""
"Then why did my father order the fire?""
Isabella's face changed.
"Because he discovered the truth too late.""
She walked toward an old wooden table.
Then placed a folder on it.
"The fire was supposed to destroy one thing.""
She opened it.
Not money.
Not weapons.
Not business records.
Photographs.
Dozens of them.
My father.
Elias.
Victor.
And someone else.
A woman.
A young woman.
I picked up the photograph.
"Who is she?""
Isabella looked at me.
"Your father's daughter.""
The room went silent.
I stared.
"What?""
She nodded.
"Your half-sister.""
The words made no sense.
"My father had no daughter.""
"That's what he wanted everyone to believe.""
Ewan looked shocked.
Even he didn't know.
I turned toward him.
"You didn't know?""
He shook his head slowly.
"No.""
Isabella continued.
"Her name is Sophia Moretti.""
I looked back at the photograph.
A woman I had never heard of.
A person who had apparently existed my entire life.
Another secret.
Another piece missing from my family.
"Where is she?""
Isabella's expression changed.
"That's why I contacted you.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why?""
"Because Sophia is the reason Pier 44 happened.""
I stared.
"Explain.""
Isabella looked at Ewan.
"Your brother discovered that Sophia had evidence against Elias.""
Ewan nodded slowly.
"I remember.""
My eyes moved to him.
"What evidence?""
Isabella answered.
"Proof that Elias had been using the Moretti organization to build his own empire.""
She placed another photograph on the table.
A document.
Signed.
Stamped.
"Your father wanted to expose him.""
"Then why hide it?""
"Because Elias had already prepared for that.""
She looked at me.
"He threatened your family.""
My voice lowered.
"With what?""
Isabella looked directly at me.
"With your mother.""
A familiar pattern.
Everyone protected my mother.
Everyone used my mother.
I hated that.
"What happened at Pier 44?""
She looked down.
"The fire started after your father confronted Elias.""
"And Ewan?""
"He was there.""
I looked at my brother.
He nodded.
"I followed Father.""
"Why?""
"Because I knew something was wrong.""
His voice became quieter.
"When I arrived, they were arguing.""
"Who?""
"My father and Elias.""
I waited.
"Elias had Sophia.""
The room froze.
"What?""
Ewan closed his eyes.
"He was using her to force Father to stop investigating.""
I looked at Isabella.
"Did my father start the fire?""
She didn't answer immediately.
That scared me.
Finally:
"No.""
The word landed heavily.
"He didn't.""
I stared.
"Then who did?""
Isabella looked toward the church doors.
Like she was afraid someone could hear.
Then she whispered:
"Your mother.""
Nobody moved.
I felt the world tilt.
"My mother?""
Isabella nodded.
"Your mother started the fire.""
Ewan looked horrified.
"No.""
"Yes.""
"That's impossible.""
Isabella looked at him.
"You were there, Ewan.""
His face changed.
Like a memory had returned.
"No...""
"What?""
He stepped back.
"I remember the fire.""
I looked at him.
"What do you remember?""
His breathing became uneven.
"I remember someone screaming.""
"Who?""
He looked at me.
His eyes filled with fear.
"Mother.""
The silence afterward was unbearable.
My phone suddenly vibrated.
A message.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
One sentence.
*Stop looking for answers you cannot survive.*
Then another message appeared.
A photo.
My mother.
Sitting inside her bedroom.
Alive.
Awake.
And standing behind her was Sophia Moretti.
The sister I never knew existed.
But the message beneath the photo was what made my blood freeze.
*She knows what your father did.*
May you like
A second message arrived.
*And she knows what you did too.*
