The Memory Keeper: Twisted Roots

Chapter 26: Leverage and Lies

My stomach twisted at her words. "Khai, that's dangerous. What if something happens to you? What if—"

She gently pressed a finger to my lips, silencing me. "Nothing will happen to me. Okay? Trust me."

Then, she pulled me aside, away from Ikaris and Therese. Her voice dropped to a serious whisper. "The Black Book—Waddles. Where is he?"

I took a shaky breath. "He's hidden beneath the carpet in the living room. There's a small safe underneath. The password is your name in numbers—Khai, 5424."

She nodded, memorizing it in an instant. I reached into my bag and pulled out my apartment key, pressing it into her palm.

"Here. Take this."

Khai closed her fingers around the key, her grip firm. Our eyes met, and for a fleeting second, I saw something there—something unspoken, something heavy.

"Be careful," I whispered.

She gave me a small, reassuring smirk. "You too."

And just like that, we went our separate ways.

The private jet touched down in Chicago just before dawn. As I stepped onto the tarmac, Frederick's men were already waiting.

"Ms. Stanton, your father is expecting you at the safe house," one of them said, his voice gruff yet formal.

I nodded but didn't move. "Before that, take me to Rain's apartment. I need to pick up something."

The man hesitated for a second before giving a curt nod. "Understood."

A short drive later, we pulled up in front of Rain's apartment building. The moment I stepped inside, an eerie silence settled over me, pressing against my skin like a warning. The place had been ransacked—furniture overturned, shattered glass glinting under the dim glow of the hallway light.

My jaw clenched. Whoever had done this wasn't just looking for something. They wanted to send a message.

Ignoring the wreckage, I made my way to the living room, my boots crunching over broken pieces of a picture frame. I knelt down, peeled back the carpet, and found the small safe exactly where Rain said it would be.

5424.

The lock clicked open, revealing Waddles tucked inside. I lifted the stuffed penguin and quickly unzipped the hidden pocket, retrieving the Black Book and the USB.

Got it.

I exhaled and stood up, tucking them securely into my jacket.

Then, without wasting another second, I turned to Frederick's men. "Let's go."

We drove straight to the safe house, where Frederick Whitmore was already waiting for me.

The drive to the safe house was long, stretching into an hour as we left the city behind. The roads thinned out, buildings gave way to dense woods, and the sky darkened with looming storm clouds.

I kept my eyes on the road ahead, gripping the Black Book tightly inside my jacket. Something about this felt off. Too quiet. Too easy.

Then—

BANG!

A deafening gunshot shattered the silence.

"GET DOWN!" someone shouted as the windshield exploded into shards.