On my way to Dr. Felix's room my phone vibrated.
A message.
From Elorah.
"Who are you? Can you give me the evidence in exchange for money? Name your price."
I stopped walking.
For a moment, I just stared at the screen, my brows slowly knitting together.
Money?
Elorah… offering money?
That didn't make sense.
The last time I checked, she wasn't financially stable. Even the money she had received years ago should have been long gone by now. Elorah wasn't the type to save, she spent recklessly, lived impulsively.
So where was this confidence coming from? Or better yet… who was backing her? A slow, dangerous thought crept into my mind. There's something I'm missing.
I was still contemplating whether to reply when raised voices interrupted my thoughts.
Judy.
She was yelling.
I instinctively slowed my steps as I approached the door, my ears catching every word.
"…you're mafia?!" she half-yelled, her voice shaking with disbelief and anger. "All this time, Felix? You never told me? Not once? I never even suspected!"
Dr. Felix's voice came softer, trying to calm her. "Judy, listen to me"
"I won't listen!" she snapped, louder this time. "Do you even understand what this means? My life is at stake every single day just by being with you!"
Silence followed briefly, then her voice dropped more dangerous, more real.
"You don't even know how many people want you dead. But I do. And I know one thing for sure…"
A pause.
"I'm your weakness."
My chest tightened slightly.
"And you know how that ends."
The door flew open.
Judy stormed out, only to stop abruptly when she saw me standing there.
For a second, I expected her to ignore me and walk past.
But she didn't.
She let out a low, mocking snicker.
"So," she said, folding her arms, eyes filled with accusation. "Even if you didn't want to be my friend… you couldn't give me a hint?"
I said nothing.
"That he's mafia?" she continued, her voice dripping with bitterness. "Now it makes sense. How you got past those guards in seconds… how you pointed a gun at his father's head like it was nothing."
Her eyes locked into mine.
"I hate you."
For a brief moment… something twisted inside me.
Guilt.
A feeling I wasn't used to.
But I buried it quickly, my face turning cold, unreadable.
Like it didn't concern me.
Like she didn't matter.
She scoffed and walked away.
Fast.
Angry.
Hurt.
I stood there, unmoving.
But deep inside…
I was seething.
Dr. Felix stepped out moments later, his expression filled with worry.
"Where did she go?" he asked quickly.
I shrugged casually. "I don't know."
Then I looked at him, my tone sharp.
"Go and fix the mess you created."
Without waiting for his response, I turned and walked away.
I ended up in the garden. But this wasn't just any garden.
The moment I stepped in, I felt it.
The silence.
The structure.
The isolation.
A perfect place.
A place where someone like me could operate without being traced.
It was almost as if the garden had been designed for hackers.
A small smile curved on my lips.
Interesting.
I sat down, pulling out my device, and immediately got to work.
Elorah.
If she was bold enough to contact me… then it was time I knew everything about her.
Every secret.
Every connection.
Every lie.
As files began downloading documents, hidden records, videos I focused, my fingers moving swiftly.
Then a voice interrupted me.
"I knew you were extraordinary the moment you found this place."
I froze.
Slowly, I turned.
My so-called father stood behind me, watching with a knowing smile.
"If I may ask," he continued, stepping closer, "are you a hacker? Because only hackers understand what this garden really is… even on their first visit."
Shit.
Did I just blow my cover?
I let out a light laugh, masking everything.
"If you didn't just say that, I wouldn't have known," I replied smoothly. "I'm not a hacker. The network here is just really good. I needed to download a trending movie."
A lie.
A clean one.
He laughed.
But his eyes… they didn't fully believe me.
"The Riggs are my enemies," he said suddenly. "But I have to act like their friend… to get what I want."
That caught my attention immediately.
For the first time since I arrived here…
I was intrigued.
"Wow," I said, tilting my head slightly. "That's the first interesting thing I've heard since I got here. Who knows… I might even help you. For free."
I winked.
He smiled, then laughed. "You act exactly like Jacqueline Orion," he said.
My heart skipped.
"The only woman I chose as my wife… the one I would love until I die."
His voice softened.
"If only I had brought her with me."
I stayed quiet.
Watching.
Listening.
"If you won't be my assistant," he continued, "will you be my goddaughter?"
That… I didn't expect.
My mind raced.
So there really was more to the story.
More than I knew.
More than anyone had told me.
I crossed my arms slightly. "You want me to be your goddaughter?"
A small smirk formed on my lips.
"What if I cause a scandal?"
He chuckled.
"And before I even agree… I'd like to know the story between you and Jacqueline Orion."
I acted like the name meant nothing.
But inside…
Everything shifted.
Jacqueline Orion.
My mother.
Even the 'J' in my nickname came from her.
He went quiet.
His expression darkened.
"Some things are better kept secret," he finally said.
Before I could respond, his phone rang.
He stepped away to answer it.
But distance didn't matter.
Not when I had already hacked into every device around me.
I heard everything.
"She's been caught."
A pause.
"Good. Torture her. Make sure she confesses everything she knows about him."
My body stiffened.
"That's the only way to get him."
Another pause.
"If only he knew coming here was a trap set for him."
The call ended.
My mind spun.
She?
Him?
Who were they talking about?
And why did it feel like I was already standing in the middle of something far bigger than I expected?
I quickly composed myself before he returned.
When he got back, I looked at him calmly.
"What exactly do you want from the Riggs family?" I asked. "What made you deceive them… when you clearly want them ruined?"
His expression hardened.
"They have something that doesn't belong to them."
A pause.
"My wife's property."
My chest tightened.
"I want her to be accepted back as the rightful heiress of the Orion family… even if she never wants anything to do with me again."
His voice dropped.
"I also want revenge… on those who hurt her."
For a moment,
Just a moment
I almost felt something.
Emotion.
Because everything I had uncovered about him before now…
He wasn't a killer.
He chased money, yes.
He sacrificed people, indirectly.
Left emotional destruction behind him. But he never crossed that final line.
Maybe…
Circumstances had shaped him.
Maybe…
He wasn't the monster I thought he was. But something still didn't add up.
Dr. Felix had said they were the consigliere of the Don.
So why was he still chasing money?Why risk everything?
That was the reason I came here in the first place.
To find out the truth.
To know exactly who my father was.
But now…
A new question formed.
One far more dangerous than the rest.
Who exactly… wants Mr. Desmond Mason- My father dead.