Chapter 11: The Ghost of Richard Kane
I thought Adrian had lost his mind.
“Your father is dead.””
Adrian didn’t respond.
Because he knew.
I knew.
Everyone knew.
Richard Kane had been dead for twenty years.
And yet Vincent was meeting someone.
Someone connected to him.
Someone Adrian believed was his father.
The abandoned warehouse sat near the edge of the city.
Rain poured over the empty streets.
Adrian, Marco, and I moved carefully through the building.
I wanted to ask questions.
Too many questions.
But Adrian’s expression stopped me.
He wasn’t the feared mafia boss everyone talked about.
He was a son searching for the truth.
We found Vincent inside.
Alive.
Unharmed.
And standing beside him was a man wearing a gray coat.
I couldn’t see his face.
Not yet.
Adrian stepped forward.
“Vincent.””
His uncle smiled.
“Adrian.””
“You lied to me.””
Vincent looked at me.
“You found her.””
“Yes.””
“And you brought her here.””
Adrian’s voice became cold.
“Who is he?””
The man turned around.
My entire body froze.
Because I recognized him.
Not from memory.
From photographs.
The same face.
The same eyes.
Richard Kane.
Adrian stopped breathing.
“No.””
The older man smiled.
“Hello, Adrian.””
Marco whispered:
“That’s impossible.””
Richard looked at him.
“People say that when they don’t understand something.””
Adrian’s hand tightened.
“You’re dead.””
“Yes.””
“Then what are you?””
Richard smiled.
“Your father.””
The silence was unbearable.
Adrian looked like the ground had disappeared beneath him.
“You’re lying.””
“Am I?””
Richard pulled out an old photograph.
A young Adrian.
His father beside him.
The same man.
The same face.
I watched Adrian struggle.
Because his entire reality had broken.
“How?””
Richard walked closer.
“Your grandfather began Project Phoenix.””
“What does that mean?””
“It means death is not always permanent.””
I felt sick.
Richard continued.
“Your family built an empire. Money. Influence. Power.””
He looked at me.
“But Alexander Whitmore discovered the cost.””
My voice was quiet.
“What cost?””
Richard smiled.
“The price of control.””
Vincent stepped forward.
“She knows too much.””
Richard looked at him.
“Because of your failure, she remembers.””
Vincent lowered his head.
Failure.
Not regret.
Not guilt.
Failure.
I finally understood.
To them, I was never a person.
I was a problem.
Richard looked at me.
“Your father tried to destroy Project Phoenix.””
“And you killed him.””
Richard didn’t deny it.
“He made a poor decision.””
Adrian moved forward.
“You murdered him.””
Richard looked at his son.
“You still think the world is divided into good and evil.””
A pause.
“You’re older than that now.””
Adrian’s voice shook.
“What did you do to my mother?””
Richard’s expression changed slightly.
“Your mother chose weakness.””
The answer was enough.
Adrian looked away.
I saw something break inside him.
Richard continued:
“Charlotte Whitmore was the key.””
I froze.
“My name.””
“Yes.””
“What key?””
Richard smiled.
“Your father hid something inside you.””
The world stopped.
“What?””
“Information.””
Adrian looked at him.
“What are you talking about?””
Richard looked pleased.
“Your father knew we would search every computer, every safe, every document.””
He looked at me.
“So he hid the final piece where nobody would think to look.””
My heart pounded.
“Where?””
Richard smiled.
“Inside your memories.””
The rain outside became louder.
I stepped back.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“That’s impossible.””
Richard shook his head.
“Your father was brilliant.””
Adrian stared at him.
“Why didn’t she remember?””
“Because the process worked.””
My blood ran cold.
“Process?””
Richard looked at me.
“You weren’t just rescued after the fire.””
A pause.
“You were reset.””
I felt dizzy.
Adrian stepped in front of me.
“Enough.””
Richard smiled.
“Protecting her again?””
“Yes.””
Richard looked disappointed.
“You always did inherit your mother’s weakness.””
Then he pressed a button on a small device.
The warehouse doors locked.
Marco reached for his weapon.
Too late.
A voice came over the speakers.
“Security protocol activated.””
Richard looked at Adrian.
“You wanted the truth.””
A smile.
“Now you’ll see what she was made to remember.””
The lights went out.
And somewhere in the darkness, a recording began playing.
May you like
My own childhood voice whispered:
“Adrian Kane is the reason my family died.””
