Chapter 11 - THE TRAITOR AMONG US

I returned home that afternoon with a heavy heart. Thomas—kind, quiet, honest Thomas—had been a lie. Every warning. Every helpful word. Every act of friendship. All of it planned. All of it calculated to earn my trust.

Sarah arrived an hour later. Her face was pale. “I heard from a contact at the courthouse. Thomas has been meeting with Evelyn’s lawyers. Daily. For months.”

“He’s been working for her all along,” I said, my voice hollow. “He helped her track us. He helped her plan. And he knew exactly what she was capable of.”

Sarah nodded grimly. “Which means he knows everything we have. Every piece of evidence. Every witness. Every weakness.”

“Then why hasn’t he struck?” I asked. “If he has all this information… why wait?”

“Because he doesn’t have the full picture yet,” Sarah said. “He knows what we showed Evelyn. But he doesn’t know what else your father hid. And he doesn’t know that Daniel found proof of his involvement.”

I stood up and walked to the window. Grace was playing in the garden below, watched by her nanny. “So what does he want?”

“Control,” Sarah said simply. “Evelyn taught him everything. Greed. Manipulation. Deception. He’s been waiting in the shadows, letting her do the dirty work. Now that she’s locked away… he intends to step into her place.”

That evening, Thomas called.

“Ava,” he said, his voice warm and concerned. “I heard you met with Daniel today. Are you alright? You must be careful. He is still dangerous. He could be lying to you.”

My blood ran cold. He was trying to turn me against Daniel. Exactly as Evelyn had done.

“Thank you for the warning, Thomas,” I said evenly. “I will keep that in mind.”

“Good,” he said. “I’m only looking out for you. And Grace. That is what family does, after all.”

Family. The word tasted like poison.

After we hung up, I called Daniel. “He knows you told me. He’s already trying to undermine you.”

“Let him,” Daniel said. “Let him think we are still divided. It will make him careless.”

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“And then?”

“Then we set a trap,” Daniel said. “Just as he watched us… now we watch him. We let him believe he is winning. And when he makes his move… we will be ready.”