Chapter 19 - The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Khloe listened to the recording five times.
The voice remained the same.
Her mother.
Evelyn.
Marcus stood beside her.
Gabriel looked as shocked as she felt.
“That recording was made eight years ago.”
Khloe’s voice trembled.
“My mother died twelve years ago.”
Gabriel nodded.
“I identified her body.”
“How?”
“A car accident.”
“Was the body recognizable?”
Gabriel stopped.
Khloe already knew the answer.
“No.”
“The identification came through dental records.”
“Who provided them?”
Gabriel looked sick.
“The family office.”
Khloe whispered.
“Whose family office?”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
“Ours.”
The Ashford office.
Not the Thornes.
Khloe stepped backward.
For days, every secret had pointed toward Conrad.
Now something had crossed into her own family.
Gabriel immediately ordered an independent review of Evelyn’s death.
Marcus contacted no one.
Khloe refused to involve either family’s internal teams.
Federal investigators were given everything.
At 3:17 a.m., Isabella asked to speak to Khloe again.
This time, Khloe agreed.
Isabella looked exhausted.
“Your mother knew mine.”
Khloe sat behind the glass.
“I know.”
“No.”
Isabella shook her head.
“You know they met.”
“You don’t know why.”
“Then tell me.”
“My mother said Evelyn was building an escape.”
Khloe’s heart stopped.
“For who?”
“Herself.”
“Why?”
“Because she discovered someone inside the Ashford family was connected to Vance.”
Khloe thought of Gabriel.
Isabella immediately read her expression.
“Not your uncle.”
“Then who?”
“I don’t know.”
Khloe leaned closer.
“Did your mother believe Evelyn died?”
“No.”
Khloe closed her eyes.
The world seemed to move beneath her.
“My mother might be alive.”
“She was eight years ago.”
Hope hurt more than grief.
Khloe demanded proof.
Isabella reached into the folder her attorney had provided.
She held up a photograph.
It showed a woman entering a hotel in Zurich.
The date was seven years after Evelyn’s supposed death.
The image was blurry.
But Khloe recognized the posture.
The profile.
The necklace around her throat.
Her mother’s necklace.
Khloe could barely speak.
“Where did you get that?”
“My mother.”
“Why didn’t you show me earlier?”
“Because until tonight, I still thought you were part of them.”
Khloe looked at her.
“And now?”
Isabella’s eyes filled with regret.
“Now I know they were using both of us.”
Khloe stood.
She had one final question.
“Who took the photograph?”
Isabella hesitated.
“Silas Reed.”
Khloe froze.
Silas had known Evelyn was alive.
Conrad’s missing security director was not merely running from the hospital attack.
He was carrying twelve years of secrets.
Khloe returned to the rooftop where Marcus and Gabriel waited.
She showed them the photograph.
Gabriel looked as if someone had struck him.
Marcus asked the only question that mattered.
“If Silas knows where Evelyn is, where did he go?”
Gabriel’s investigator called at that exact moment.
May you like
The private jet connected to Meridian Coastal Partners had finally filed a landing record.
Zurich.
