Chapter 20 - The MessageNear midnight, Elena's phone vibrated.
Her smile disappeared.
Arthur noticed immediately.
“What is it?”
She stared at the screen.
A secure federal message had arrived.
One attachment.
One photograph.
The image showed a dark European harbor.
On a table in the foreground sat a black ledger.
Beside it was a familiar symbol.
The black triangle.
Arthur's expression changed.
“Is that connected to Caroline?”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
She looked toward the sleeping city.
“This network existed long before Caroline.”
Arthur stepped closer.
“So what happens now?”
Elena locked the phone.
“For me?”
She smiled faintly.
“Apparently, the vacation is over.”
Arthur laughed softly.
“Will you come back?”
Elena looked at him.
There was a long silence.
“I don't know.”
She turned toward the city.
“But if I do…”
Arthur waited.
Elena's smile returned.
“…I may need a very good reason.”
The music continued behind them.
The lights of Manhattan shimmered beneath the stars.
Arthur looked at the woman who had saved his life and realized that perhaps their story had never really been about the night the wine glass shattered.
That night had only opened the door.
Somewhere across the Atlantic, another enemy was waiting.
Another ledger was about to be opened.
Another secret was about to surface.
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And this time, Arthur Sterling would not be standing alone.
THE END… FOR NOW.
