The door of the archive opened.
Aria’s body went completely rigid.
Damien moved instinctively to stand in front of her, while Victor, his face bleached of color, stayed a few steps away.
The door opened further.
But no one came in.
Aria looked hard.
“Why are you frightened?”
Victor did not answer.
Damien looked at him.
“You said they found us.
“Don’t open the door,” I said.
“But it opened.”
Then silence, and cold.
Aria moved closer.
Outside, the corridor was deserted.
No steps.
No action.
Nothing.
Damien glanced down.
There was something pushed under the door.
A little black envelope.
He stooped and picked it up.
“Aria cut him off right away.
“Don’t,”
Damien glanced at her.
She pointed to the envelope.
“Someone wanted us to know that.”
Victor’s face was stretched.
“Let it be.
Aria looked up at him.
“You know what’s in there.”
No.
You’re lying.”
His eyes met hers.
This time, I am not.”
Damien opened the envelope.
Inside there was one sheet of paper.
No indication.
Just one sentence.
YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE WRONG PERSON.
Damien frowned.
Aria took the paper from him.
Underneath was another line.
THE MAN VICTOR KILLED WAS NOT THE MAKER OF ECLIPSE.
Her eyes rose slowly.
Victor shut his eyes.
Damien looked at him.
“What does that mean?”
Victor’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“That means I was used, too.”
Anger flared in Aria again.
“You expect me to believe that?”
I am not asking you to believe anything.
Victor went to the archive table.
“I expect you to know what it is you’re up against.
Aria came along.
You killed my father.
Yes.
“You took my identity away.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about the wedding.
“Yes,” the man said.
“You knew about the Eclipse.
‘Yes.’
“And now you’re telling me you were played?”
Victor halted.
“Yes.”
“By whom?”
He looked at the picture again.
The man who had his face removed.
Aria’s eyes narrowed.
“Then tell me who it is.”
Victor said nothing.
Damien moved forward a step.
“You’ve been controlling everyone around you for years.
“You can’t hide behind silence anymore.”
Victor glanced at him.
“You think I ran your marriage?”
You knew about it.
“I know your father wanted you married to Aria.”
Damien’s expression altered.
“Dad?”
“No.”
Victor shook his head.
“your uncle”
The room was still.
Aria gazed at him.
“My father arranged the marriage?
“Not much.
Victor’s eyes turned to her.
“He set the conditions that made it possible.”
Damien’s jaw was clamped shut.
“Why?”
“Because he believed you were the only one strong enough to keep Aria safe if the trust ever got found out.
Aria felt a bitter laugh escape.
“And you made Damien think I was just his wife instead.”
“That wasn’t my decision.”
“Whose?”
Victor said nothing.
Aria moved closer.
“Whose?”
At last Victor looked at her.
“Your father’s.”
The words hit her harder than she’d expected.
“My father wanted me to marry Damien?
He wanted you to be safe.
“That’s no answer.”
Victor shook his head.
He didn’t know what Eclipse was going to be.
Aria gazed at Damien.
He had an inscrutable face.
For the first time she could see that the revelation affected him, too.
For years he had believed his father had arranged his marriage.
Even that truth was beginning to fail now.
Victor looked at Damien.
“Why me?”
Because you are in a position.
“That’s insufficient.”
Victor’s eyes grew dark.
And because your dad believed in you.”
Damien laughed, but his laughter had no humor in it.
“My father believed in me?
“He thought you’d stand up for the name of Laurent.
That’s more like control.
“It was.”
Aria glanced at the papers spread out on the table.
“So, Eclipse wasn’t born to look for the heir.
“No,” he answered.
“It was meant to see if Damien would protect me.”
Victor nodded.
“And if you would believe him.”
Aria’s face went hard.
“Then the divorce came to be the test.
Victor paused.
“Yes.
Damien’s eyes narrowed.
“Who wanted the divorce?”
“Not who you think.
Aria knew right away.
“Vivienne,”
Victor shook his head.
“She was a means.”
Damien’s fists tightened.
She was not acting on her own.
“No.”
“Who was her manager?”
Victor said nothing back.
Aria began to move toward him.
“Did Eclipse know her?”
“She knew enough.
“how many?”
“Enough to think that if she took you away from Aria, she’d be gaining something.”
“What?”
Victor’s eyes went to the trust documents.
“Control.”
Aria’s mind was a whirl.
Vivienne didn’t want just Damien.
She’d wanted the Laurent empire.
But there was something else.
Someone had manipulated Vivienne to create the perfect conditions to separate Aria and Damien.
Someone had wanted the marriage broken up.
Someone had wanted Aria for themselves.
Someone had wanted the trust in the open.
And someone had known how Damien would react.
Aria read the anonymous message again.
You told me I was looking for the wrong person.
Victor nodded.
“Because you’ve been looking at the people closest to you.
“Then where am I to look?
Victor’s face grew grim.
“In the beginning.”
Aria scowled.
“The start of what?”
“Solar Eclipse.”
He picked up one of the old papers.
“Your marriage didn’t start Project Eclipse.”
Aria’s heart fell.
“When did it start?”
Victor gazed at her.
“Before you were born.”
Silence.
Damien looked at him.
“No, that’s not possible.”
“Not at all.
Victor laid the document on the table.
“It started with your father.
Aria peered at the faded date.
Her fingers slowly brushed against the edge of the paper.
“How old was he?” (more)
“Not much older than Damien is today.
“And what was he doing?
Building the trust.
Aria’s eyes lifted.
“Why?”
“To protect an inheritance that was never meant to be.
Her breath slowed.
“What legacy?”
Victor’s face went.
“The one your father thought you would one day own.”
Aria looked at him.
Then she spotted something.
A symbol .
It was printed in the corner of the paper.
The same sign was on the black folder.
The same symbol she saw on the envelope in her mother’s effects.
She pointed to it.
This.”
Victor immediately headed for the document.
“Leave that alone.
Aria took it away.
“Why?”
That was not a Valmont symbol.”
Damien looked at him.
“Then who has it?”
Victor said nothing.
Aria’s mind was racing.
She’d seen it before.
Not lately.
A few years ago.
He remembered something from his childhood.
Elena on her knees next to her.
A wooden box locked up.
Her mother’s hand over the same symbol.
And Elena’s voice.
You don’t remember it if anyone asks you about it later.
Aria’s heart hammered.
“My mother knew.
Victor nodded.
“She knew better than anybody.”
So why did she keep it from me?
“Keep you alive.”
Aria glanced toward the open doorway.
The corridor was still empty.
But then, she felt observed.
Not by an outsider.
By one who had waited years.
She turned back to Victor.
“You said my father was murdered because he wouldn’t give up the trust.
“Uh-huh.
My mother was in there?”
Victor’s silence was the reply before he could speak.
Aria’s eyes flew open.
“She saw it.”
Victor cast his eyes down.
“Yes.”
“Did she know you murdered him?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did she go?”
Victor’s face hardened.
Next was her.
Aria felt her chest tighten.
“What’s the next thing?”
Die .
Damien moved forward.
“Who sent it?”
Victor glanced at him.
“Same guy who arranged your marriage.
Aria went still.
“Who?”
Victor opened his mouth.
A sharp electronic sound cut him off.
All the lights in the archive went on at once.
The old monitors on the wall flickered.
One at a time.
Then the middle screen lit up.
Aria took a step back.
Damien stepped up to her.
Victor looked up at the screen as if he’d seen a ghost.
A video began.
But.
Then Elena came along.
Younger.
Living.
Standing in what appeared to be the same archive.
Aria caught her breath.
Her mother’s face flashed onto the screen.
“If you’re watching this,” Elena said, “then Victor has finally told you the truth.
Aria’s eyes grew wide.
Damien looked over at Victor.
Victor uttered no words.
Elena continued on.
“But there’s one truth he’ll never tell you.
The recording paused for a moment.
Then Elena looked right into the camera.
Your father was not the only reason Project Eclipse was created to protect.
Aria’s heart hammered against her ribs.
The screen changed.
Then another file came.
ORIGINAL SUBJECT — PROJECT ECLIPSE
There was a name below.
Aria gaped.
It was not hers.
It wasn’t Damien’s.
It was not Victor.
“No,” Victor whispered in disbelief when she saw the name.
Aria looked up at him.
Victor looked genuinely frightened, for the first time since she’d met him.
“What is it?”
Victor did not answer.
Damien leaned closer to the screen.
Then the archive doors slammed shut once more.
And beneath the name was the last line:
SUBJECT: SINCLAIR, ELENA.