The handle moved.
Aria’s fingers pressed Damien’s.
The door slowly opened.
In the dim archive a shape moved.
Aria caught her breath.
“Rich.”
Richard Vale was in the doorway.
His face was not the calm, protective man she had known all her life.
He looked worn out.
And scared.
Damien stepped up between Richard and Aria.
“What are you doing here?”
Richard glanced past him at Aria.
“I knew this moment would come, and so I came.
Victor looked at him.
“You shouldn’t have come here.
Victor’s gaze was drawn to Richard.
“You shouldn’t either.”
Aria skirted past Damien.
“You were the voice.”
Richard did not argue.
“Yes,” I said.
Her eyes narrowed.
“You knew about this room.”
“Yes,” I said.
“You knew about the Eclipse.
“Uh-huh.
“You knew my mother was your first subject.
There was but a second of Richard’s silence.
“Yes,” I said.
Something broke inside Aria.
Not due to the revelation.
Because there was no one left to believe in.
She had spent her whole life believing it was Richard who saved her.
Instead he’d carried some other secret.
You knew my dad.
Richard changed his expression.
“Yesss.”
“You knew it was Victor who shot him?”
Victor stared at Richard.
I knew it was Victor’s hand.
Victor’s face hardened.
Why, I told you.
“You told her your story.
Richard came into the room.
“The truth is even worse.”
Aria’s stomach clenched.
‘Then tell me.
Richard caught her eye.
Your father didn’t die because he wouldn’t give up the trust.
Victor’s eyes narrowed.
Richard went on.
He found out who controls Eclipse and that’s why he died.”
But the archive was silent.
Damien eyed Victor.
“You said you never saw who did it.
“I didn’t.
Richard looked at him coldly.
“Because you weren’t supposed to.”
Victor’s face fell.
Aria looked over at Richard.
“Who do you think?”
“Yeah.
“Who?”
Richard said nothing.
“Richard.
“I can’t tell you.
Aria’s voice grew steely.
“You don’t get to say that anymore.”
Richard looked toward her.
“Quite so.
He pushed the archive door shut behind him slowly.
“But if I tell you now you may not live long enough to use the information.
Aria moved closer.
I have lived twenty-seven years of lies.
She gestured toward Victor.
“He killed my dad.”
Then at the screen.
“The first subject was my mother.
Then to Damien.
“My marriage was part of an experiment.
She turned her eyes back to Richard.
“I think I can stand one more truth.
Richard’s face stiffened.
Damien drew level with her.
You are not alone in this .
Aria’s gaze met his.
She didn’t back away.
Richard saw it.
His face was sad, nearly sad.
“That is exactly what they want.
Damien narrowed his eyes.
“What?”
They wanted you to get to this point.
Aria stopped dead.
Richard glanced at the two of them.
Together.”
Victor’s face altered.
“No.”
Richard looked at him.
“You know I’m right.”
Victor didn’t speak.
Richard went on.
“The point of Eclipse was to make you two dependent on each other.
Damien’s tone was frosty.
Why?”
“Because the trust doesn’t answer to blood alone.
Aria narrowed her eyes.
“We know that already.”
“Nope.”
Richard shook his head.
“You know half of it.”
He crossed to the central table and took down the old trust document.
“Trust requires three things.
Aria was looking at him.
“Blood.”
“Power.
Richard glanced at Damien.
“And choice.
Damien frowned.
“What choice?
Richard put the document down.
“The rightful heir must, of her own free will, choose who will stand beside her.”
Aria’s heart dropped.
“So the marriage…
“Was supposed to make that choice.”
Damien looked at the document.
“They wanted me to win her trust.
“Yes.”
“And if she chose me of her own free will…”
The trust would acknowledge the transfer.
Aria’s eyes flicked back and forth.
But I married him all the same.
Now Richard’s voice was soft.
“That was not enough.”
“Why?”
“Because you were never meant to know why you were marrying him.
Aria’s face hardened.
So they made me choose Damien not knowing I was being tested.
“Yeah.”
Damien’s jaw clenched.
“And if she picks me?”
‘Looked toward him.’
“Then the trust would be opened.
And if she didn’t?
Richard looked at Aria.
The trust would then remain sealed.”
Victor suddenly said.
“That’s not what we signed up for.
Richard stared at him.
“No.”
“What’s changed?
Eclipse has evolved.
Aria’s eyes narrowed.
How?” ”
Richard breathed.
“Someone decided it was easier to control the outcome than to watch the outcome.
The meaning came down on them.
Damien got it first.
“They didn’t want us to have a choice.”
“Not a word.
“They wanted to push the decision.”
“Yes.”
“By way of Vivienne.”
Richard nodded.
– Vivienne.
Through the pictures.
Through the split.
“In every situation that made Aria think you didn’t love her.”
Aria’s chest clenched.
She knew each one of them.
Every refusal.
Every night she had wondered something was wrong with her.
Every time Damien went out.
Vivienne had stood by him every time.
It had not been entirely accidental.
But something was wrong.
“If they wanted me to choose Damien, then why blow up our marriage?
Richard stared at her.
“They wanted to see what you’d do when you thought you had nothing left to lose.”
Aria stopped dead.
Richard went on.
If you stayed with Damien through it all, trust would know dependency.
“If I went away?”
“It would acknowledge independence.”
Aria’s eyes went wide.
“So they were testing me in either case.
“Yes.”
“And Damien?”
Richard gawked at him.
“Whether he would seek power, or choose you.”
Damien’s face became dark.
“And I failed.
Richard did not say a word.
Aria stared at Damien.
He didn’t make any defense.
That hurt a lot more than she expected.
“I chose power,” Damien said softly.
Richard nodded.
“A while.
Damien stared at Aria.
“I didn’t realize what I was losing.
For half a second Aria’s face softened.
She remembered the divorce papers then.
“I see it now.”
Richard looked from one to the other.
But there is something you do not yet understand.”
“What?”
“The test was never meant to result in divorce.
Victor’s eyes widened in surprise.
Richard said on.
“The divorce was meant to start the final stage.”
Aria’s heart started pounding.
“What final stage?
Richard looked at the black folder.
“Exposure.
Damien scowled.
“Exposure of what?
“Aria’s Identity.”
Aria stopped dead.
Richard went on.
“You left Damien, so the security around your identity should have fallen away.
Aria looked at him.
“But my identity was already known.”
Not really.
Richard indicated the trust instrument.
“The world knows Aria Valmont.
“They don’t know Aria Sinclair.”
“Nope.
They also don’t know about my dad.”
“Nope.”
“And they don’t know that I’m the legitimate heir.”
“Right.
Aria’s thoughts raced.
“Why would they want my identity exposed then?”
Richard’s face darkened.
‘Because they wanted whoever controlled the trust to come looking for you.
Damien’s expression shifted.
“You mean the guy who did Eclipse.”
Richard nodded his head.
“They’ve been looking for Aria since she was a child.”
Aria’s breath grew shallow.
“Why?”
“Because your father took something from them.
What?
Richard paused.
“The original Eclipse recording.
Victor glanced at him sharply.
“But you said it was destroyed.”
“I was lying.
Victor’s face went hard.
“You saved it.
Richard nodded his head .
“Yes.”
Aria looked at him.
“Where at?”
Richard did not answer.
“Richard.”
He stared at her.
“Your father gave it to me the night he died.
Disbelief filled Aria’s eyes.
“You had it all the time?”
“Yeah.”
“You made me think my father was just gone.”
“I was trying to save you from death.”
And everyone keeps saying that.”
Her voice quivered.
“That’s the excuse everyone uses.”
She drew closer to him.
“My mother rescued me.”
“Victor rescued me.”
“You saved me.
But nobody ever asked me what I wanted.
Richard hung his head down.
“You were a child.
“I am not a kid anymore.”
“I know.”
“Then don’t decide for me.”
Richard looked at her for a moment or two.
Finally he nodded.
“You need the truth.”
He put his hand in his coat.
Victor was already moving forward.
Richard.
He paid him no mind.
He drew out a small metallic key.
Aria looked at it.
She knew that.
It was almost exactly like the key Elena had given her.
Her eyes got wide.
“Two?”
“Yes.
“Why?””
“Because your mother did.
“And you had the other one.
“Yes.”
Damien looked from the one to the other.
“What does it open to?
Richard turned to Aria.
“Another archive.”
Her heart fell.
“Where?” “Where?
Richard stopped.
“Under the estate of Laurent.
Damien’s expression changed.
“House?”
“Yes.”
You knew?”
Richard looked to him.
Underneath it, I knew there was something.
Damien’s voice grew colder.
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because Victor had been through it already.”
Victor frowned.
“I searched all the obvious places.
Richard smiled at him.
Bitterly.
“That was the idea.
Aria took the key.
“What’s in there?”
“The original recording of Eclipse.”
She looked at the key in her hand.
“And proof of who made it?
Richard’s face took on a grim expression.
“Yes.
Aria felt they were getting at the truth at last.
Then Richard said, “But there is something else.
“What?
“The record bears the name of the man who ordered your father’s death.”
Victor’s face altered.
Aria saw it straight away.
“You know the name.
Richard glanced at Victor.
“So does he.
Aria glanced over to Victor.
“You know who put it in?
Victor didn’t say a word.
You said you were a manipulated.
I was.
“But you know enough.
Victor glanced down.
Yes.
“Then tell me.
Victor stared at Richard.
Richard shot him a warning look.
Finally Victor spoke.
“I can’t.”
Aria’s expression turned to ice.
“Why?”
Victor’s voice fell.
“Because the person is still alive.
Damien’s expression hardened.
“And strong.”
Victor gave a nod.
“More powerful than you think.
Aria curled her fingers around the key.
Then we find the record.
Richard glanced at her.
“You don’t understand.
“I know enough.
“There’s no going back once you open it.”
Aria glanced at Damien.
Then to Victor.
Then back to Richard.
You told me my father had been murdered and I lost my way back.
She headed for the door.
“We’re going to the Laurent estate.
Damien moved right next to her.
“I’ll come with you.”
Richard’s face became rigid.
“Maybe that’s what they want.”
Aria paused.
“Then let them look.”
She opened the lock on the archive.
But before she could go out, Richard’s phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen.
His expression changed.
Aria saw.
“What’s the matter?
Richard raised his eyes slowly.
“The second archive is already opened.
Damien stopped.
“By who?
Richard glanced at Aria.
“There was one person who knew the location of the entrance.”
Aria’s stomach fell.
“Who?”
Richard’s voice was little more than a whisper.
Vivienne.
And Aria realized for the first time that the woman she thought was just trying to steal her husband might have been looking for something much more dangerous.