Chapter 17 - The Safe Room
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My father and I sprinted down the narrow, dark servant's hallway. Behind us, the mansion sounded like a warzone, automatic gunfire echoing off the stone walls.
"Keep moving!" my father barked, pushing me forward as bullets chewed through the drywall just inches from our heads.
We reached the end of the corridor. I pressed my thumb against the biometric scanner of the panic room I had installed years ago. The heavy steel door hissed open.
We dove inside, and the door slammed shut, sealing us in complete silence.
I collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air, clutching my chest. My beautiful home was being destroyed, my husband was a sleeper agent, and a ghost was trying to kidnap me.
My father leaned against the steel wall, breathing heavily. I noticed a dark red stain spreading across the sleeve of his black overcoat.
"Dad, you're shot!" I cried, crawling toward him.
"It's just a graze," he grunted, waving me off. He slid down the wall to sit on the floor, looking at me with eyes full of deep, profound sorrow.
"Dad, you have to tell me the truth," I begged, tears finally spilling down my cheeks. "Who is Victor Romanov? Why did he dedicate ten years to infiltrating my life?"
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My father closed his eyes, taking a ragged breath.
"Because, Evelyn," he whispered, "I am not your biological father."
