Daniel held him.
Neither spoke.
Sofia stood beside me, tears running down her face.
Her family had become larger in the strangest possible way.
Later, Daniel explained everything.
After his failed @ss/@ssin@tion, Elena helped him disappear.
For several years, he moved between safe locations.
Then Thomas found him.
Rather than k/i/lling Daniel, Thomas kept him alive because only Daniel understood the full Meridian archive.
He was moved repeatedly.
Drugged at times.
Threatened.
Forced to decode old records.
But he never revealed Caroline’s authorization.
“You protected Mom?” Sofia asked.
Daniel smiled at me.
“Your mother was the one person Richard trusted who had no ambition for power.”
I shook my head.
“He barely knew me.”
Daniel laughed.
“He knew enough.”
Alexander sat across from his brother.
“Why didn’t you trust me?”
Daniel’s smile disappeared.
“Because you were military.”
Alexander frowned.
“So were you.”
“Yes.”
