Camille’s heart pounded as she looked into Zachary’s piercing blue eyes. She felt trapped, not only in this room but within the web of lies and secrets surrounding her father.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice trembling despite her efforts to stay calm. “He was… he was just my dad. I know who he was. I don’t need you to tell me.”
Zachary let out a slow sigh, his expression softening but his gaze unyielding. “Camille, you know only what he allowed you to know. Your father kept his true life hidden from you because he thought it was safer that way.”
She shook her head, unwilling to believe him. “No. My father… he wasn’t perfect, but he wouldn’t lie to me. He loved me.”
“I’m not saying he didn’t,” Zach replied. “But he was a man with powerful enemies. People who’d stop at nothing to get what they wanted. He knew the dangers, Camille, and he made choices… choices he thought would protect you.” He paused, studying her reaction. “Sometimes protecting someone means hiding the darkest parts of yourself from them.”
Camille clenched her fists, her pulse racing. “I don’t believe you. He wouldn’t hide things from me like this. You’re lying, Zach. You’re just trying to manipulate me.”
Zachary’s gaze flickered with something that might have been hurt, but he quickly masked it. “Believe what you want, but I’ve seen it firsthand. The man your father was—he was brilliant and complicated, yes, but he was also involved in things you wouldn’t understand. Dangerous things.”
“What kind of things?” she demanded, her voice rising. She didn’t care if her anger showed. She was tired of the half-truths, of the vague warnings and riddles. She wanted answers.
“Your father was one of the best in his field,” Zach said slowly, as though weighing each word carefully. “He specialized in something called asset tracking. Not just any assets, though. High-profile, high-risk assets that belonged to some of the most dangerous people in the world. He was a master at finding things… and hiding them.”
Camille’s mind raced, trying to comprehend what Zach was saying. “Assets? Are you saying… my dad worked for criminals?”
Zach looked at her, unblinking. “Not exactly. He didn’t choose sides. He worked for whoever paid him best, and often that meant people on both sides of the law. He kept it secret, even from his closest allies. But over time, he became too valuable to too many people. And that’s when things got dangerous.”
Camille swallowed, the pieces beginning to fit together in a way she didn’t like. “You’re saying… he was in trouble because of his work? Because of something he found?”
“Yes,” Zach confirmed, his tone grim. “And the people he worked with—some of them think he left behind… information. Secrets. Things that they’re desperate to get their hands on. And they believe you might know where it is.”
Her mind spun with the implications. “But I don’t know anything!” she protested. “Why would he leave something like that with me?”
“Because he trusted you,” Zach said quietly. “He believed that you would be safe. That no one would think to look for anything with you. But now… it seems they know about you.”
Camille felt a chill crawl up her spine. She thought of all the times her father had told her to keep certain things private, to stay out of certain rooms, never to ask about his “work.” At the time, she’d written it off as his overprotective nature. Now, it all seemed terrifyingly deliberate.
“So, you’re telling me my father got in too deep, and now I’m… what, bait?” she asked bitterly, hugging herself as though she could protect herself from the weight of Zach’s words.
“You’re more than that, Camille,” Zach replied, his voice firm. “If they get to you, they’ll have leverage. And you might know something without even realizing it.”
She felt a rush of fear and frustration. “Why won’t you just tell me what it is they’re looking for?”
Zachary was silent, his gaze distant, as if he were considering her question carefully. “Because… I don’t know for sure. Whatever your father left behind, he hid it well. I only know that he called it his ‘last safeguard.’”
Camille’s head spun as she processed his words. Her father had hidden something, something valuable, and whatever it was, it was enough to put both of their lives in jeopardy. She took a shaky breath, trying to gather her thoughts.
“So what happens now?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Zach glanced toward the door, his jaw clenched. “Now, we wait. I’m trying to buy us time, to keep them at bay while we figure out what your father left behind and where he hid it.”
Camille’s heart sank. “And who are ‘they,’ exactly?”
Zachary’s eyes darkened, and for a moment, he looked truly afraid—a sight that unnerved her more than anything else he’d told her. “They’re people you don’t want to meet, Camille. Powerful, ruthless people who are willing to do anything to get what they want. And now that they know you’re involved, they won’t stop until they get answers.”
A cold shiver ran down her spine. “So I’m… trapped here?”
Zach nodded slowly, his expression grim. “For now, yes. But I’m doing everything I can to keep you safe.”
She felt the weight of her situation pressing down on her, but she wasn’t ready to give up just yet. “And what about my father?” she asked, her voice barely audible. “If he’s still alive… where is he?”
Zach hesitated, his gaze softening as he looked at her. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. He could be anywhere, lying low to stay off their radar. He might even be close by, watching us. But the truth is… I don’t know.”
Camille’s throat tightened. She’d clung to the hope that her father would come and save her, that he’d show up and end this nightmare. But if he was as deeply involved as Zach claimed, he might not even know she was here—or worse, he might be just as lost as she was.
Zach took a step closer, his expression filled with a mixture of determination and something softer, something almost reassuring. “Listen to me, Camille. I don’t know where your father is, but I promise I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe. If there’s a way to find him, I will.”
His words offered a sliver of comfort, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of isolation, of being caught in a web she didn’t understand. She met his gaze, searching for any hint of deception, but all she saw was sincerity.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked suddenly, her voice breaking. “Why are you risking so much for me?”
Zach’s expression softened, and he looked away, as if debating whether to answer. Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. “I made a promise, Camille. To your father.”
“A promise?” she repeated, confused. “What kind of promise?”
He looked back at her, his blue eyes intense. “That I would protect you. No matter what.”
Camille opened her mouth to speak, to ask why her father had entrusted her to him, but before she could say anything, a piercing alarm blared throughout the mansion, flooding the room with red emergency lights.
Zach’s face went pale as he grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the door. “They’re here,” he said, his voice a mixture of fear and urgency.
“Who?” she gasped, stumbling after him as he led her down the corridor.
“The people who want what your father left behind,” he replied, his grip tightening on her arm. “And they won’t leave until they get it.”