THE HEIRESS VOW - Chapter 69

Rooting Out the Enemy
“Are you ready for this?” Liam’s voice broke through her reverie. He stood behind her, his presence a reassuring anchor in the storm of her thoughts.

Ava’s estate hummed with a quiet urgency, the air thick with unspoken tension. The lush gardens, usually a sanctuary of calm, now felt like a labyrinth of secrets. Ava stood by the large bay window, her gaze fixed on the horizon, though her mind was a whirlwind of doubt and determination.

Ava turned, her eyes meeting his. “I don’t think I have a choice. If we don’t act now, the Phantom will tear everything apart.”

Liam nodded, stepping closer. “Our first lead is Anton. He’s been acting suspiciously ever since the last attack.”

Ava’s heart tightened. Anton was a trusted advisor, a figure who had been with her family for years. The thought of him being a mole was almost unbearable. But recent events had shattered her ability to trust blindly.

“We confront him tonight,” Ava decided, her voice firm despite the turmoil inside. “But we need to be careful. If he’s really working for the Phantom, we can’t afford to let him know we’re onto him.”

The dining hall, usually filled with laughter and the clinking of glasses, was now a battleground of silent glances and hidden motives. Anton sat at the head of the table, his demeanor as composed as ever, though Ava could see the flicker of unease in his eyes.

“Liam, could you pass the salt?” Ava’s voice was calm, masking the storm within. She needed to keep the conversation natural, to avoid tipping Anton off too soon.

Liam obliged, but his eyes remained sharp, never straying far from Anton. “Have you heard anything more about the Phantom’s movements, Anton?”

Anton’s gaze flickered to Liam, then back to Ava. “Nothing new, I’m afraid. They’re as elusive as ever.”

Ava set her fork down, leaning forward slightly. “It’s strange, though, isn’t it? How they always seem to be one step ahead. Almost as if they have someone feeding them information.”

Anton’s hand paused mid-air, the tension palpable. “What are you implying, Ava?”

She held his gaze, her voice steady. “I’m not implying anything. I’m stating a fact. We have a mole, Anton. And I intend to find out who it is.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. Anton’s eyes narrowed, a cold smile playing on his lips. “And you think it’s me?”

Liam stood, the scrape of his chair loud in the tense room. “You have the most access, Anton. The most opportunity.”

Anton rose to his feet, his composure cracking. “This is absurd! I’ve been loyal to this family for years!”

Ava stood as well, her voice icy. “Loyalty can be bought. Prove me wrong, Anton. Where were you the night of the last attack?”

The confrontation escalated, voices rising and echoing through the hall. Ava’s heart pounded, every instinct on high alert. She watched Anton’s reactions closely, the flicker of guilt in his eyes, the hesitation in his responses.

Finally, Anton snapped. “Fine! You want the truth? Yes, I’ve been working for the Phantom. But it’s not what you think.”

Ava’s breath caught. “Explain.”

Anton’s facade crumbled, revealing a man torn by conflicting loyalties. “The Phantom offered me a deal. I was supposed to feed them information in exchange for sparing your life, Ava. They don’t just want to destroy the business. They want to rebuild it in their own image.”

Liam stepped closer, his voice a dangerous whisper. “Why tell us this now?”

Anton’s shoulders sagged, defeat in his eyes. “Because I can’t do it anymore. I can’t betray the people who trusted me. But it’s too late. The Phantom’s plan is already in motion.”

Ava’s mind raced. The revelation was a double-edged sword. Anton’s betrayal cut deep, but his confession offered a chance to fight back. “What is their ultimate goal, Anton?”

He took a deep breath. “To ruin your family’s legacy and replace it with their own twisted version. They have operatives everywhere, Ava. Even here, in this house.”

Ava’s world tilted. The threat was closer than she had imagined. “Who are they? Give us names.”

Before Anton could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. Ava turned, her heart lurching as she saw a shadowy figure approach. The Phantom’s presence was unmistakable.

“Run!” Anton shouted, pushing Ava and Liam towards the hidden exit. “I’ll hold them off. Go!”

Ava hesitated, her instincts screaming to fight, but Liam’s grip on her arm pulled her away. “We need to go, Ava. Now.”

As they fled through the hidden passage, Ava’s mind raced with the implications of Anton’s confession. The Phantom’s operatives were everywhere, and the fight to save her family’s legacy had just become a race against time.

The passage led them to the wine cellar, a maze of old bottles and forgotten memories. Ava paused, catching her breath, her mind whirling. “We need to find out who else is working for the Phantom.”

Liam nodded, his eyes steely with resolve. “And we need to stop them before it’s too late.”

Back in the main hall, Anton stood his ground as the Phantom stepped into the light. The figure’s face was obscured by a mask, their voice a chilling whisper. “You betrayed us, Anton.”

Anton squared his shoulders, a defiant fire in his eyes. “I did what I had to do. Ava will stop you.”

The Phantom laughed, a sound that sent chills down Anton’s spine. “She’ll try. But she doesn’t stand a chance. By the time she realizes the extent of our reach, it will be too late.”

Anton lunged, but the Phantom was faster. A swift blow sent him sprawling to the floor. “You were useful, Anton. But now, you’re just a liability.”

As darkness closed in, Anton’s last thoughts were of Ava, and the hope that she would succeed where he had failed.

In the cellar, Ava and Liam emerged into a dark corridor, their path illuminated by a single flickering bulb. Ava’s mind raced with Anton’s words. They needed to act fast, but every step felt like walking through quicksand.

“We need to get to the control room,” Ava said, her voice firm despite the fear gnawing at her insides. “If we can identify the operatives, we can still turn this around.”

Liam nodded, his eyes scanning their surroundings. “Stay close. We don’t know who else might be watching.”

The control room was a fortress of screens and blinking lights. Ava’s fingers flew over the keyboard, accessing the security feeds and internal records. The tension was suffocating, every second stretching into an eternity.

“There,” she said, pointing to a screen. “That’s Sarah. She’s been with us for years. I never would have suspected her.”

Liam frowned, his jaw clenched. “We need to be careful. Confronting her directly could be dangerous.”

Ava nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of betrayal. “We’ll set a trap. If she’s working for the Phantom, she’ll reveal herself soon enough.”

They watched the screens, their plan slowly taking shape. But even as they worked, the nagging fear persisted. The Phantom’s reach was extensive, their operatives cunning and ruthless.

The hours stretched on, each moment fraught with tension. Finally, a shadow moved on one of the screens. Sarah was sneaking through the corridors, her actions confirming their worst fears.

“Now,” Ava whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart.

They moved swiftly, intercepting Sarah in the dimly lit hallway. She froze, her eyes wide with shock. “Ava, Liam, what’s going on?”

Ava stepped forward, her voice cold and unyielding. “We know you’re working for the Phantom, Sarah. It’s over.”

Sarah’s eyes flickered with fear, then resolve. “You don’t understand. The Phantom promised a new beginning. A chance to rebuild what was lost.”

Liam’s grip tightened on his weapon. “And you were willing to betray us for that?”

Sarah’s gaze dropped, guilt and defiance warring within her. “I didn’t have a choice.”

Ava shook her head, her voice filled with a mix of sorrow and determination. “There’s always a choice, Sarah. And you made the wrong one.”

As they secured Sarah, Ava’s mind was already racing ahead. The Phantom’s plan was clearer now, but the path to stopping them was fraught with danger. They needed more information, more allies.

“Anton mentioned a high-ranking mole,” Ava said, turning to Liam. “We need to find out who it is before it’s too late.”

Liam nodded, his eyes dark with determination. “We’ll root them out, Ava. We’ll stop the Phantom.”

As they moved through the estate, the sense of urgency grew. Every shadow seemed to hold a threat, every corner a potential ambush. Ava’s trust in those around her was shattered, replaced by a steely resolve to protect her family’s legacy at any cost.

Finally, they reached the main study, where Ava’s father had kept his most important documents. Ava approached the large, ornate desk, her fingers tracing the edge as she opened the hidden compartment.

Inside was a dossier, thick with papers and photographs. Ava’s breath caught as she realized what she was holding. The evidence of the Phantom’s ultimate goal, their plans laid bare.

But before she could delve deeper, a shadow fell over the room. Ava looked up, her heart freezing as she saw the figure standing in the doorway. It was the high-ranking mole, the person they had least expected.

“Ava,” the mole said, their voice dripping with venom. “You’ve meddled in our plans for the last time.”

Liam stepped forward, placing himself between Ava and the threat. “We’re not afraid of you.”

The mole laughed, a sound that sent chills down Ava’s spine. “You should be. The Phantom’s plan is already in motion. By the time you realize what’s happening, it will be too late.”

Ava’s mind raced, the weight of the dossier heavy in her hands. The stakes had never been higher, the danger never more real. But even as fear gripped her heart, a steely resolve took hold.

“We’ll see about that,” Ava said, her voice firm. “We’ll see.”

The confrontation was inevitable, the battle for her family’s legacy just beginning. And as the tension mounted, Ava knew that the real fight was yet to come.