Chapter 23

Chapter 23 – The Buried Truth

The room felt cold and gloomy. Only the sound of Ariana and Richard’s ragged breaths filled the silence after their long escape. The old man sitting before them remained calm in his rickety wooden chair, his expression unreadable yet calculating.

"Sit down," he said, his tone flat but carrying an air of something far from an ordinary meeting.

Richard didn't move immediately. His stance remained alert, eyes locked on the man's every movement.

"Who are you, really?" Richard asked, his voice sharp.

A faint smile crossed the old man's lips. "I am someone you should have known, Ariana."

Ariana frowned. "I don’t understand. I don’t know you."

"Of course," the man nodded. "Because they made sure you never would."

Ariana’s heart pounded. "Who are ‘they’?"

The old man inhaled deeply, his gaze holding a thousand secrets.

"The people who wanted to erase your family from history."

---

The Unveiled Secret

Ariana swallowed hard, her body tensing.

"My family? I have no one left. My mother is dead, my father has been gone for years, and—"

"That’s what they wanted you to believe."

Ariana froze.

The old man continued, "Your father didn’t die in an ordinary accident. Your family possessed something extremely valuable—something they have been trying to keep hidden from you all this time."

Ariana shook her head. "No. That’s impossible."

Richard studied the old man with suspicion. "You said they wanted her family erased. Then why is Ariana still alive?"

"Because someone protected her," the man replied. "But that protection is weakening. That’s why they’ve started moving again."

Ariana’s head spun. "I don’t understand… What is really happening?"

The old man reached inside his jacket and pulled out an old, yellowed envelope.

"The answers you seek are here," he said, handing it to her.

Ariana's hands trembled as she took it. She opened the envelope and found an aged photograph inside.

In the picture, there was a man who looked strikingly like her.

"Your father," the man whispered. "And beside him… the one who betrayed him."

Ariana gasped when she saw the familiar figure standing next to her father.

Someone she had always trusted.

"No…" she whispered in disbelief.

Richard leaned closer and saw the picture. His expression turned rigid. "You have to be joking."

"I'm not," the old man said grimly. "That person is the mastermind behind everything."

Ariana felt as if the ground had been pulled from beneath her.

"Then…" her voice wavered. "I've been living among my enemies all this time?"

The old man nodded. "And now, they know you’re starting to uncover the truth."

---

A New Threat

Suddenly, a loud knock echoed from the front door.

"Ariana!" a voice called from outside. "I know you’re in there. Open the door now!"

Ariana’s breath hitched. It was a voice she knew all too well.

Richard immediately moved in front of her, shielding her. The old man remained seated, as if expecting this.

"Don't let them in," he whispered.

Ariana looked at the door in panic. "But… I don’t understand. They’ve always been there for me."

"Precisely," the old man said. "They are the last person you would ever suspect."

Richard leaned closer to Ariana and murmured, "I don’t like this. We need to get out of here."

The knocking turned into pounding, each hit louder and more forceful.

"Ariana! I won’t wait any longer!"

Ariana bit her lip. "What do we do?"

The old man stood up and walked to a bookshelf in the corner of the room. With a single pull, he revealed a hidden passage.

"This way."

Ariana hesitated, but the voice outside grew more impatient.

"Do you trust me, Ariana?" the old man asked.

Ariana looked at him, then at Richard.

"We don’t have another choice," Richard said firmly.

Finally, Ariana nodded and followed the old man into the hidden passage.

---

Escape in the Darkness

The passage was narrow and dark. The air was cold, as if untouched for years.

"Where does this lead?" Ariana asked.

"Somewhere safe. But we need to hurry."

Their footsteps echoed as they rushed through the tunnel. Ariana’s heartbeat pounded in her ears.

Behind them, the sound of the front door being forcefully broken down sent a jolt of fear through her.

"Ariana!" The voice was furious now. "You think you can run from me?"

Ariana shivered.

"They know we’re here!" she whispered in panic.

Richard grabbed her hand tightly. "Keep moving."

They pushed forward, but suddenly, the old man stopped.

Ahead of them, the tunnel split into two

paths.

"Left or right?" the old man asked quickly.

Ariana turned to Richard. "What do we do?"

The footsteps behind them grew closer.