Chapter 5

Hazel studied Lily for a long moment, her sharp eyes scanning for hesitation, doubt, or fear. But Lily sat firm, hands clenched together, waiting for an answer she wasn't sure she was ready to hear.

"Alright," Hazel said finally, leaning back in her chair. "But once I tell you this, there's no turning back."

Lily swallowed. "I wasn't planning to."

Noah sighed beside her, arms crossed, but he stayed silent. Hazel glanced at him before focusing back on Lily.

"Your father wasn't just a businessman, Lily," she said. "He was involved in something much bigger—something that got him killed."

Lily's heart pounded. "What was he involved in?"

Hazel exhaled, rubbing a hand over her face. "Your father was working against people who didn't want to be exposed. He had information—dangerous information—on powerful individuals. And he wasn't the only one."

Lily leaned forward. "You were working with him."

Hazel nodded. "We were part of a small group. We called ourselves The Veil. Our goal was simple—uncover corruption and bring it to light. Your father was one of our best."

Lily felt like the ground beneath her had just shifted. Her father had spent his life investigating corruption? Exposing criminals? That was the complete opposite of what she had always believed.

"But if that's true," she said slowly, "then why did people call him a traitor?"

Hazel's expression hardened. "Because it's easier to turn the world against someone than to let the truth come out."

Lily's chest tightened.

For years, she had believed what they said about her father—that he had betrayed the wrong people, that he had been working against his own allies. But what if it had all been a lie?

"What happened to the others?" she asked. "The rest of The Veil?"

Hazel hesitated before answering. "Some went into hiding. Some were... taken care of."

Lily shuddered. "And you?"

Hazel's lips curled into something bitter. "I survived. I kept my head down. And I waited."

"For what?"

"For you."

Lily's stomach dropped.

Hazel leaned forward, voice low. "Your father knew this would happen. That's why he left behind that notebook, why he wrote to Elias. He wanted you to pick up where he left off."

Lily's mind raced. "But I don't know anything."

"You will," Hazel said. "If you're willing to learn."

Lily's pulse pounded in her ears. She had come here for answers, but now she was standing at the edge of something much bigger.

Noah finally spoke. "You're saying this was planned?"

Hazel nodded. "Your father was careful. He knew there was a chance he wouldn't make it out alive. So, he left behind pieces of the puzzle, hoping you'd be the one to put them together."

Lily looked down at the notebook in her lap, her fingers tightening around the worn pages.

Her father had wanted her to find the truth. And now, for the first time, she was ready to do just that.

She lifted her gaze back to Hazel. "Tell me everything you know."