Chapter 84: The Beacon

By the time the day changed direction, nobody in the room was prepared for where it would lead.

The beacon leads to an abandoned ferry terminal. Claire brings Margaret while Adrian follows at a distance with Helena and police.

Claire understood that the next choice would be remembered long after the explanation. For years Claire had translated Adrian's absence into excuses. Now she watched actions instead, and Adrian understood that no speech could shorten the distance he had made.

Marcus demands the ledger, but Margaret admits she memorized the account key and burned the original years ago.

"The ledger was never paper. It was me."

Desire moved between them like weather: undeniable, changeable, and no longer mistaken for a promise.

Marcus points his weapon at Lucy and orders Margaret to recite every number.