Chapter 9 - Ryan’s Second Lie
Ryan denied it.
Then investigators showed him the encrypted message.
He stopped.
“Yes.”
Lisa stared through the interview-room glass.
Marcus sat across from Ryan.
“Why lure Michael into Lisa’s office?”
Ryan rubbed both hands over his face.
“Because Mother told me he had the Founder Archive key.”
“He didn’t.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Were you planning to hurt him?”
“No.”
“What were you planning?”
“Talk.”
Marcus laughed without humor.
“You impersonated a woman legally dead for twenty-two years to lure a protected witness into a private office.”
“That is not how people arrange conversations.”
Ryan looked exhausted.
“I was supposed to keep him there until Mother’s people arrived.”
Lisa closed her eyes.
He had not just lied.
He had actively participated.
Marcus continued.
“What changed?”
“Margaret showed up first.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did your mother want from Michael?”
“His authentication codes.”
“For?”
“The legacy accounts.”
The ghost identities were secured through old military authentication structures.
Michael’s original credentials remained valuable because Daniel Cross was officially dead.
Evelyn needed his confirmation to move the final funds without triggering fraud controls.
“How much?”
Ryan whispered.
“Twenty-seven million.”
Lisa stared.
Six thousand a month suddenly looked pathetic.
Small.
Training money.
A way to normalize transfers from Lisa.
Marcus asked.
“And Lisa’s company?”
Ryan looked toward the camera.
He knew she was watching.
“Mother wanted access to defense-contractor credential systems.”
Lisa felt fury.
Her company protected authentication platforms for multiple defense vendors.
If Evelyn controlled the company, she could bury activity.
Create records.
Possibly revive dead identities inside legitimate systems.
That was why the marriage mattered.
Not only money.
Access.
Marcus asked.
“Did Claire know?”
Ryan shook his head.
“Not the military part.”
“She knew I wanted the company.”
“She thought it was a divorce strategy.”
Lisa believed that.
Maybe.
Trust had become expensive.
Then Ryan said something unexpected.
“My mother isn’t running the gala.”
Marcus frowned.
“Who is?”
Ryan looked terrified.
“Someone called The Quartermaster.”
Margaret heard the name from the observation room.
Her face changed completely.
Michael whispered.
“No.”
Lisa looked between them.
“Who is The Quartermaster?”
May you like
Margaret answered.
“The man we thought died with Thomas.”
