Chapter 805
“They aren’t.” Alistair’s hand gripped the armrest of his wheelchair until his knuckles turned white. “Parker is inside. Victoria is inside. Who the hell is that?”
The helicopter didn’t wait for clearance. It set down right in the center of the manicured lawn, the rotor wash flattening the grass and whipping my hair across my face. It was a power move. Rude. Arrogant.
The side door slid open before the rotors even slowed.
A man stepped out. He was tall, wearing a light gray suit tailored to within an inch of its life. He adjusted his cuffs, smoothed his hair, and marched toward us like he was walking a runway. He carried a leather briefcase.
𝘑𝗼i𝗇 𝗼ur co𝘮𝗺u𝗻𝗂𝘵у o𝗇 g𝗮𝗅n𝘰ve𝗹s.𝘤𝘰𝗺
I blinked. He looked familiar. He had the same jawline as Parker. The same build.
“Is that…” Liam squinted. “Is that a cousin?”
“No,” Alistair said, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. “That’s trouble.”
The glass door slid open again, and the real Parker Hayes—our Parker, the hacker with the messy hair and the hoodie—stepped out holding a tablet. “Hey, guys, the firewall is holding, but—”
He stopped. He looked at the helicopter. He looked at the man walking toward us.
“Who is that clown?” Parker demanded. “And why does he have my face structure but a suit that costs more than my education?”
“He’s a proxy,” I realized, the pieces clicking into place. “The Architect knows you’re here, Parker. He’s sending a replacement to cut you out.”
“Get back inside,” Alistair hissed to the real Parker. “Now. Lucian, hide him. If that man sees Parker, we lose the element of surprise.”
Lucian didn’t ask questions. He grabbed the real Parker by the back of his hoodie and dragged him into the shadows of the hallway.
“Lucian, wait—” Parker protested.
“Shut up,” Lucian growled. “We’re playing a game.”
Victoria came running out, holding a cup of tea. “What is all this noise? I can’t even—” She froze. She saw the man on the lawn. “Bennett?” she gasped. “What is Bennett doing here?”
“You know him?” I grabbed her arm.
“He’s… a distant cousin,” Victoria stammered. “He manages the family trust’s legal compliance. He’s awful. He always tries to prove Parker is incompetent.”
“Listen to me,” I whispered urgently, gripping her arm tighter. “That man is not here for a family reunion. He’s here because the enemy sent him. You need to pretend you trust him. Draw him in. Can you do that?”
Victoria looked at me, fear warring with indignation. Then she straightened her spine. “I can out-act anyone in this hemisphere, Skye.”
“Good,” Alistair commanded. “Let him in. He’s a Trojan horse. Let’s see what falls out of his belly.”
Bennett reached the porch steps. He flashed a dazzling, practiced smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Victoria. Darling. Thank God you’re safe. The Board sent me immediately.”
Victoria took a deep breath. She threw her arms wide. “Bennett. Oh, thank heavens someone competent is here.”
She ran down the steps and embraced him.
Bennett stiffened for a second, clearly analyzing the threat level, before hugging her back. “I’m here to take control of the situation, Vicky. Parker has clearly lost his mind joining these… radicals.”
He looked up at us. His eyes were cold calculators. He looked at the cameras. He looked at the reinforced shutters. He looked at the weapons on our belts.
It wasn’t the look of a lawyer.
It was the look of a predator assessing the cage.