Page 85 of Betrayed By Sin

Bria mouths,psycho.

I nudge her forward. “Go.”

She groans but steps inside. I follow, my pulse hammering.

The house is warmer than I expected. Soft light spills from antique lamps, a faint scent of cinnamon lingering in the air. Bookshelves line the walls, filled with worn paperbacks, old maps, and dusty picture frames.

The woman motions for us to sit at the kitchen table. “Coffee?”

Bria slides into a chair. “If you’re not gonna kill us, sure.”

I glare at her. “Bria.”

The woman huffs out a quiet laugh. “You’re bold. I like it.”

Bria grins. “It’s a gift.”

I sink into the chair across from her. “Can you just tell me what’s going on?”

She pours two cups, sliding them over before sitting down. “First, I’m not Margo Finley.”

My stomach twists. “Then who are you?”

She exhales. “My name is Eleanor. And this?” She gestures around. “This isn’t a home. It’s a safe house.”

Bria stills. “A safe house.”

Eleanor nods. “Built by your father.” Her eyes flick to me. “For you and Cameron.”

I go cold. “My father?”

She nods. “He knew something was coming. Knew he had enemies. So, he set up an escape plan. A place for you both if things ever got bad.”

I grip the edge of the table. “Why wasn’t I told? Does Cameron know?”

Eleanor’s lips press together. “Him and your mother should know, but they never came. I was under strict orders to reach out to no one, to protect the location of this space with my life. I assumed they didn’t need it, or had perished like him, I couldn’t investigate it, your father has taken great care of me.” She pauses. “I met him on a whim, and he changed my entire life all to protect this house, and you. Now I’m an old woman who hasn’t had to want for anything, my children went to college, became doctor’s and lawyers, all because of your father. I never asked questions.”

“What do you mean, me?”

“I’m the one who brought you to the orphanage all those years ago.”

Silence.

Heavy, suffocating silence.

“Your mother knew she couldn’t do it, didn’t want to be seen with you to keep you safe. I left you with only a paper, so if one day you needed somewhere safe, it would be ready for you.”

I inhale a sharp, timid breath as she continues. “I live next door, but I saw a car coming down the drive on the security cameras, so I slipped in through the back. You’re the first person to come to this house since your father…”

The name was never real.

I came looking for a cousin. A home.

Instead, I found a ghost.

Bria leans back, crossing her arms. “So, what now?”

Eleanor sighs. “Now? You decide what to do with what’s left.” She gestures around the space.