Page 36 of Betray Me
“And in exchange?”
“Full immunity from prosecution, witness protection if needed, and help building a new life away from your family’s influence.” David’s expression softens slightly. “Belle, you were a child when this started. A victim who survived by adapting to impossible circumstances. We’re not interested in punishing you for what was done to you.”
I think of the vial Dominic gave me at Shark Bay what now felt like an eternity ago, the one I was supposed to use if someone got too close to the truth. Of the countless nights I’ve wondered if I’m a monster masquerading as a victim. Of the blood under my fingernails and the memories that were stolen from me.
“There’s something else you should know,” I say slowly. “I kept files when I was supposed to destroy them. Documents from my father’s office that detail the network’s operations going back decades.”
David’s eyes sharpen with interest. “Where are these files?”
“Hidden at Shark Bay. In my dorm room.” I meet his gaze steadily. “But I want guarantees before I hand them over. Written immunity agreements, protection for anyone I care about, and assurance that my cooperation won’t just make me a more valuable target.”
“Done,” David says without hesitation. “But Belle, you need to understand—this network is larger than just your family andthe Queens. There are people still out there who view you as a threat. Cooperating with us might be the only way to stay alive.”
The weight of that reality settles over me like a shroud. I’ve spent so long thinking of survival in terms of compliance, of staying useful enough to avoid being discarded. The idea of survival through rebellion, through truth-telling, feels foreign and terrifying.
“When do we start?” I ask.
“Now,” David replies, pulling out a recording device. “Tell me everything you remember about the night Janet Wilson disappeared. Every detail, no matter how small.”
I close my eyes, trying to piece together fragments of memory from that lost night. The party, the special drink, Luna’s presence beside me on that velvet couch that I know about only because I saw the picture. The feeling of being watched, manipulated, and positioned like a chess piece in someone else’s game.
“It started with a celebration,” I begin, my voice growing stronger with each word. “They said I’d earned something special, a new role in the family business.”
As I speak, laying out the architecture of my family’s crimes, I feel something shift inside me. For the first time in my life, I’m not protecting their secrets or advancing their interests. I’m exposing them, dismantling the system that created me.
It should feel like betrayal. Instead, it feels like freedom.
The truth pours out of me like poison finally being purged from my system. Names, dates, locations, methods—everythingI’ve cataloged during years of careful observation. David’s recording device captures it all, transforming my experiences into evidence that will bring down the empire built on children’s suffering.
When I finally finish, hours later, my throat is raw and my hands are cramped from drawing organizational charts. But I feel lighter than I have in years.
“This is enough to indict dozens of people,” David says, reviewing his notes. “Belle, what you’ve given us today will save countless future victims.”
“And make me a target for anyone still operating,” I point out.
“We’ll protect you,” Jessica says quietly. “I know I’ve made mistakes, but I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I study her face, searching for signs of deception. But all I see is the girl who was my best friend, who promised she didn’t judge me for my family’s crimes.
Maybe the friendship was real, even if the circumstances weren’t.
“There’s one more thing,” I tell David. “Someone’s been following me on campus. A man in a black coat. He knows things about Janet Wilson’s death that only someone involved would know.”
David’s expression hardens. “We’ll put you under surveillance immediately. If someone’s hunting network witnesses—”
“They’re not hunting me,” I interrupt. “They’re watching me. Waiting for something. I think whoever’s really behind this network—whoever’s above my parents in the hierarchy—isn’t finished with me yet.”
The realization chills me more than any threat my father could make. Somewhere out there, someone more powerful and more dangerous is pulling strings I can’t even see. Someone who’s been patient enough to let the Queens and Gallaghers take the fall while remaining safely in the shadows.
As we leave the federal building, Jessica walks beside me in contemplative silence. The afternoon sun feels warm on my face, but I can’t shake the feeling that we’re being watched.
“Belle,” Jessica says as we reach our cars. “For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you. What you did in there took real courage.”
“It took desperation,” I correct her. “But maybe that’s enough.”
She hugs me goodbye, and despite everything, I let her. In a world where everyone I’ve trusted has been hiding agendas, maybe the best I can hope for is finding allies among fellow survivors.
Driving back to Shark Bay, I think about the choice I’ve made. There’s no going back now—I’ve crossed a line that will either save me or destroy me. But for the first time in my life, it was my choice to make.
