Page 39 of Betray Me
I reach for my recorder one final time, my voice steady despite everything I’ve learned: “Investigation ongoing. The subject remains a high priority for continued surveillance. Recommend maintaining current protocols while expanding the scope of operation.”
The lies come easily now. They always have.
But as I hide the evidence of our mysterious watcher among my school papers, I make myself a promise. Whatever game we’re really playing, whatever forces are really in control, I’m going to find out the truth.
Even if that truth destroys everything I’ve been taught to believe about power, family, and survival.
Even if it destroys me.
Chapter 15: The Turning
Now
The wire feels like a burning brand against my skin, the tiny recording device taped beneath my bra sending phantom electrical pulses through my chest with every heartbeat. David Stone’s words echo in my mind as the Gallagher family car winds through the familiar streets toward my childhood prison:“This is your chance to prove you’re serious about cooperation, Belle. But if you’re playing games with me, if this is some elaborate setup…”
I press my fingertips against the window, watching the manicured lawns and iron gates of old money pass by in a blur of privilege and corruption. My driver—Dominic, who came to work with my father after the Queens were sentenced—catches my eye in the rearview mirror. It’s a not-so-subtle warning. He knows. They all know what kind of monsters they serve.
“Almost there, Belle,” he says coldly, and I wonder if he suspects this might be the last time he drives me to the mansion as a Gallagher daughter rather than a federal witness.
The estate looms before us like something from a nightmare, all dark stone and towering windows that reflect the overcast sky. I’ve been gone for less than two months, but already it feels foreign, hostile. The wire burns hotter against my skin as we pass through the security gates, past the guards who nod respectfully while undoubtedly reporting my arrival to multiple handlers.
Mother waits in the front hall, elegant as always in cream silk and pearls that cost more than most people’s cars. But there’s something brittle about her composure today, hairline cracks in the perfect façade that speak to sleepless nights and mounting pressure.
“Darling,” she breathes, pulling me into an embrace that feels more like a performance than affection. “You look thin. They’re not feeding you properly at that school.”
“I’m fine, Mother.” I return her hug with calculated warmth, hyperaware of the recording device capturing every word. “Just busy with exams. You know how it is.”
She studies my face with the intensity of someone reading tea leaves, searching for signs of betrayal or weakness. “Your father’s waiting in his study. There are… associates here today. Business matters that require discretion.”
Associates. The word sends ice through my veins because I know exactly what kind of business my father conducts behind closed doors. The kind that leaves girls like Luna Queen broken and traumatized. The kind that made Janet Wilson disappear forever.
“Of course,” I murmur, following her through corridors lined with family portraits—generations of Gallagher patriarchs who built their fortunes on the bodies of the vulnerable. “I’ll be the perfect daughter.”
The study door is heavy oak, thick enough to muffle screams. As Mother knocks, I take a steadying breath and remind myself why I’m here. The wire against my skin isn’t just David Stone’s insurance—it’s my chance to finally gather evidence against the monsters who raised me.
“Come in,” Father’s voice calls, and Mother pushes open the door to reveal a scene that could’ve been lifted from my nightmares.
He sits behind his massive mahogany desk like a king holding court, his silver hair perfectly styled despite the stress lines around his eyes. To his left, Dominic is already lounging in a leather armchair with predatory grace. But it’s the third man who makes my blood freeze—Victor Reeves, the network’s chief strategist and the most dangerous person I’ve ever encountered. He was the one who forced me to put myself on the line and publicly testify against the Queens, claiming it would manipulate the spotlight on my family from negative to positive PR if we presented ourselves as victims instead.
“Belle.” Father rises, crossing to me with arms outstretched. “My beautiful daughter, home at last.”
His embrace feels like being hugged by a viper, all calculated warmth hiding venomous intent. The wire presses painfully against my ribs as he holds me too tight, too long, his cologne masking the underlying scent of corruption that clings to him like smoke.
“Father,” I breathe against his shoulder, letting relief color my voice. “I’ve missed you so much. The things they’re saying in the news, the investigation… I’ve been so worried.”
“All handled, darling.” He releases me, keeping his hands on my shoulders as he studies my face. “The Queens may be behind bars, but they were always expendable. We Gallaghers are made of stronger stuff.”
Dominic’s laugh is as sharp as breaking glass. “Indeed, though they’ve served their purpose beautifully. Though theirtrials have been… illuminating. Amazing what people will confess when they’re desperate to reduce their sentences.”
I force myself to look appropriately confused rather than terrified. “Confess to what?”
“Nothing that concerns you, princess,” Father says quickly, but I catch the warning glance he shoots Dominic. “Adult business. Nothing for you to worry your pretty head about.”
The condescension stings, but I embrace it, letting it reinforce their image of me as the sheltered daughter who knows nothing about the family’s true operations. Meanwhile, the wire captures every word, every telling pause, every inadvertent revelation.
“The Wilson situation requires delicate handling,” Victor speaks for the first time, his voice carrying the authority of someone accustomed to life-and-death decisions. “The FBI’s renewed interest is… concerning.”
Father’s jaw tightens. “Janet Wilson has been dead for five years. If they had evidence connecting us to her disappearance, they would’ve acted by now.”
