Chapter 13: The Final Chess Piece

The study fell into complete silence.

Emerald continued staring at the old photograph in her trembling hands.

A younger Victor Kane stood only a few feet behind her childhood self.

He had been there all along.

"This can't be a coincidence," Emerald whispered.

Achilles gently took the photograph.

"It isn't."

"Victor knew your grandfather personally."

"Which means Project Rosebud started much earlier than we thought."

Richard rubbed his forehead.

"Your grandfather never trusted anyone completely."

"Not even me."

"He always believed someone inside our circle was secretly working with The Kings."

"A traitor," Marcus concluded.

"Exactly."

Emerald looked confused.

"Then why hide everything inside my diary?"

"Because no one would suspect a little girl," Richard replied.

"You were the safest place to hide the truth."

Achilles suddenly remembered something.

"The wooden chess pieces."

"Your grandfather never let anyone touch them except you."

"Do you remember where you last saw them?"

Emerald closed her eyes, forcing herself to remember.

A faint memory slowly surfaced.

"The library..."

"Grandpa and I played our final chess game there before I left for New York."

"He told me never to forget the rose queen."

"Rose queen?" Marcus asked.

"One of the chess queens was carved into the shape of a rose."

"He always said it was the most important piece on the board."

Achilles immediately stood.

"We're going back to the Hutton mansion."

"Tonight."

Thirty minutes later, a convoy of security vehicles arrived at the Hutton Estate.

Police officers had already finished their investigation.

The mansion was quiet.

Emerald led everyone toward the old family library.

Nothing had changed.

The bookshelves remained exactly as she remembered.

The antique fireplace still stood in the center of the room.

"It was here," Emerald said softly.

"Grandfather always played chess beside this window."

She walked toward an old wooden cabinet.

Inside rested a dusty chessboard.

"It's still here," she smiled sadly.

Achilles carefully placed the board on the table.

Most of the pieces were ordinary black and white.

But one was missing.

"The rose queen," Emerald whispered.

"It's gone."

Marcus searched the cabinet.

"Nothing."

Richard checked the nearby shelves.

"Nothing here either."

Achilles examined the chessboard closely.

"Wait..."

"This board is heavier than normal."

He flipped it over.

Hidden beneath the base was a tiny keyhole.

"There's a compartment inside," he said.

"But we need the key."

Emerald frowned.

"Grandfather never used a key."

"He always pressed something..."

She slowly ran her fingers across the edge of the board.

Click.

A hidden panel slid open.

Everyone stared in surprise.

Inside lay a small silver key and a folded piece of paper.

Emerald unfolded the note.

It was written in her grandfather's handwriting.

"If you are reading this, my little Rosebud, then it means the game has finally reached its end."

"Trust the knight who protects the queen."

"Never trust the king."

Achilles frowned.

"The knight..."

"Chess symbolism," Marcus muttered.

"The queen is Emerald."

"But who is the knight?"

Before anyone could answer, Richard slowly looked toward Achilles.

"Your grandfather always called you her knight."

Emerald's eyes met Achilles'.

For years she had believed he abandoned her.

Now every hidden message seemed to point toward him.

"Then who is the king?" Emerald asked.

Richard didn't answer.

Instead, he looked away.

His silence was suspicious.

Marcus inserted the silver key into the hidden lock.

The chessboard clicked open completely.

Inside rested a tiny encrypted flash drive.

"We found it," Marcus breathed.

"This must contain your grandfather's evidence."

Achilles carefully picked it up.

"We need to decrypt it immediately."

Suddenly, every light inside the library went out.

Darkness swallowed the room.

"Everyone stay alert!" Marcus shouted.

Emergency lights flickered on.

A red laser dot appeared on Achilles' chest.

"Sniper!" one guard yelled.

"Get down!"

A gunshot echoed through the mansion.

Bang!

Achilles instinctively pushed Emerald behind the heavy oak table.

The bullet shattered the window where they had been standing only seconds earlier.

"Move!" Marcus ordered.

Security guards rushed toward the windows while others shielded Emerald and Richard.

Outside, a black helicopter rose above the trees.

A voice echoed through loudspeakers.

"Congratulations," Victor Kane laughed.

"You found the first key."

"Now bring us the flash drive..."

"Or the next bullet won't miss."

The helicopter disappeared into the night sky.

Achilles tightened his grip around the flash drive.

His eyes burned with determination.

"The game is over, Victor," he said quietly.

"Now it's my move."