THE LIE THAT WORE A RING - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

The Foundation was silent when Ava stepped inside—eerily so. The gallery lights were off, casting long shadows between the tall pillars. Only the faint red glow of emergency lights traced the marble floors. She walked slowly, her sneakers squeaking faintly in the stillness, her breath steady despite the adrenaline pounding in her veins.
She knew someone had been watching her. The messages, the photographs, the painting—none of it was a coincidence. It wasn’t just intimidation. It was an invitation.
And she was done being passive.
She reached the rear exhibit room, where the unfinished canvas her mother had left remained on display. It was still sealed behind protective glass, but someone had touched it recently. The floor showed signs of movement. A smudge. A single black fingerprint near the bottom left corner of the glass.
Someone had been here.
Ava took out the USB drive from her coat pocket and glanced at the nearby terminal. This wasn’t the original plan—she had intended to trace signals, not trigger new ones—but if they wanted her attention, she’d give it on her terms.
She inserted the USB and opened the encrypted launcher.
The software loaded slowly, a small black window opening on the screen. It was a ghost program—something Ethan had helped her build. A digital beacon. It sent out a traceable ping in all directions and waited to see who responded.
Three seconds passed.
Then five.
Then the cursor blinked and returned a signal.
One IP address. One connection. From inside the Foundation's firewall.
Her fingers froze.
Someone inside was working against them.
Ava turned sharply as a soft creak echoed behind her.
She wasn't alone.
“Bold of you to come here alone.”
The voice was low. Male. Measured. It emerged from the darkness near the sculpture hallway.
Ava backed toward the wall, her fingers tightening around her phone, already beginning to hit record.
“Who are you?” she asked.
The figure stepped into the red light.
He was young—no older than thirty, lean and neatly dressed in a navy coat. His face was unfamiliar, but the badge clipped to his coat said Carter Foundation – Research Intern.
Of course.
Hiding in plain sight.
“You’ve been working here?” she asked in disbelief.
“For months,” he said casually. “Since the exhibit reopened. Quietly. Watching. Listening. We needed to know how far the Carter family would go.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “So you’re with the Reversal?”
He gave a ghost of a smile. “We don’t call it that. But yes. We believe truth is power—and power should be restored. Your family took something from people who built the world’s order. It’s only natural we rebuild it.”
Ava stared him down, fire rising in her chest. “Craven Hall destroyed lives.”
“It also preserved balance,” he said. “You and your father... you're too blinded by grief to understand the consequences of exposure. The ripple effect you caused will take decades to contain. You think you're heroes. You're just children with matches.”
Ava’s hand gripped the USB tighter.
“Why warn us, then?” she asked. “Why send the painting?”
He tilted his head. “Not all of us agreed with using you as bait. The internal council is… divided. Some believe you still have value. Others… don’t.”
She took a deep breath. “Then why are you here now?”
“To give you a choice,” he said. “Withdraw from the spotlight. Shut down the foundation. Hand over the remaining files—and we let you and your family disappear, comfortably. No headlines. No blood.”
“And if I don’t?”
The smile dropped from his face. “Then we finish what Vincent started.”
He began to turn.
“Wait,” Ava said, her voice calm, but low. “One more thing.”
He paused.
“I’ve been recording you since you stepped into the light.”
The flicker of shock in his eyes was small, but real. Ava held up her phone, still recording, her finger ready to send the audio directly to Nicholas and Elise.
His smile returned—but this time, it was darker.
“You’ve just accelerated the timeline,” he said softly.
Then he turned and vanished into the dark hall.
Ava stood frozen for several seconds, her heart thudding in her ears.
Then she ran.
Back through the exhibits, down the stairs, out into the cold night. She didn’t stop until she reached the side road where Nicholas’s car screeched to a halt.
He jumped out before the engine died, grabbing her shoulders.
“Ava!”
“They’re inside,” she panted. “He works for us—he’s one of the interns. I recorded everything. He said there’s a division in their group. They’re planning something. Soon.”
Elise stepped out of the car behind them, already dialing into the security system.
“You did well,” she said calmly. “But this means we have to move faster.”
Nicholas took the phone from Ava and listened to the recording silently.
Then he looked at Elise.
“Tell me we have a plan.”
“We do,” she said grimly. “But it won’t be enough anymore. If they’re making threats in person, that means the council’s decided. We’re no longer just targets—they want us erased.”
Ava looked between them.
“Then let’s finish what we started.”