Chapter 7: Betrayal on the River

After the mansion, Harold Hayes insisted on seeing me off. We walked together down to the river, the night thick with humidity and secrets.\n\nI forced myself to smile, keeping my voice casual. But as we neared the steamboat, I dismissed the staff and pressed him: “Why are you helping me?”\n\nHarold stared at me, his eyes cold and unreadable. The silence stretched. I shifted, sweat prickling under my collar.\n\nJust as I was about to leave, he spoke in a low whisper: “You are not Marcus Wheeler.”\n\nThe words hit me like a fist to the gut. My secret was out. The nightmare was only just beginning.