No strings attached / Leon s. Kennedy

Chapter 32

Amber

The streets are quiet as I wait, sitting in my car, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles ache. It's dark now, the kind of stillness that swallows sound, but it does nothing to calm the storm in my head. Too many thoughts, too much hurt, all swirling together, relentless.

I was the last puzzle piece. That much is clear now. It was me. Leon needed me to fill in the gaps, to finish whatever twisted picture he was putting together, and I walked right into it. Played my part perfectly. Loyal to a fault, willing to do whatever it took to protect the only home I thought I had. And that's why Umbrella trusted me—why they fed me their lies. They knew I wouldn't blabber, knew I'd never betray them. I was their loyal dog, after all.

But they also kept me at arm's length. They didn't tell me everything, didn't let me get too close. I thought it was because they respected me, valued my work. But now? Now I see it for what it was—control. They let me believe I was important while keeping me just far enough away from the truth.

And Hughes... God, Hughes. The man who had been my anchor in my early days here, the one I thought I could trust more than anyone. He lied to me, just like the rest of them. Did I ever mean anything to him? To Adams? To Williams? Or was I just another asset, another piece to be used and discarded when I wasn't useful anymore?

And then there's Leon. The one person who made me believe I could be more than this—more than their pawn. The one person I let in, who knew all along, who stood there and ripped the ground out from under me with his silence. He played me too, just like everyone else. And the worst part? I let him. I wanted to believe him.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. None of it matters now. What matters is what's in those restricted sections of the upper floors. The places only I can go. Umbrella made sure of that—made sure I had access to the parts no one else could touch. Maybe they thought I'd never question it. Maybe they thought I'd stay loyal forever.

But now? Now I need answers. I need to know what they've been hiding from me, why they've kept me in the dark, why my father's name is tied to something so monstrous. I need to know if I was ever anything more to them than just a means to an end.

I glance at the clock. It's late enough now, the building will be quieter, emptier. I know the night shift well enough to avoid them, and no one will question me being there. They think they still have their loyal Amber, their perfect, dependable cog in the machine.

My mind races with every possible outcome, each one darker than the last. If I go up there and make one mistake, if I say the wrong thing, if someone catches me in the wrong place... I'm done. I don't have anything to defend myself with. No weapons, no plan, no backup. Just this gnawing need for answers, this desperate, clawing ache to know what they've been hiding from me.

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside. I have to believe I can do this. I've worked here for years—no one questions me. I know how to play their game, how to smile and nod and seem like the perfect little Umbrella employee. I've done it a thousand times before.

Just one more time.

The guards... they're familiar. I know their schedules, their routines. I could trick them if I had to. Or maybe I won't even need to. Maybe they'll just let me in, assuming I have clearance like always. That's the thing about loyalty—they've conditioned me to never question them, and in turn, they've never had a reason to question me. If they think I'm here on official business, they'll open the doors without a second thought.

My stomach churns, fear clawing at the edges of my resolve. But I can't let it stop me. I need this. I need to know why. Why they lied to me. Why my father's name is tied to all of this. Why I am tied to all of this.