Chapter 10 - Emily’s Choice
Claire stared at her sister.
“Emily?”
Emily’s hands shook.
Charles smiled.
“Family is complicated.”
Madison was crying.
Lauren looked furious.
Claire kept her voice calm.
“Emily, look at me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Give me the gun.”
“I can’t.”
Charles walked closer.
“You always thought you were smarter than everyone.”
Claire ignored him.
“Emily.”
Her sister’s eyes filled with tears.
“He said he’ll kill Mom if I don’t do what he says.”
Claire’s heart twisted.
“Where is Rebecca?”
Charles answered.
“Safe. For now.”
Claire looked at him.
“You kidnapped your own family.”
“I protected what belongs to me.”
“You don’t own people.”
“Your mother used to say that.”
There it was.
Claire touched the microphone hidden beneath her blouse.
Keep him talking.
“What happened to her?”
Charles smiled without warmth.
“You already know.”
“I know Richard brought her car to the garage.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Richard always was weak.”
“So you ordered it.”
“No.”
Claire’s pulse jumped.
Charles leaned closer.
“I gave him a problem to solve.”
Madison made a horrified sound.
Lauren whispered, “Dad…”
Charles turned toward them.
“Don’t look at me like that. Everything you have exists because I did what was necessary.”
Claire said, “Mom was necessary?”
“She was going to destroy the company.”
“She owned the company.”
“That was the problem!”
The words echoed through the terminal.
Claire almost stopped breathing.
Charles realized what he had said.
Too late.
Claire continued.
“She was leaving you.”
“She was stealing what I built.”
“She built it with you.”
“I built it!”
“You didn’t even know your quarterly growth at dinner.”
His face changed.
Claire knew she had hit the wound.
Charles pointed at her.
“You think because Vale looks at you differently, you matter now?”
“No.”
Claire surprised herself with how calmly the answer came.
“I mattered before he ever walked into our house.”
Something moved in Charles’s face.
Claire continued.
“I mattered in the storage room. I mattered when I saved your warehouses. I mattered every time you took credit for my work.”
“Shut up.”
“I mattered when Mom was alive.”
“Shut up!”
“And I mattered after you spent fifteen years trying to convince me I didn’t.”
Charles slapped her.
Claire stumbled.
Emily screamed.
The gun lowered.
Charles turned.
“Keep that weapon up!”
“No.”
Everyone froze.
Emily’s voice shook.
But the gun did not.
“No more.”
Charles stepped toward her.
Emily pointed the gun at him.
“I said no.”
“Emily, put it down.”
“You lied to me.”
“I’m your father.”
“You’re a murderer.”
Charles lunged.
The terminal exploded into movement.
Claire grabbed Emily.
A shot fired into the ceiling.
Dominic’s men came through two doors.
Charles ran.
Marcus cut off the east exit.
Charles turned toward the docks.
Dominic appeared.
For one second, the two men faced each other.
Charles laughed.
“This is business that doesn’t concern you, Vale.”
Dominic looked toward Claire.
“It concerns me.”
Charles pulled a pistol from his jacket.
Dominic moved.
Claire shouted.
A shot cracked.
Charles fell backward.
But Dominic hadn’t fired.
Emily stood ten feet away.
The gun was still in her hands.
Charles looked down.
Blood spread across his shoulder.
Emily dropped the weapon.
“I didn’t mean—”
Claire grabbed her.
“You’re okay.”
Police flooded the terminal.
Charles was cuffed while paramedics treated him.
Madison and Lauren were freed.
Rebecca was found locked in an office upstairs.
It should have been over.
Then Naomi called.
Claire answered with shaking hands.
“We have a problem.”
“What now?”
“The board just filed emergency papers.”
“Against Charles?”
“No.”
Naomi paused.
“Against you.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Of course.
“What are they claiming?”
“That Anne’s trust is fraudulent.”
Dominic came closer.
May you like
Naomi continued.
“And tomorrow morning, the board plans to sell Whitmore Freight before you can stop them.”
