Chapter 13 - The Man Everyone Blamed
Thomas laughed.
“Look who finally grew a conscience.”
Victor’s gun stayed steady.
“I protected you long enough.”
“You protected yourself.”
Marco aimed at Victor.
Police aimed at Thomas.
Nobody moved.
Lily cried quietly.
I walked toward her.
Thomas shouted.
“Stop!”
Victor’s gun shifted toward him.
“Let him take the girl.”
“She belongs to the trust.”
“She belongs to nobody!”
Victor’s voice shook the room.
For the first time, I understood something.
He really did care about Sophie.
In his own twisted, controlling, destructive way.
Not enough to be good.
But enough to be afraid.
Thomas looked at Sophie.
“Ask your father who ordered Margaret’s car sabotaged.”
Sophie stared at Victor.
“Did you?”
Victor’s eyes lowered.
“I knew about it.”
Her face collapsed.
“That wasn’t my question.”
“No.”
“Who?”
Victor looked at Thomas.
“He did.”
Thomas shrugged.
“Margaret planned to expose everyone.”
“You killed my mother?”
“She would have ruined thousands of lives.”
“You mean rich lives.”
Thomas smiled.
“Same thing, depending on who writes history.”
Sophie lunged.
Marco caught her.
Thomas reached inside his jacket.
Victor fired.
The bullet hit Thomas in the shoulder.
Chaos exploded.
Police tackled him.
Rachel grabbed Lily.
I rushed forward.
Victor lowered his weapon.
Marco disarmed him immediately.
“You’re under arrest,” Detective Harmon said.
Victor didn’t resist.
Sophie stood in front of him.
“You imprisoned me.”
“Yes.”
“You threatened Amelia.”
“Yes.”
“You let me believe Noah was dead.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Victor’s eyes filled with something close to shame.
“Because Thomas told me if you ever spoke, he would kill him.”
Sophie shook her head.
“So you became his accomplice.”
“Yes.”
No excuse.
No defense.
Just yes.
It almost made it worse.
“Where is Noah?”
Victor looked at Detective Harmon.
“I’ll give you the facility.”
Sophie’s knees nearly gave out.
“Is he really alive?”
“Yes.”
“Why keep him alive?”
“Because he built the encryption system.”
“For the account?”
“Yes.”
“And Lily?”
Victor looked at his granddaughter.
“She inherited the access key through Margaret’s trust.”
I stared at him.
“She is five.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you want her?”
“To protect her.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You kidnapped her.”
“I never ordered tonight’s kidnapping.”
Thomas shouted from the floor.
“He’s lying!”
Victor ignored him.
“I hired Vanessa because I believed Thomas had someone close to Lily.”
I felt sick.
“Rachel?”
“No.”
Victor looked toward Marco.
“Closer.”
Everyone turned.
Marco frowned.
Victor pointed.
“Ask him who gave Amelia the original nursery camera system.”
My heart stopped.
Marco lowered his weapon slightly.
“Daniel…”
I stepped back.
“No.”
Marco’s face hardened.
“Don’t do this.”
Victor said:
“The security feeds were never Amelia’s.”
Marco looked at him.
“They were mine.”
Victor smiled.
“Exactly.”
I stared at the man who had protected us all night.
The man who had found the photograph.
The man who had led me to every secret.
“Marco…”
He slowly reached inside his jacket.
Police raised their guns.
“Hands!”
Marco pulled out a small black device.
Not a gun.
A remote.
He looked at Lily.
Then at me.
“I’m sorry.”
May you like
He pressed the button.
Every light in the factory went black.
