Chapter 6 - The Betrayal Inside the Penthouse
Beatrice did not go without Bastion.
She considered it for eleven seconds.
Then she handed him the note.
"I assume you're coming anyway."
"Yes."
"At least you're predictable."
Room 2407 belonged to a small hotel across town.
Bastion arranged discreet security outside.
Beatrice used the keycard.
The room was empty.
A recorder sat on the bed.
She pressed play.
Nathan's voice filled the room.
"Bea, if Bastion is with you, that's probably for the best."
Bastion raised an eyebrow.
Beatrice almost smiled.
Nathan continued.
"The thing I never told you about Bastion is that he wasn't the person I was protecting you from."
Beatrice frowned.
"I was protecting him from you."
Bastion stared at the recorder.
Nathan explained.
Years ago, when Nathan uncovered Julian's first theft, he also discovered that Bastion's father had quietly created the voting trust.
Nathan chose Beatrice as successor custodian because she was independent.
No Mercer family connection.
No financial incentive.
No reason to favor either brother.
If the trust was ever abused, Beatrice could invalidate it.
She had unknowingly possessed that authority for nine years.
"Julian discovered your name six months ago," Nathan said.
"That's why your firm received the Mercer audit."
Beatrice closed her eyes.
Her bosses hadn't randomly assigned her.
They had been manipulated.
"He wanted you to find the money. He wanted you frightened. And eventually he wanted Bastion to protect you."
Bastion looked at her.
"Why?" she whispered.
Nathan answered from the recording.
"Because Julian knows his brother."
A pause.
"He knew Bastion would never surrender someone under his protection."
Beatrice's throat tightened.
"That would force Bastion into exactly the confrontation Julian wanted."
The recording ended.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Beatrice said, "We're puppets."
"No."
"Everything we've done was anticipated."
"Not everything."
"Name one thing."
Bastion looked at her.
"This."
He stepped closer.
She knew immediately what he meant.
Them.
Whatever had been forming between them.
The arguments.
The trust.
The moments when his hand lingered near hers.
The way he watched her when he thought she wasn't looking.
Beatrice stepped backward.
"Bastion."
"What?"
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
She hated how calm he sounded.
"Don't make this complicated."
"It's already complicated."
She looked away.
He touched her chin gently, giving her every opportunity to move.
She didn't.
"You told me three days ago that you couldn't stand me."
"I was mistaken."
"That's not romantic."
"I wasn't attempting romance."
"Good."
"Beatrice."
Her heart beat harder.
She had spent years building walls around the places where other people's judgments had hurt her.
Men who liked her privately but wanted someone thinner publicly.
Men who called her beautiful only after adding qualifiers.
Men who treated attraction to her like a confession.
Bastion had never once done that.
That almost made him more dangerous.
"Don't fall in love with me," she whispered.
His expression changed.
"Why?"
"Because your life is insane."
"That's your argument?"
"It's one of several."
"Poor argument."
"Bastion."
"I don't follow rules very well."
She laughed despite herself.
"That's obvious."
His forehead almost touched hers.
Then his phone rang.
The moment shattered.
Tomas.
Alive.
Bastion answered.
Tomas had escaped during a transfer between rooms inside Mercer Tower.
He knew where Adrian was being held.
More importantly, he knew Julian's schedule.
At noon, Julian planned to gather the Mercer board and activate the trust.
Beatrice looked at the clock.
10:18.
Less than two hours.
They formed a plan.
Not Bastion's plan.
Beatrice's.
At 11:46, Mercer Tower filled with board members.
Julian believed Beatrice would be brought upstairs.
Instead she entered through the lobby openly.
Blue dress.
Laptop bag.
Head high.
Bastion walked beside her.
The elevator carried them upward.
"You can still leave," he said.
"So can you."
"This is my building."
"And apparently my trust."
He looked at her.
"You're enjoying this."
"A little."
The elevator opened.
Julian stood at the far end of the boardroom.
Silver-haired.
Elegant.
Smiling.
He resembled Bastion enough to make the relationship unmistakable.
Adrian sat nearby.
Alive.
Tomas was nowhere visible.
Nathan stood beside the windows.
Beatrice stopped.
Eight years disappeared.
Nathan looked older.
But it was him.
"Bea."
She wanted to hug him.
She wanted to slap him.
She did neither.
Julian smiled.
"Ms. Abbott. Finally."
"Your accounting is sloppy."
His smile tightened.
Bastion almost laughed.
Julian gestured toward the table.
Documents waited.
"Sign."
"No."
"Read first."
"I already know what they are."
"Then this should be easy."
Beatrice placed her laptop on the table.
"Actually, I brought something for you."
She opened it.
Twenty-three companies appeared.
Julian's smile faded.
"I reconstructed everything."
"Congratulations."
"Including the twelve million that wasn't yours."
Daniel's transfer.
Then Adrian's records.
Then the hotel vendor payments.
She had everything.
Julian remained calm.
"Evidence only matters if it reaches someone willing to use it."
"Correct."
Beatrice smiled.
"That's why I sent it before coming upstairs."
Julian's face changed.
For the first time, he looked worried.
Bastion watched his brother carefully.
"You lost."
"No."
Julian reached for his phone.
Nothing happened.
Then he laughed.
"You still don't understand."
He looked at Nathan.
"Tell her."
Nathan's face was pale.
Beatrice turned.
"Tell me what?"
Nathan couldn't meet her eyes.
Julian answered.
"The forty million wasn't the only money."
Beatrice's stomach dropped.
"There is another account."
"How much?"
"One hundred and eighty million."
Even Bastion reacted.
Julian smiled again.
"And the authorization isn't mine."
Beatrice looked at Nathan.
"No."
Nathan's eyes filled with shame.
"I'm sorry, Bea."
Bastion stepped forward.
"What did you do?"
Nathan whispered:
"I moved it."
Silence.
Beatrice stared at the man who had taught her everything.
Julian placed another document on the table.
It showed the transfer.
Nathan's credentials.
Nathan's signature.
Nathan's authorization.
Beatrice felt something break inside her.
Then she noticed the timestamp.
Her eyes narrowed.
Nathan had supposedly authorized the transfer eight years ago.
Three days after his reported death.
Beatrice looked up.
"Where did this money go?"
Nathan opened his mouth.
Before he could answer, the boardroom doors suddenly locked.
Every screen in the room turned black.
Then one sentence appeared across all of them.
BEATRICE, ASK BASTION WHAT HAPPENED EIGHT YEARS AGO.
May you like
She slowly turned toward him.
Bastion's face told her he already knew...
