Chapter 7 - Chloe’s Second Betrayal
Evelyn recognized Gabriel’s handwriting.
Dominic stared at her.
“My uncle is alive?”
“I don't know.”
“You just recognized his writing.”
“I said I knew who wrote it.”
“Then say it.”
Evelyn looked at Beatrice.
“Gabriel had a son.”
Dominic frowned.
“Impossible.”
“No. Hidden.”
“Who?”
Evelyn's silence answered before her words did.
“Liam.”
Dominic stepped backward.
“My cousin is Gabriel’s son?”
“Yes.”
“Then the man I called Uncle Carlo—”
“Raised him.”
Dominic turned away.
Another family lie.
Another dead man who wasn't where history had placed him.
Beatrice opened the ledger.
The entries were coded.
But Chloe recognized some.
“Those are Liam’s marks.”
“How?” Beatrice asked.
“I watched him use them.”
Dominic looked at her sharply.
“When?”
Chloe hesitated.
That hesitation mattered.
“Chloe.”
“Three months ago.”
Beatrice understood.
“The video.”
Chloe lowered her head.
“I knew I was being recorded.”
Arthur stared.
“What?”
“I thought it was Liam.”
“You staged your own betrayal?”
“Part of it.”
Dominic’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“Explain.”
Chloe looked at Beatrice.
“I was trying to make Dominic end the engagement.”
“By framing me?”
“I didn't know the video would play tonight.”
“But when it did, you blamed me.”
“I panicked.”
“You threw wine at me.”
Chloe's face crumpled.
“I know.”
“You tried to hit me.”
“I know.”
Beatrice stepped closer.
“Stop saying you know like knowing is the same as being sorry.”
Chloe cried silently.
Then she said, “I'm sorry.”
Beatrice had imagined hearing it for years.
It did not magically fix anything.
But it was a beginning.
Dominic took the ledger.
“Why did you want out?”
“Because Liam told me what the engagement was really for.”
Arthur looked sick.
“What?”
“Access to Russo Global.”
Dominic nodded slowly.
“Through marriage.”
“Your prenuptial agreement would have given me no control. But if federal charges removed you, certain emergency voting provisions transferred temporary authority to your spouse.”
Dominic understood.
“And Liam intended to control you.”
“Yes.”
Beatrice looked at Chloe.
“So the affair was fake?”
Chloe hesitated.
“No.”
That hurt Dominic less than Beatrice expected.
Perhaps betrayal had already exhausted itself.
“I did care about him.”
“Do you still?”
“I don't know.”
Chloe's phone rang.
Liam.
Everyone froze.
She answered on speaker.
“Liam?”
“Are you safe?”
His voice sounded frantic.
“Where are you?”
“I escaped.”
“From whom?”
“My father.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“Gabriel?”
Silence.
Then Liam said, “So you know.”
“Where is he?”
“Looking for Beatrice.”
“Why?”
“Because she has the key.”
Beatrice touched her pocket.
Liam continued.
“My father thinks Daniel stole the network from our family.”
Evelyn said, “Daniel stole nothing.”
Liam heard her.
“Aunt Evelyn.”
Her face tightened.
“Where are you?”
“Brooklyn.”
Chloe looked at Dominic.
The apartment.
“I'll come.”
“No,” Liam said.
“Why?”
“Because he's watching you.”
Chloe looked toward the windows.
“Who?”
“My father.”
A red laser dot appeared on her dress.
Dominic tackled Chloe down.
Everyone scattered.
No shot came.
The laser disappeared.
Liam shouted through the phone.
“Get out!”
The line died.
Dominic looked toward Marco.
“Move.”
They evacuated through the rear.
In the armored car, Beatrice sat beside Chloe.
Neither spoke for several blocks.
Then Chloe said, “I was jealous of you.”
Beatrice almost laughed.
“Of me?”
“Yes.”
“You spent twenty years telling me I was embarrassing.”
“Because Dad loved you differently.”
“He barely defended me.”
“He watched you like he was afraid something would happen to you. Every school trip. Every boyfriend. Every time you traveled.”
“That wasn't love. That was fear.”
“I didn't know the difference.”
Beatrice looked at her sister.
“Neither did I.”
Across from them, Dominic watched without interrupting.
They reached the Russo penthouse.
Security sealed the building.
Dominic gave Beatrice a guest room.
She stopped at the door.
“What happens to our fake engagement?”
“Tomorrow I issue a statement saying emotions were high and no formal engagement exists.”
She should have felt relieved.
Instead, something unexpectedly small hurt.
“Good.”
Dominic noticed.
“Unless you prefer another version.”
“No.”
“Beatrice.”
“It's fine.”
He stepped closer.
“You've had enough people decide what you feel.”
She looked at him.
“So tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
“What you actually want.”
Nobody had asked her that tonight.
Maybe nobody had asked her for years.
“I want one night where I'm not someone’s adopted daughter, secret shareholder, fake fiancée or target.”
Dominic nodded.
“Then tonight you're Beatrice.”
He started walking away.
“Dominic?”
He turned.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For taking my hand.”
His expression softened.
“You shouldn't have needed me to.”
“No.”
“But I’m glad you were there.”
For several seconds neither moved.
Then Marco appeared.
“We have Liam.”
Dominic’s expression sharpened.
“Where?”
“Downstairs.”
They hurried to the security room.
Liam appeared on camera in the lobby.
Alone.
Bloody.
He carried a briefcase.
Dominic activated the intercom.
“Open it.”
Liam placed the case on the floor.
Inside were documents.
And a gun.
He kicked the gun away.
“I need to see Beatrice.”
“No.”
“Dominic, my father is coming.”
“For what?”
Liam looked directly into the camera.
“The key.”
Beatrice stepped beside Dominic.
“What does it open?”
Liam shook his head.
“Not over this system.”
“Tell me.”
“Your father built a vault under Davenport Tower.”
Arthur looked up sharply.
“I own Davenport Tower.”
Liam nodded.
“Not the bottom three floors.”
Beatrice frowned.
“What’s down there?”
Liam looked terrified.
“The reason Daniel Hayes was murdered.”
Then every monitor in the security room went black.
One screen came back.
A live camera.
Davenport Tower.
Sublevel Three.
A man stood before a steel door.
Silver hair.
Older face.
But unmistakably related to Dominic.
Evelyn whispered his name.
“Gabriel.”
On-screen, Gabriel looked directly into the camera.
May you like
Then he held up a photograph of Beatrice.
And smiled...
