Chapter 17 - THE LAST NIGHT AT BLACKTHORN
Blackthorn Manor had been empty since the seizure.
That night, the house became a trap.
Victor arrived alone.
At least, he thought he did.
He entered through the same front doors where federal agents had once arrested Nathan.
He walked beneath the same chandelier.
He stopped in the center of the hall.
"You wanted me here."
My father stepped from the shadows.
Victor smiled.
"Elias."
"You should have stayed gone."
Victor laughed.
"You're still arrogant."
"And you're still predictable."
Then I stepped forward.
Victor's eyes narrowed.
"You."
I nodded.
"You wanted the archive."
"Yes."
"You wanted my family."
"Yes."
"You wanted everything my father built."
Victor smiled.
"Now we're negotiating."
I looked at the chandelier.
The same one I had chosen with Nathan.
The same room where I had been beaten.
But this time, I was standing.
Victor reached inside his coat.
Security teams raised their weapons.
He stopped.
Slowly, he removed a phone.
"I have a dead-man switch."
My father didn't react.
"If I don't cancel it, the remaining archive will be destroyed."
I looked at him.
"You're bluffing."
He smiled.
"Am I?"
I walked closer.
"You never understood my family."
Victor's smile faded.
"You think power is information."
I shook my head.
"Power is knowing when to trust people."
My mother stepped from another doorway.
Victor froze.
Evelyn looked at him.
"You lost thirty years ago."
Victor's face collapsed.
"You."
She smiled.
"You should have finished the job."
Victor reached for the switch.
Nothing happened.
He stared at the phone.
My father smiled.
"We replaced your signal twenty minutes ago."
May you like
For the first time, Victor Hale looked terrified.
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