Chapter 7 - The Hostage
The silence in the room was absolute, broken only by the soft sound of Leo shifting in his sleep.
"You knew?" I choked out, stepping back from Adrian as if he had struck me. "You knew who I was this whole time?"
"I knew Arthur had a daughter," Adrian said, his voice completely level, betraying no emotion. "When my head of staff approved your application six months ago, I recognized the name. I ran a background check. I knew you were coming here looking for answers."
"And you just let me?" I demanded, anger finally piercing through my fear. "You let me scrub your floors and serve your guests while you knew my father died in prison for a crime he didn't commit?"
"I let you in because you were safer here than anywhere else," Adrian stepped closer, his imposing frame casting a long shadow. "Your father didn't steal that money, Nora. He was a good man. He was framed because he stumbled onto something he wasn't supposed to see."
"What did he see?"
"My father," a new voice answered from the doorway.
We both spun around.
Grant stood in the doorway, a suppressed pistol held loosely in his right hand. Beside him, Silas—the traitorous guard—was holding a terrified, half-asleep Leo by the collar of his pajamas.
My blood ran cold. I had locked the door, but in the shock of Adrian's revelation, I hadn't replaced the heavy chair. Silas had the master keys.
"Uncle Adrian!" Leo cried out, tears spilling down his cheeks.
Adrian didn't move, but the sudden, terrifying shift in his posture made the air in the room drop ten degrees. "Let the boy go, Grant. This is between you and me."
"It's about the family, Adrian," Grant said smoothly, stepping into the room. "You've gone soft. You're trying to turn our syndicate into a legitimate corporation. You’re letting maids dictate terms. You're hiding heirs. The families won't stand for it. Caroline’s father has already pledged his men to me."
"You think killing me makes you the boss?" Adrian scoffed, his eyes locked onto Silas’s hands, calculating the distance. "It makes you a dead man walking."
"I'm not going to kill you," Grant smiled, a cold, empty expression. "Silas is going to kill you. A tragic betrayal by a trusted guard. And in the chaos, poor little Leo will go missing. Such a tragedy."
"Don't touch him!" I screamed, lunging forward, but Adrian caught my arm, pulling me hard behind him.
"You want to know the truth about your father, Nora?" Grant taunted, aiming the gun directly at Adrian’s chest. "Arthur Bennett didn't find stolen money. He found out that my grandfather—Adrian’s father—was the one stealing from the allied families to fund a private war. Arthur was going to blow the whistle. So, my grandfather planted the money in Arthur’s accounts and had him arrested."
"And the train ticket?" I whispered, my voice shaking. "Clara had his ticket."
Grant laughed bitterly. "Clara was a fool. She found out what our grandfather did. She tried to help Arthur escape to Montreal. But I caught her. I took the watch off Arthur myself to prove to my grandfather that I had handled the problem before the cops arrived."
He had known everything. My father had been an innocent pawn destroyed by a corrupt empire.
"You're a coward, Grant," Adrian said, his voice a low, lethal purr. "You hide behind guards and women. You want the throne? Earn it."
Grant's eyes narrowed. "Silas, take the boy to the car."
"No!" I broke free from Adrian's grip and threw myself toward Silas.
It happened in a fraction of a second. Silas raised his free hand to strike me. Adrian exploded forward, a blur of motion, driving his fist into Silas’s throat. Silas dropped Leo, gagging, choking for air.
I grabbed Leo, dragging him under the heavy oak desk, shielding his small body with my own.
"Adrian!" Grant roared.
May you like
I looked up just in time to see Grant point the gun directly at my head. He had realized I was the distraction. I was the vulnerability.
Grant pulled the trigger.
