Chapter 6 - THE CRYPT
"Arthur," Sebastian said, his voice dropping an octave as he kept his gun leveled squarely at his brother’s chest. "Step away from her."
Arthur chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. He looked exactly as he had a decade ago—sharp, meticulously groomed, but with cold, hollow eyes. "Always playing the hero, little brother. But you can't save her. Victoria made her choice."
Sebastian didn't lower the weapon. He moved to the desk, pressing two fingers against Victoria's neck. Her pulse was weak, erratic. "Call an ambulance," he barked.
"I blocked the signals in this building," Arthur replied calmly. He set the glass down. "Victoria was a liability. She was draining the family accounts to pay off the syndicate to keep Genevieve quiet. But Genevieve got greedy. She wanted the estate. She wanted your little girl."
Answer One, Open Two. Arthur knew Genevieve was alive. He had known all along.
"You helped her fake her death," Sebastian realized, the betrayal burning hot in his chest. "You let me mourn her. You let me blame myself for the crash."
"The crash was real, Sebastian," Arthur sneered. "But Genevieve surviving? That was an opportunity. She was unstable. She was going to ruin the company. So, I paid the medics to declare her dead. I shipped her off to a private facility in Switzerland. Victoria found out and used it to leverage control of the board."
Victoria groaned, her eyelids fluttering open. Her elegant face was pale and slick with sweat. "S-Sebastian..." she rasped.
He leaned down. "Victoria, hold on."
"He... he lied," Victoria whispered, her trembling hand reaching out to grip Sebastian’s sleeve. "Arthur didn't hide Genevieve to protect the company. He hid her... because of what she saw."
Arthur’s face darkened. He reached into his coat and pulled out a suppressed handgun, aiming it at Sebastian. "Shut up, Victoria."
"She saw him," Victoria gasped, blood trickling from her lip. "She saw Arthur cut the brakes on your car that night, Sebastian. He meant to kill you. Genevieve took your car instead."
The world went silent. The grief that had anchored Sebastian’s soul for eleven years shattered, replaced by a pure, blinding fury. He hadn't failed to protect his sister. His brother had tried to murder him, and Genevieve had taken the fall.
Arthur’s hand shook slightly as he aimed the gun. "You were father's favorite. You were getting the CEO seat. I couldn't let that happen."
"You took eleven years of my sister's life," Sebastian rumbled, stepping slowly toward the gun, completely ignoring the danger. "You put a target on my daughter's back tonight."
"Don't take another step," Arthur warned.
Sebastian didn't stop. He raised his own weapon.
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Before either man could pull the trigger, the heavy double doors of the office blasted open. Genevieve stood in the doorway, bleeding from a shoulder wound, surrounded by three heavily armed syndicate mercenaries.
She looked at Arthur, a chilling, triumphant smile crossing her scarred face. "Merry Christmas, Arthur. I brought backup."
