Chapter 8 - The Thirty-Eight Percent Betrayal
Police found no trace of Warren Sloan.
He had never been inside the archive building.
The entire confrontation had been remotely controlled.
Elaine survived.
The tactical team disabled the gas system with less than two minutes of backup pressure remaining.
Victoria's encrypted drive was gone.
The lockbox had dropped through an internal shaft leading into an old document transfer tunnel.
By the time officers reached it, the drive had disappeared.
Marcus returned to the hospital shortly before noon.
Khloe knew from his face that something had gone wrong.
“Julian?”
Marcus sat beside her.
“He transferred his shares.”
“To Warren?”
“To a shell company Warren controls.”
Khloe stared at him.
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
She reached for Marcus's hand without thinking.
Then stopped.
Marcus noticed.
The distance between them hurt almost as much as the conspiracy.
“There's something you need to know.”
Khloe waited.
“I lied to you about Isabella.”
Her expression hardened.
Marcus continued before he lost his nerve.
“I told you our relationship ended when I met you.”
“It didn't?”
“Not completely.”
Khloe looked away.
“For two months after you and I started dating, Isabella kept contacting me.”
“Did you see her?”
“Twice.”
Khloe closed her eyes.
“Did you sleep with her?”
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
“But I kissed her once.”
Silence.
Marcus hated himself for the relief he felt when Khloe did not scream.
She simply looked disappointed.
That was worse.
“Why tell me now?”
“Because I'm done letting secrets become weapons.”
Khloe stared at him.
“You should have told me three years ago.”
“Yes.”
“Was she blackmailing you?”
“Eventually.”
Marcus reached into his jacket.
He placed several printed emails on the bed.
“Six months ago, Isabella contacted me.”
Khloe read the first message.
TELL YOUR WIFE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
OR I WILL.
The second message included an old photograph of Marcus kissing Isabella outside her apartment.
The date was visible.
It had been taken after Marcus and Khloe's first official date.
Khloe looked at him.
“She wanted money?”
“No.”
“What did she want?”
“You gone.”
Khloe frowned.
“Gone where?”
“She wanted me to divorce you.”
“And you didn't think that was worth mentioning?”
“I handled it.”
Khloe almost laughed.
“Clearly.”
Marcus accepted the blow.
“I told security to keep her away from our properties.”
“But she attended the gala.”
“Yes.”
“Who approved her?”
They both knew the answer before checking.
Elaine had processed the invitation.
But Elaine had done it under Warren's pressure.
The original request, however, came from someone else.
Damian entered carrying the gala authorization records.
He placed the page before them.
The signature at the bottom belonged to Julian.
Marcus stared.
His younger brother had personally requested Isabella Rossi be added to the guest list.
Khloe whispered.
“He brought her there.”
Damian nodded.
A nurse entered suddenly.
“Mrs. Thorne, we need to examine you.”
Khloe's monitors had changed.
Her contractions were becoming regular.
Too regular.
The doctor arrived moments later.
“You're only thirty-one weeks.”
Marcus stood beside the bed.
“What does that mean?”
“It means the trauma may have triggered premature labor.”
Khloe's fear returned immediately.
“Can you stop it?”
“We're going to try.”
As the medical team moved around her, Marcus stepped backward.
His phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
A single message appeared.
COME ALONE IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH.
Beneath it was an address.
Marcus recognized the building.
Julian's apartment.
And attached to the message was a photograph taken only seconds earlier.
Julian was sitting beside his window.
A gun rested on the table.
May you like
Beside it lay a handwritten note.
I NEVER WANTED HER HURT.
