Chapter 13 - Adrian's Real War
Victor groaned on the floor.
The bullet had struck his shoulder.
Adrian kicked his gun away.
Alexander moved beside Charlotte.
"Stay behind me."
Adrian laughed.
"Still pretending to be a father?"
Alexander's expression hardened.
"What do you want?"
"What my father wanted."
"Northstar."
"No."
Adrian looked around the empty tower.
"Revenge."
Charlotte studied him.
"You killed my mother for revenge?"
Adrian's eyes moved toward her.
"I didn't order Eleanor's death."
"Marcus said you did."
"Marcus believed many things."
"Then who did?"
Victor laughed weakly from the floor.
Adrian turned.
"Quiet."
Victor smiled through the pain.
"Tell her."
Adrian's face changed.
Victor continued.
"Tell Charlotte who actually poured the poison."
Charlotte's stomach tightened.
Adrian looked toward Alexander.
"No."
Charlotte followed his gaze.
Her father stared back.
"Father?"
Alexander's face drained of color.
Victor began laughing.
Charlotte backed away.
"What did you do?"
Alexander shook his head.
"I didn't poison Eleanor."
"But you know who did."
Silence.
Charlotte felt something inside her break.
"Tell me."
Alexander closed his eyes.
"Your aunt."
Charlotte froze.
"Rebecca?"
Alexander nodded.
Rebecca Vale was Eleanor's younger sister.
Charlotte hadn't seen her since the funeral.
She lived quietly in Switzerland.
"Why?"
"She worked with Kessler."
Adrian corrected him.
"She worked for my father."
Charlotte stared at Adrian.
"Where is she?"
"Geneva."
"Did she kill my mother?"
Adrian's expression became unreadable.
"Yes."
Charlotte felt tears burning her eyes.
All this time, she had been searching for killers inside Solmere.
The person who administered the poison had been family.
Victor suddenly reached toward his ankle.
Adrian saw the movement.
"Don't."
Victor pulled a second gun.
Everything happened at once.
Alexander shoved Charlotte behind a column.
Victor fired.
Adrian returned fire.
Glass exploded.
Victor ran toward the stairwell.
Daniel's voice shouted from the hallway.
"Police!"
Victor disappeared down the stairs.
Adrian lowered his weapon.
Daniel entered with officers.
They surrounded him.
Adrian placed the gun on the floor.
Charlotte stepped from behind the column.
"You could have killed Victor."
"Yes."
"But you shot his shoulder."
Adrian looked at her.
"I need him alive."
"Why?"
"Because Victor is the only person who knows where Rebecca Vale disappeared after your mother's murder."
Charlotte stared at him.
Adrian allowed officers to cuff him.
Then he leaned toward Charlotte as they passed.
"Your mother's murder was only the beginning."
"What does that mean?"
Adrian stopped.
"The Solmere sale wasn't about money."
"Then what?"
He looked toward her father.
Alexander's expression changed.
Adrian smiled slightly.
"Ask him what's buried beneath the original Solmere Hotel."
Charlotte turned toward Alexander.
Her father said nothing.
"Father?"
Daniel looked between them.
Alexander finally spoke.
"The hotel wasn't built over a foundation."
Charlotte frowned.
"What was it built over?"
May you like
Alexander answered quietly.
"A vault."
