Chapter 11 - The Daughter With the Gun
Victoria looked nothing like the woman television loved.
Her hair was tied back.
Her white blouse was stained at the cuff.
Her eyes were cold.
Not wild.
Not desperate.
Controlled.
That made her more terrifying.
Sebastian's mouth was bleeding.
He looked at Margaret.
“Why did you bring them?”
Margaret stared at him.
“Because I'm done choosing this family over innocent children.”
Victoria smiled.
“You've said that before.”
Marcus ordered her to lower the gun.
She ignored him.
Instead, she looked at me.
“Did you enjoy the gala?”
I wanted to hit her.
“You put Lucy behind that wall.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because symbols matter.”
Her smile widened.
“A billionaire's charity gala.”
“A priceless royal portrait.”
“A missing child hidden behind it.”
“You couldn't design a better story.”
My stomach turned.
“You used her.”
“I saved her.”
“You imprisoned her.”
“I relocated her.”
Sebastian laughed bitterly.
“You see?”
Victoria struck him across the face with the gun.
“Be quiet.”
For the first time, she lost control.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
Her father could still reach something inside her.
Hatred.
Victoria told me she had chosen me because of Claire.
The grieving sister.
The ignored whistleblower.
The woman everyone had already labeled unstable.
When I discovered Lucy, two outcomes were possible.
Either the world believed me and Sebastian fell.
Or the world dismissed me and Lucy remained hidden until Victoria chose another strategy.
“You were useful,” she said.
“What about Claire?”
Victoria's face changed.
Barely.
“She was not.”
“You killed her.”
“She made a choice.”
“You cut her brakes.”
“She chose not to accept my offer.”
My entire body trembled.
Daniel stepped forward.
“You're recording this, right?”
Victoria looked at him.
“I taught you better than that.”
A red light blinked near the ceiling.
A signal jammer.
No phones.
No transmissions.
No outside evidence.
She had brought us there to control the ending.
Then Sebastian spoke.
“Elena.”
Victoria turned toward him.
He looked at me.
“Your sister hid something Victoria never found.”
Victoria's expression tightened.
Sebastian continued.
“She hid it in this house.”
I watched Victoria.
May you like
For the first time since we arrived, she looked uncertain.
And that told me Claire's final evidence still existed.
