Chapter 8 - The Wife Who Wasn't the Villain
When Nora woke, Evelyn Bellamy was sitting across from her.
For several seconds, neither woman spoke.
Nora's wrists were tied to a chair.
They were inside an old warehouse.
Water dripped somewhere.
Evelyn's red gown was torn. One side of her face was bruised.
“You look terrible,” Nora said.
Evelyn laughed.
“So do you.”
“Adrian?”
“Alive.”
“You know that?”
“I heard Daniel complaining.”
Nora exhaled.
“Good.”
Evelyn watched her.
“You care about him.”
“He owes me overtime.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
Nora ignored her.
“Why did you take the briefcase?”
“To keep Richard from getting it.”
“You could have told Adrian.”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“For twelve years.”
Nora stared.
Evelyn looked down.
“My father knew Richard had framed him. But there was no proof. If Victor accused Richard openly, the peace agreement collapsed.”
“So he let Adrian believe he murdered Michael?”
“He accepted Adrian's hatred because the alternative was another war.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It does in our world.”
“Your world seems exhausting.”
“It is.”
Nora shifted against the ropes.
“Did you love Adrian?”
Evelyn was silent for a long time.
“In a way.”
“What does that mean?”
“He was my husband. My ally. Sometimes my friend.”
“But?”
“But we were two people married to a ceasefire.”
Nora looked at her.
“Why did you tell me nobody was inside?”
“Daniel told me Adrian had already evacuated. Then he told me the fire was an attack from my father's people and ordered me to take the Zurich case.”
“You believed him?”
“He had protected Adrian for twenty years.”
“So did Richard.”
“Yes.”
Evelyn's eyes hardened.
“We were all fools.”
Footsteps approached.
Daniel entered.
He smiled at Nora.
“You're awake.”
“Disappointed?”
“No. Richard wants you conscious.”
“Why?”
“Because Adrian behaves irrationally around you.”
Nora laughed.
“I've known him eight hours.”
“And he crossed a burning mansion parking lot to make sure you weren't taken to a public hospital.”
She hadn't known that.
Daniel crouched.
“He has spent his entire life believing affection creates leverage.”
“He's right.”
“Yes.”
Daniel smiled.
“And now you're the leverage.”
Evelyn said, “Richard won't let you live.”
Daniel looked at her.
“He won't let any of us live.”
For the first time, his smile vanished.
Nora noticed.
“You're afraid of him.”
Daniel stood.
“No.”
“You are.”
He struck her chair hard enough to make it skid.
Evelyn said calmly, “She's right.”
Daniel turned.
“You should be more concerned about yourself.”
“I've been concerned about myself since I married into this family.”
He left.
Nora looked at Evelyn.
“Can you get loose?”
“No.”
“Neither can I.”
“Wonderful rescue plan.”
“I was improvising.”
A distant explosion shook the warehouse.
Both women looked up.
Gunfire erupted outside.
Evelyn smiled.
“That will be Adrian.”
Nora's heart jumped.
The lights died.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Men shouted.
A door slammed.
Then footsteps approached.
Nora held her breath.
Someone entered.
A flashlight beam swept across the room.
“Nora?”
Adrian.
Relief hit so hard it hurt.
“Here.”
He crossed the room and cut her restraints.
Nora stood too quickly and stumbled.
Adrian caught her.
For one second, neither moved.
His face was bruised.
Blood darkened his collar.
“You're alive,” she whispered.
“You sound surprised.”
“I watched someone hit you with a rifle.”
“He regrets it.”
She laughed shakily.
Then she hugged him.
It happened before she could think.
Adrian froze.
Then his arms closed around her.
Briefly.
Carefully.
When she stepped back, Evelyn was watching.
Her expression was almost amused.
“Could somebody rescue me too?”
Nora grabbed the knife.
“Sorry.”
They freed Evelyn.
Marcus appeared at the doorway.
“We have three minutes.”
“Richard?” Adrian asked.
“Gone.”
“Daniel?”
“Also gone.”
Evelyn said, “They'll go to Victor.”
Adrian turned.
“Why?”
“To finish what Richard started.”
She looked at him.
“If Richard kills my father and makes it look like you did it, the families go to war.”
Adrian understood.
“And while everyone fights…”
“Richard takes everything.”
They ran.
Outside, the shipyard had become chaos.
Two vehicles burned.
Marcus led them toward an SUV.
Then Evelyn stopped.
“My briefcase.”
Adrian grabbed her arm.
“Leave it.”
“It has the Zurich archive.”
“We have the other half.”
“You don't understand.”
“What?”
Evelyn looked at Nora.
“The Zurich case doesn't contain financial records.”
Adrian frowned.
“What does it contain?”
“Michael Bellamy's final recording.”
Adrian went still.
“What recording?”
“The one he made an hour before he died.”
Nora felt cold.
“What does he say?”
Evelyn swallowed.
“He names his killer.”
Adrian stared.
“Richard?”
“No.”
The answer stunned everyone.
Evelyn whispered:
“Michael said Richard ordered the murder.”
She looked toward the burning warehouse.
“But Daniel Price pulled the trigger.”
A gunshot cracked.
Evelyn jerked.
Blood appeared across her shoulder.
Adrian caught her as she fell.
May you like
From the warehouse roof, Daniel aimed again.
This time directly at Nora.
