Chapter 5 - THE PRICE OF A CROSS HEIR
Elena did not scream.
That surprised Damian.
She simply stared at the photograph of Camille until her face became so still that he understood something had changed inside her.
“No police,” she said.
“Elena—”
“He has my sister.”
“We cannot walk into whatever Victor planned.”
“And we cannot leave Camille there.”
Eric stepped closer.
“He wants the ledger.”
“We don’t have the original,” Damian said.
“He may not know that.”
Elena finally looked at him.
“Then give him what he thinks he wants.”
Damian’s expression hardened.
“No.”
“You said this started because he wants control of you.”
“Yes.”
“So use me.”
“No.”
“I am already being used.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m helping him do it.”
She moved closer.
“My sister is in that room because somebody attached my unborn child to your name.”
Damian’s jaw tightened.
“You didn’t do that.”
“You sent the first message.”
The words hurt him.
She could see it.
Good.
Not because she wanted to punish him.
Because they needed the truth.
Damian nodded once.
“You’re right.”
Elena continued.
“So help me end it.”
They built the plan around one assumption.
Victor believed Elena was frightened enough to cooperate.
For the first time in days, that assumption was true.
She was terrified.
But fear and surrender were not the same thing.
At 2:00 p.m., Victor sent an address.
An abandoned private clinic outside the city.
Northstar Medical Consulting.
Of course.
Damian was instructed to come with Elena and Eric.
No visible security.
No police.
Bring the original evidence.
Bring the trust documents.
Damian prepared duplicate drives containing enough genuine material to look convincing.
Dominic—who had been cleared after Michael’s betrayal—placed trackers inside Damian’s coat and Eric’s belt.
Elena refused one in her clothing.
“If they search us, they’ll find it.”
Marisol held up a small adhesive fetal heart monitor patch.
“They won’t find this suspicious on a pregnant woman.”
Elena looked at her.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“I am a nurse. We improvise.”
The patch contained no tracking technology by itself, but Dominic placed a transmitter inside its modified plastic casing.
At 4:17 p.m., they entered the clinic.
The building appeared abandoned from outside.
Inside, everything was clean.
Too clean.
Victor waited in an examination room.
Camille sat beside him.
Her hands were tied.
Her eyes filled with tears when she saw Elena.
“I’m sorry.”
Elena shook her head.
“Don’t.”
Victor stood.
“You came.”
“You kidnapped my sister.”
“I invited cooperation.”
“You tied her to a chair.”
“Semantics.”
Damian stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
Victor smiled.
“After business.”
Two armed men took the drives.
Eric watched them carefully.
“What do you want?”
Victor looked at him.
“You caused an extraordinary amount of trouble for an accountant.”
“I’m thorough.”
“You’re replaceable.”
Elena saw Eric’s face tighten.
Victor turned toward Damian.
“The situation is simple.”
“No situation involving you is simple.”
“You will publicly acknowledge Elena Carter’s child.”
Elena felt Camille stare at her.
Victor continued.
“A paternity report will confirm your claim.”
“A fake report.”
“A convincing report.”
“And then?”
“On your thirty-fifth birthday, the voting trust transfers.”
Damian nodded slowly.
“And then I sign control to you.”
Victor smiled.
“Now you understand.”
“And if I refuse?”
Victor looked toward Camille.
One of the men behind her placed a hand on the chair.
“You don’t.”
Damian’s face went cold.
“You threatened the wrong family.”
Victor laughed.
“You still believe Elena is separate from us.”
“She is.”
“No, Damian. The moment her ultrasound appeared on your phone, she became useful.”
Elena’s skin crawled.
Victor continued.
“You know what your weakness has always been?”
“Listening to you?”
“Conscience.”
Victor almost spat the word.
“Your father had it too.”
Damian’s expression changed.
Victor noticed.
“So you still wonder how he died.”
The room became silent.
Damian’s father had supposedly suffered a heart attack.
Victor tilted his head.
“He was going to remove me from the trust.”
Damian stared at him.
Eric whispered, “Oh my God.”
Victor smiled.
“No one questions a wealthy sixty-two-year-old man with a bad heart.”
Damian took one step forward.
The armed men raised their weapons.
Elena’s heart pounded.
That confession mattered.
If Dominic’s transmitter was working, someone had heard it.
Victor held out a folder.
“Sign.”
Damian opened it.
A transfer of voting authority.
An acknowledgment of paternity.
A nondisclosure agreement binding Elena to the Cross family.
He looked at her.
Elena gave the smallest possible nod.
Sign.
Trust the plan.
Damian picked up the pen.
Victor smiled.
“Your father would be disappointed.”
Damian signed.
Victor slid the papers toward Elena.
“Now you.”
She read the first page.
Then the second.
Her hands shook.
She signed the line Victor indicated.
He collected the documents.
“Excellent.”
“Camille,” Elena said.
Victor motioned.
One man cut her restraints.
Camille ran to Elena.
They held each other.
For one brief second, Elena believed the plan had worked.
Then Victor spoke.
“Take Eric downstairs.”
Eric went still.
“That wasn’t the deal.”
“There was no deal with you.”
Two men seized him.
Damian moved.
A gun pointed at Elena’s stomach.
He stopped instantly.
Victor smiled.
“Conscience.”
Elena felt rage burn through her fear.
“What are you doing?”
“Removing loose ends.”
“You said no one would be hurt.”
“I said your sister could leave.”
Camille grabbed Elena.
Eric struggled as the men pulled him toward the hall.
Then a distant siren sounded.
Victor’s smile vanished.
Another siren.
Then another.
He looked at Damian.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
Victor’s eyes dropped to Elena.
The modified fetal monitor patch.
His expression changed.
He ripped it from her coat.
A tiny transmitter fell to the floor.
Victor’s face twisted.
“You stupid girl.”
Damian moved between them.
Victor drew a gun.
Everything happened at once.
Camille screamed.
Eric slammed one guard into the wall.
Damian lunged.
Victor fired.
The shot exploded through the room.
Elena saw Damian jerk backward.
Blood appeared across his white shirt.
“Damian!”
Police stormed the hallway.
Victor grabbed Elena from behind and pressed the gun against her side.
“Back!”
Everyone stopped.
Damian was on one knee.
Blood ran between his fingers.
Victor dragged Elena toward a rear door.
“You ruined everything.”
Elena fought to stay upright.
“My baby has nothing to do with you.”
Victor’s breath touched her ear.
“That baby is the only reason any of you are still alive.”
He pulled her through the door.
A car waited outside.
The driver opened the back seat.
Victor shoved Elena inside and climbed after her.
As the vehicle accelerated away, Elena looked through the rear window.
May you like
Damian lay on the pavement.
Not moving.
