Chapter 13 - The TowerThe Callaway Tower stood above the city like a blade.
Roman entered through the lobby.
No guards.
No employees.
No cameras.
Everything had been cleared.
At the elevator, the doors opened by themselves.
Roman stepped inside.
The elevator climbed.
Twenty floors.
Thirty.
Forty.
Fifty.
Then stopped.
The penthouse doors opened.
Vincent stood there.
Alive.
Roman stared at him.
For eleven years he'd imagined this moment.
He had imagined rage.
Tears.
Violence.
Instead, he felt numb.
“You're alive.”
Vincent nodded.
“I am.”
Roman stepped forward.
“You let me bury you.”
“I let you survive.”
“You don't get to call that survival.”
Vincent's expression broke.
“I know.”
Roman's eyes filled with anger.
“Where is Gabriel?”
Vincent looked behind him.
A nursery occupied the center of the penthouse.
Gabriel slept inside.
Sophia was tied to a chair nearby.
Roman rushed toward her.
Vincent stopped him.
“Wait.”
Roman looked at him.
Vincent pointed toward the glass wall.
Several men stood outside.
Graham among them.
And beside Graham stood Elena.
Roman's mother.
Alive.
Again.
Elena's voice came through the speakers.
“Roman.”
He stared.
“You.”
She looked heartbroken.
“I was trying to end this.”
“You started it.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Your father started it.”
Roman looked at Vincent.
“Then why are you helping them?”
Vincent answered.
“Because I made a deal.”
“With who?”
“Elena.”
Roman froze.
His mother stepped forward.
“Your father threatened to destroy both sons.”
Vincent continued.
“So I became the ghost.”
Roman shook his head.
“You could have come back.”
“I did.”
“When?”
Vincent looked at him.
“Every time you thought you saw me.”
Roman's memories flooded back.
A man in a restaurant.
A driver at an airport.
A stranger in the rain.
All Vincent.
All the moments Roman had dismissed.
The man had been there.
Watching.
Protecting.
Lying.
Vincent walked toward Gabriel.
“I didn't know the child survived.”
Roman's voice broke.
“You knew he was being created.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you stop it?”
Vincent looked at Elena.
“Because she told me the baby would die.”
Elena closed her eyes.
Roman understood.
The family had lied to everyone.
Even to each other.
Then Graham stepped forward.
“We're done talking.”
He pulled out a gun.
Roman raised his hands.
Graham aimed at Gabriel.
“Give me the inheritance.”
Roman laughed bitterly.
“You're threatening a baby for money.”
Graham smiled.
“No.”
He looked at Vincent.
“For control.”
A gunshot exploded.
Graham fired.
Vincent jumped.
He fell.
Roman screamed.
“VINCENT!”
Sophia cried out.
Gabriel woke.
His tiny scream echoed through the tower.
Roman rushed toward his brother.
Vincent opened his eyes.
Blood covered his shirt.
He smiled faintly.
“Brother…”
Roman grabbed his hand.
“Stay with me.”
Vincent whispered:
“Look behind you.”
Roman turned.
May you like
Graham was gone.
And Elena was holding Gabriel.
