Chapter 4 - The Price of BetrayalMason walked into the mansion as though he owned it.
Claire stood behind Adrian, her heart pounding.
Her uncle entered beside Mason.
The man who had kissed her forehead at her parents' funeral.
The man who had promised to protect her.
The man who had told her every lawyer in Charleston was greedy.
Now he stood beside the man who had tried to burn her face.
“Claire,” her uncle said softly.
“Don't.”
Her voice shook.
He smiled.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand perfectly.”
Mason laughed.
“She always was stubborn.”
Adrian raised his gun.
“Take another step.”
Mason stopped.
His gaze shifted to him.
“You.”
“Yes.”
“I've wanted to meet you for years.”
“You've met me.”
Mason's expression hardened.
“Not like this.”
Adrian's men surrounded the room.
But Claire noticed something strange.
There were fewer of them than before.
Two missing.
Three injured.
The attack had been coordinated.
Her uncle sighed.
“Adrian, this isn't necessary.”
“You brought armed men into my house.”
“It isn't your house.”
Adrian's eyes became cold.
“It is tonight.”
Claire turned toward her uncle.
“Why?”
He didn't answer.
“Why did you help him?”
“Because I was trying to protect you.”
“By giving him control of my life?”
“By keeping you alive.”
Claire stared.
“Alive from what?”
Her uncle looked at Adrian.
Then back at her.
“Your father didn't die in an accident.”
Everything stopped.
Claire couldn't breathe.
“What?”
“Jonathan Whitmore was murdered.”
“No.”
“He found out about Halcyon.”
Claire shook her head.
“You told me the plane malfunctioned.”
“It did.”
“Because someone sabotaged it.”
Her uncle nodded.
“Mason's people?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Her uncle looked terrified for the first time.
“The people above him.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“Enough.”
Her uncle ignored him.
“Claire, your father discovered that someone inside the Whitmore companies was moving money through children's hospitals. He confronted them.”
“And they killed him.”
“Yes.”
Claire’s knees weakened.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because you were eight years old.”
“I’m twenty-eight now!”
“I know.”
“And you still lied!”
Her uncle's voice broke.
“Because they were watching you.”
Claire looked at Mason.
“You mean him.”
“No.”
Her uncle shook his head.
“Mason doesn't make the decisions.”
Mason's smile disappeared.
Even he looked uncomfortable.
Adrian's expression changed.
“Who?”
Her uncle whispered a name.
“Victor Whitmore.”
Claire froze.
Her father's younger brother.
Her uncle.
The man standing in front of her.
She realized there were two uncles.
For years she'd only called one of them family.
The other had been dead.
Or so she believed.
Her mind raced.
Then another thought hit her.
“Wait.”
She looked at the man beside Mason.
“You are not Thomas.”
The man's expression went blank.
Claire took one step backward.
“You're Victor.”
He smiled.
“Yes.”
The room seemed to tilt.
Victor removed a ring from his finger.
A small black wolf was engraved into the metal.
Adrian saw it.
His face darkened.
“You're Halcyon.”
Victor smiled.
“Not merely Halcyon.”
He looked at Claire.
“I founded it.”
Silence.
Mason suddenly shifted.
Victor noticed.
“You seem nervous.”
Mason swallowed.
“No.”
Victor's smile disappeared.
“You should be.”
Before anyone could react, Victor raised a gun.
Not at Claire.
At Mason.
The shot echoed through the mansion.
Mason collapsed.
Claire screamed.
Adrian grabbed her.
Victor stared down at Mason's body.
“He was becoming a liability.”
Then he looked at Claire.
“And now we can finally finish what your father started.”
He lifted his gun.
But Adrian fired first.
Victor disappeared through a hidden door.
Claire ran toward Mason.
Blood spread across his shirt.
He grabbed her wrist.
“Claire…”
She stared at him.
“You tried to kill me.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
Mason coughed.
“Because… he said… if I didn't…”
“Who?”
Mason's eyes found Adrian.
“Your mother.”
Claire froze.
“My mother is dead.”
Mason whispered his final words.
“No.”
May you like
Then his eyes closed.
“She isn't.”
