Chapter 14 - THE LAST TRAPVictor lowered his weapon.
Not because he was afraid.
Because he understood.
Kane wanted him alive.
That meant they had made a mistake.
Tessa watched his eyes.
She knew him well enough now to recognize the look.
He had a plan.
Victor placed his gun on the floor.
“Fine.”
Kane smiled.
“Good.”
Paulie stepped forward.
“Victor.”
Victor looked at him.
“You've been working for Massimo.”
Paulie shook his head.
“No.”
Victor's eyes narrowed.
“Then who?”
Paulie smiled.
“Your mother.”
The room went silent.
Elena closed her eyes.
Victor stared.
“My mother.”
“She never died.”
“I know.”
“She has been running everything.”
Victor looked toward the doorway.
A woman entered.
Elegant.
White hair.
Black dress.
Calm eyes.
Victor's mother.
Tessa stared.
She recognized the woman from the photograph.
Victor took a step backward.
“You.”
His mother smiled.
“Hello, Victor.”
“You killed my father.”
“I saved you from him.”
“You murdered him.”
“I stopped him.”
“You manipulated everyone.”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
She looked at Tessa.
“For you.”
Tessa froze.
Victor's mother continued.
“Your father wanted to destroy the organization.”
“You wanted it.”
“Yes.”
“And Massimo?”
“My son.”
Victor looked shocked.
Paulie lowered his gun.
Kane stepped back.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Massimo was not the mastermind.
He was the weapon.
The judge was the accountant.
Paulie was the enforcer.
And Victor's mother was the architect.
She had built the network around them.
She had faked her death.
She had controlled the money.
She had orchestrated the murders.
Victor's mother looked at him.
“You were always meant to inherit it.”
Victor laughed bitterly.
“I wanted nothing to do with it.”
“That is why you were the perfect choice.”
She looked at Tessa.
“And she was the contingency.”
Tessa stared.
“For what?”
“If Victor refused, you would inherit.”
Tessa's blood ran cold.
“So you wanted either one of us.”
“Yes.”
Victor moved.
Fast.
He grabbed Kane and used him as a shield.
Paulie raised his gun.
Victor fired.
One guard dropped.
Maria fired next.
Chaos erupted.
Tessa pulled Elena behind a pillar.
Victor fought through the room.
His mother watched calmly.
Then she pulled a small remote from her pocket.
Tessa saw it.
“No!”
The device clicked.
Nothing happened.
Victor's mother looked confused.
She pressed again.
Still nothing.
Tessa understood.
The remote had been disconnected.
She looked toward Maria.
Maria smiled.
“You thought we wouldn't find the explosives?”
Victor's mother stared.
“You.”
Maria raised her gun.
“You taught me everything.”
Victor walked toward his mother.
His face was cold.
“Why did you really kill my father?”
His mother finally looked afraid.
“He was going to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“The truth about your birth.”
Victor froze.
“My birth?”
“Yes.”
“You're my mother.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
Tessa stared.
The woman smiled.
“I'm your aunt.”
Victor went completely still.
“My aunt?”
“Yes.”
His mother was not his mother.
She was Massimo's sister.
And then the final truth landed.
Victor's real mother had been Elena.
Tessa's adoptive mother.
Which meant Tessa and Victor were not siblings.
They had never shared blood.
Tessa stared at Victor.
Victor stared back.
The entire room seemed to disappear.
Elena whispered:
“I'm sorry.”
Victor's mother laughed.
“You see?”
She looked at Tessa.
“They were separated because your father knew what would happen if the two heirs found each other.”
Victor's expression hardened.
“What?”
She smiled.
“Because the empire can only be inherited by two bloodlines joined together.”
Tessa felt her heart stop.
“What does that mean?”
Massimo's voice came from the doorway.
“It means…”
Everyone turned.
Massimo stood there.
Older.
Calm.
Holding the original black ledger.
“…your father never intended you to be enemies.”
He looked at Victor.
May you like
Then Tessa.
“He intended you to rule together.”
