Chapter 8 - The room seemed to shrink.Elias's voice faded.
Dominic looked at me.
“I never gave him your location.”
“My father said you did.”
“Your father believed I did.”
“Why?”
“Because someone forged the records.”
Mason stepped between us.
“Then explain the signature.”
Dominic glared at him.
“You don't get to question me.”
Mason laughed.
“I know more about your past than she does.”
Ana spoke.
“Enough.”
We all turned.
She looked exhausted.
“Elias wants us divided.”
She pointed to the screen.
“The video was meant to do exactly this.”
I looked at Dominic.
“Then prove you didn't betray me.”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
He took out his phone.
“Call the number in the file.”
“What number?”
“My private archive.”
He handed me the phone.
“I keep every transaction your father ever authorized.”
I searched.
There it was.
A payment from an account linked to Dominic.
Recipient.
Elias Varela.
Amount.
$250,000.
Date.
Three weeks before my father died.
I looked up.
“What is this?”
Dominic went still.
Mason smiled.
“There.”
Dominic stared at the screen.
“I didn't make that payment.”
“But your account did.”
His expression turned cold.
“Someone had access.”
“To your private account?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Dominic looked at Ana.
She shook her head.
“This isn't about the money.”
Dominic frowned.
Ana pointed toward the black box.
“Open the phone again.”
I did.
A new video appeared.
My father.
This time he looked terrified.
“Dominic,” he said, “if you see this, someone has taken control of my accounts.”
Dominic leaned toward the screen.
My father continued.
“They copied my records and yours.”
He paused.
“Do not trust the account statements.”
The screen went dark.
Mason's smile disappeared.
“So someone framed both of you.”
“Yes,” Dominic said.
“Who?”
Ana answered.
“Elias.”
I frowned.
“But why?”
“Because he needed Dominic isolated.”
“Why?”
“Because Dominic controls the casino.”
My stomach tightened.
“What's inside the casino?”
Dominic looked at me.
“Your father's ledger.”
“Where?”
“Under my office.”
“The ringing?”
He nodded.
“That was the underground vault.”
Mason stared.
“You're telling me Elias knew about it?”
“Yes.”
“And Victor was working for him.”
“Yes.”
“Then why hasn't Elias taken the ledger?”
Dominic's eyes hardened.
“Because he can't open the vault.”
I looked at the key.
“You said the key belongs to me.”
“It does.”
“Why?”
Dominic answered softly.
“Because your father designed the vault to recognize you.”
The room fell silent.
Suddenly my phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
Video attachment.
I opened it.
Mason appeared.
But this wasn't Mason from earlier.
He was sitting in a room.
Hands tied.
A gun pointed at his head.
Elias stood behind him.
“You have sixty minutes.”
Elias held up a watch.
“Bring Claire to the casino.”
I looked at Dominic.
Elias continued.
“Bring her alone.”
He smiled.
“Or Mason dies.”
The video ended.
Mason looked at me.
“He's bluffing.”
“You were the hostage.”
“Not anymore.”
“What does that mean?”
Mason didn't answer.
Dominic stared at him.
“What did you do?”
Mason slowly raised his hands.
“There was another reason I dated Claire.”
My stomach dropped.
“I needed her fingerprint.”
I stared.
“You knew about the vault.”
“Yes.”
“From the beginning?”
“Yes.”
“Did you plan to marry me?”
Mason looked down.
“Yes.”
“Did you ever love me?”
Silence.
Then he whispered:
“At first, no.”
My chest hurt.
“And later?”
He looked at me.
“That's when everything became complicated.”
I stepped back.
Dominic's voice hardened.
“Why?”
Mason looked at the floor.
“Because Elias changed the plan.”
“How?”
“He told me to kill her.”
Everything stopped.
Ana covered her mouth.
Dominic raised his weapon.
“Why didn't you?”
Mason looked at me.
“Because by then I was already in love with her.”
I couldn't speak.
Mason continued.
“I lied.”
“I stole.”
“I betrayed you.”
He swallowed.
“But when Elias ordered me to put a bullet in your head…”
His eyes filled with tears.
“I couldn't do it.”
The room became silent.
Then a gunshot echoed from somewhere above us.
Dominic looked at the ceiling.
“He's here.”
I froze.
“Who?”
Dominic's face hardened.
“Elias.”
The casino alarms began screaming again.
And from somewhere in the darkness came a familiar laugh.
Mason looked at me.
“He wants you alive.”
“Why?”
May you like
Mason's voice dropped.
“Because you're the last key.”
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