Chapter 7 - THE EMPIRE THAT BELONGED TO ME
At eleven forty-five, I signed away an empire I had never known I owned.
Or at least Victor thought I did.
Gabriel's lawyers prepared the transfer documents.
Daniel prepared something else.
A trap.
The plan was simple enough to sound suicidal.
Gabriel and I would enter Pier Seven.
Daniel's men and federal agents would wait outside.
Victor believed Gabriel still controlled the trust.
He didn't know I had inherited Elena's original shares.
That mattered.
“Once Victor signs acknowledgment of your ownership,” attorney Nathan Cole explained, “he establishes that he knew the original trust was valid.”
“And?”
“And his entire legal claim collapses.”
I stared.
“My son is being held by a criminal, and we're worrying about corporate law?”
Gabriel answered quietly.
“We're worrying about every weapon Victor can use after Noah is safe.”
That calmed me.
A little.
The pier smelled like rain and oil.
Victor stood inside the warehouse.
Noah sat at a table ten feet away.
He was eating a sandwich.
My heart almost stopped.
Victor noticed.
“I promised he wouldn't be harmed.”
“You kidnapped him.”
“Technical language.”
Gabriel's face turned cold.
Noah saw us.
“Mom!”
I wanted to run.
Victor raised one finger.
“Not yet.”
Gabriel stepped slightly in front of me.
Victor smiled.
“Still protecting her.”
“Yes.”
“You divorced her once.”
Gabriel's jaw tightened.
“My greatest mistake.”
My breath caught.
Victor looked amused.
“How touching.”
He held out his hand.
“Documents.”
Gabriel passed them over.
Victor read.
Then frowned.
“This transfers the company to Claire.”
“Yes.”
Victor looked at me.
“You know?”
“I know enough.”
His smile disappeared.
“My sister should never have had those shares.”
“But she did.”
“She was weak.”
“You hid for seventeen years.”
His eyes sharpened.
I continued.
“You kidnapped a five-year-old because you couldn't beat your adult sons.”
Gabriel looked at me.
Maybe I was provoking the wrong old psychopath.
Victor's mouth twisted.
“You sound like Elena.”
“Good.”
He signed.
Exactly as planned.
Then he slid the papers toward Gabriel.
“Now sign your resignation.”
Gabriel did.
No hesitation.
Victor stared.
“You're giving up everything.”
Gabriel looked toward Noah.
“No.”
He glanced at me.
“I finally figured out what everything is.”
That hurt in the best way.
Victor's face hardened.
“Sentimental fool.”
He motioned toward a guard.
The man took Noah's arm.
My entire body tensed.
“The boy stays.”
“No.”
Victor smiled.
“You didn't think this was really about signatures.”
Gabriel took one step.
Guns appeared.
“Noah comes with us.”
Victor looked at the child.
“Noah, would you like to know what your father really is?”
Noah stared.
“A dad?”
Victor blinked.
I almost laughed.
Gabriel definitely did.
Victor's anger returned.
“Your father is a murderer.”
Noah looked at Gabriel.
“Did you murder people?”
Silence.
The worst possible question.
Gabriel didn't lie.
“Yes.”
My heart tightened.
Noah looked down.
Gabriel's voice softened.
“I've done things I'm ashamed of.”
Victor smiled.
Then Noah asked,
“Are you going to murder anyone now?”
Gabriel looked at Victor.
“No.”
“Okay.”
Noah nodded.
“Mom says people have to do better after they mess up.”
I started crying.
Victor looked disgusted.
“Enough.”
He pulled a gun.
Everything changed.
Daniel appeared on the upper walkway.
“Father.”
Victor froze.
His face changed.
“Daniel.”
“You should have stayed dead.”
Victor turned the gun toward him.
Gabriel moved.
The lights went out.
Gunfire exploded.
I dropped.
Someone grabbed me.
I fought.
“Claire.”
Gabriel.
Then Noah screamed.
Lights returned.
Victor was gone.
So was Noah.
Again.
I couldn't breathe.
“No.”
Gabriel looked toward the loading doors.
A black SUV sped away.
Daniel swore.
Then Adrian approached, bleeding from his temple.
“He switched vehicles underground.”
I turned on him.
“How?”
“There are tunnels beneath the pier.”
Gabriel looked toward Daniel.
“You knew?”
“No.”
Then Nathan, the attorney, stared at the signed trust papers.
“Wait.”
“What?”
He pointed to Victor's signature.
“He added something.”
Beneath Victor Cross was a second name.
Victor Bell.
Daniel went white.
Gabriel whispered,
“Bell.”
I frowned.
“What?”
He looked at me.
“Serena's mother's last name.”
My stomach dropped.
Then Serena called.
I answered.
Her voice was frantic.
“Claire, listen to me. Victor is coming here.”
“Why?”
May you like
Serena began crying.
“Because he's my father.”
