Chapter 8 - SISTERS
“Put the drive down,” Bianca said.
Mara stared at the gun.
“You stabbed Preston?”
“No.”
Preston laughed weakly.
“You just ordered it.”
Bianca’s eyes flashed.
“You ruined my life.”
“You did that yourself.”
“Shut up!”
The gun shook.
Mara raised both hands.
“Bianca.”
“Don’t.”
“I’m not trying to fight you.”
“You always are.”
Mara stared at her.
“I cleaned your bathrooms.”
“You stole my husband.”
“I didn’t.”
“You stole my father.”
Mara’s face changed.
Bianca laughed.
“There it is.”
“You knew.”
“My father told me three years ago.”
Mara felt physically sick.
“You knew I was your sister.”
“Half-sister.”
“And you still treated me like that?”
Bianca’s eyes filled with tears.
“You showed up with her face.”
“What?”
“Your mother’s face. Every morning. Every hallway. Every day.”
Mara understood.
Eleanor.
Bianca had hated her before Mara ever entered the house.
“Our father loved your mother,” Bianca whispered. “My mother knew it. Everybody knew it.”
“Then why punish me?”
“Because he watched you.”
Mara went still.
“What?”
“He pretended you were staff, but he watched you. At dinner. In the garden. When you were sick.”
Bianca’s voice cracked.
“He knew your birthday. He kept your school pictures.”
Mara felt rage rise in her chest.
“That doesn’t make what he did love.”
“I know!”
Bianca’s scream echoed through the hospital room.
For one second she looked like a child.
Not cruel.
Not powerful.
Just broken.
Then the gun moved toward Preston.
“He was supposed to delete the files.”
Mara stepped between them.
“No.”
Bianca’s eyes widened.
“Move.”
“No.”
“You’re protecting him?”
“I’m protecting you.”
Bianca laughed.
“You think I need protection from you?”
“You need protection from what happens after you pull that trigger.”
Bianca’s hand trembled harder.
Then Dante’s voice came from the doorway.
“She’s right.”
Bianca spun.
Dante stood with both hands visible.
“No gun,” he said.
“Stay back.”
“I will.”
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
Mara glanced at him.
His eyes met hers.
Stay calm.
Bianca looked at Mara.
“You think you won because he wants you?”
“This isn’t about winning.”
“He’ll leave.”
“Maybe.”
Dante’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
Mara kept looking at Bianca.
“Men leave. Money disappears. Powerful fathers die. None of that fixes what’s inside you.”
Bianca started crying.
“I hate you.”
“I know.”
“I hate your mother.”
“I know.”
“I hate that you’re his daughter.”
Mara swallowed.
“I know.”
The gun lowered an inch.
Then a shot exploded.
Bianca screamed.
The gun flew from her hand.
A bullet had struck the wall.
Someone had fired from the hallway.
Dante grabbed Mara and pulled her down.
Another shot came through the glass.
Preston’s monitor began screaming.
Security alarms erupted.
Dante looked toward the shooter.
May you like
He recognized him immediately.
“Mercer.”
