Chapter 10 - THE SISTER BEHIND THE SMILE
Victoria looked nothing like a criminal.
Cream suit.
Pearl earrings.
Perfect hair.
The kind smile that had raised millions at charity galas.
Adrian had trusted that face his entire life.
“Send the men away,” he said.
Victoria laughed.
“You still give orders beautifully.”
Grace stood behind Adrian.
Victoria noticed.
“The maid.”
Grace answered, “The sister.”
Adrian almost turned.
Victoria smiled.
“I see why you like her.”
“I don’t like her.”
Grace muttered, “Good.”
Victoria’s smile sharpened.
“This would all be charming if we weren’t discussing billions of dollars.”
Samuel stepped forward.
“You stole from the foundation.”
Victoria looked bored.
“I redirected funds.”
“To shell companies.”
“To protect assets.”
Adrian said, “By framing Grace?”
Victoria tilted her head.
“That wasn’t my idea.”
Charles Benton entered behind her.
Grace stiffened.
Charles smiled apologetically.
“Nothing personal.”
“It felt personal.”
“Collateral damage usually does.”
Adrian’s hands curled.
“You used her employee code.”
Charles nodded.
“Victor copied it months ago.”
“And the SUV?”
Victoria’s expression changed slightly.
“That was excessive.”
Grace stared.
“You knew?”
“I knew Victor was supposed to scare you.”
“He tried to run us over!”
Victoria looked at Charles.
Charles shrugged.
“He improvised.”
Adrian stepped toward him.
One armed man raised his weapon.
Victoria lifted a hand.
“Don’t.”
Adrian stopped.
She faced her brother.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“You were destroying this company.”
Adrian laughed without humor.
“By making money?”
“By making enemies.”
Victoria’s voice sharpened.
“You fire people for breathing wrong. You humiliate executives. You terrify employees into silence.”
Adrian said nothing.
“You think fear creates loyalty.”
She pointed toward Samuel.
“Dad thought the same thing.”
That hit harder than Adrian expected.
Victoria continued.
“I spent years cleaning up after you.”
“By stealing?”
“By preparing.”
“For what?”
“For the day everyone you abused decided to come for you.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
“So you became worse.”
Victoria’s eyes flashed.
“No. I became ready.”
Samuel interrupted.
“You partnered with Redstone Capital.”
Victoria stared at him.
“Still clever.”
Adrian knew the name.
Redstone was his largest competitor.
His oldest enemy.
“You’re selling them the company.”
“Pieces of it.”
“You don’t own it.”
“By tomorrow, I will.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“My board won’t approve.”
“They already did.”
“Under false information.”
“Information they wanted to believe.”
Victoria stepped closer.
“Do you know why this was so easy?”
Adrian remained silent.
“Because nobody loves you.”
Grace looked at him.
Victoria continued.
“Not the board.”
“Not your staff.”
“Not your executives.”
“They obey you.”
“There’s a difference.”
Adrian’s expression didn’t change.
But Grace saw the words land.
Victoria turned toward the armed men.
“Take Samuel downstairs.”
Samuel backed away.
Adrian moved.
“Touch him and—”
Victoria interrupted.
“You’ll do what?”
Then Grace’s phone rang.
Everyone froze.
Victoria frowned.
“You still have a phone?”
Grace looked at the screen.
Margaret.
She answered.
“Hello?”
Margaret was crying.
“Grace, your mother is gone.”
Grace went pale.
“What?”
“Someone took her.”
Grace slowly looked at Victoria.
Victoria’s smile vanished.
“I didn’t order that.”
Charles Benton quietly stepped toward the door.
May you like
And Adrian suddenly understood.
Victoria wasn’t the most dangerous person in the room.
