Chapter 13 - SERENA’S LAST ESCAPE
Serena had escaped during a hospital transfer.
A guard had been paid.
A car waited outside.
By the time police realized what happened, she was forty minutes ahead.
Victor’s first instinct was fury.
His second was Ethan.
“Lock down the house.”
Marcus nodded.
“Already done.”
“No one gets near him.”
Lily looked at Victor.
“Where would Serena go?”
“She has money everywhere.”
“Not anymore.”
Victor looked at her.
Lily continued.
“Hale’s accounts are frozen.”
“Her father’s company is under investigation.”
“Daniel exposed the private airport.”
“She doesn’t have anywhere left.”
Victor thought about it.
Then he understood.
“She’s not running toward money.”
Marcus frowned.
“Then what?”
“She’s running toward leverage.”
They reached the old Montigue estate outside the city after midnight.
Police surrounded the property.
Victor remained behind the line until his phone rang.
Serena.
“You really ruined everything.”
Victor looked at the dark house.
“You ruined it when you touched my son.”
“You think Lily is better than me?”
“Yes.”
The answer came so quickly Serena went silent.
Then she laughed bitterly.
“She’s a servant.”
“She stood between Ethan and danger.”
Victor stared at the upstairs window.
“You stood on the other side.”
Serena’s voice hardened.
“Come inside.”
“No.”
“Then I burn Anna’s original journal.”
Victor froze.
“You have it?”
“I took it years ago.”
Serena laughed.
“She wrote everything.”
Victor felt sick.
Anna’s final thoughts.
Her fear.
Maybe details about Grace.
Serena continued.
“Come alone.”
Marcus shook his head.
Victor ignored him.
He entered.
Serena waited in the library.
Anna’s journal sat on the table.
Beside it was a lighter.
“You loved her.”
Serena said.
Victor looked at the book.
“Yes.”
“You never loved me.”
“No.”
The honesty hurt her.
Serena’s eyes filled with tears.
“I spent my entire life becoming what Hale told me you wanted.”
Victor looked at her.
“And somewhere along the way you became what he was.”
Serena flinched.
“You think I wanted any of this?”
“You had choices.”
“I was seventeen!”
“When Grace died.”
Victor stepped closer.
“But you weren’t seventeen when you drugged Ethan.”
Serena looked away.
“You weren’t seventeen when you kicked Lily.”
Another step.
“You weren’t seventeen when you threatened to make her disappear.”
Serena’s hand shook around the lighter.
Victor stopped.
“You were an adult.”
“So own what you did.”
Serena began crying.
For once, Victor didn’t feel sorry for her.
She dropped the lighter.
Police rushed in.
Serena didn’t resist.
As Reed cuffed her, she looked at Victor.
“Lily will leave too.”
Victor said nothing.
“They all do.”
Serena was led away.
Victor picked up Anna’s journal.
A folded note slipped from the final page.
It was addressed to him.
Victor opened it.
The first line made him sit down.
May you like
Victor,
If you ever read this, please stop being the man everyone fears before Ethan learns to fear you too.
