Chapter 9 - THE WOMAN WHO PLANNED THE WEDDING FOR YEARS
Serena laughed when Victor confronted her.
It wasn’t because anything was funny.
It was the laugh of someone who had finally run out of lies.
“You think I chose you?”
She asked.
Victor stood across the interrogation room.
Detective Reed watched from behind the glass.
“I was seventeen when Hale introduced me to your family.”
Serena continued.
“He said one day I could become a Blackwood.”
Victor felt disgust rise inside him.
“You were at the hospital when Grace died.”
“Yes.”
“Did you touch my daughter?”
Serena’s eyes filled with tears.
“No.”
“Did Hale?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did Kessler?”
She looked away.
That was enough.
Victor leaned forward.
“Where is Kessler?”
“I don’t know.”
Victor slammed both hands onto the table.
Serena flinched.
“Stop protecting people who tried to kill my children!”
“I’m not protecting them!”
“Then talk!”
Serena’s composure shattered.
“Hale owns everybody!”
Her voice cracked.
“Doctors.”
“Lawyers.”
“Police.”
“Businessmen.”
“He owned my father.”
“He owned Daniel.”
“And he planned my entire life.”
Victor stared at her.
“But you hurt Ethan.”
Serena looked down.
“Yes.”
“You don’t get to blame Hale for that.”
“I know.”
“You dragged a baby across the floor.”
Serena started crying.
“You kicked Lily because she tried to protect him.”
“I know!”
Victor stepped back.
Serena whispered,
“He told me Ethan had to look sick.”
Victor froze.
“What?”
“Not dead.”
“Not yet.”
“Just unstable.”
“Why?”
“Because after we married, you were supposed to transfer temporary guardianship authority to me whenever you traveled.”
Victor’s stomach twisted.
“Hale wanted Ethan legally under your control.”
Serena nodded.
“Then an accident.”
Victor turned away.
He couldn’t look at her.
“Afterward?”
“You’d break.”
Serena’s voice became soft.
“Hale said grief would make you careless.”
“And Daniel?”
“He would take over operations.”
“Then Hale would own everything through debt.”
Victor looked back.
“So all of this was an acquisition.”
Serena cried harder.
“To him?”
“Yes.”
“Your wife.”
“Your daughter.”
“Your son.”
“Me.”
“All assets.”
A knock interrupted them.
Reed opened the door.
“We found Daniel.”
Victor stood quickly.
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
Relief flashed across his face.
Then disappeared when Reed finished.
“He’s been shot.”
Victor followed her to the hospital.
Daniel was barely conscious.
Machines surrounded him.
Victor stood beside the bed.
Daniel opened his eyes.
“Guess you finally beat me at something.”
Victor didn’t smile.
“Where’s Crane?”
Daniel coughed.
“Hale has him.”
“Where?”
Daniel whispered an address.
Marcus recognized it.
“The old Montigue warehouse.”
Victor turned.
Daniel grabbed his wrist.
“Wait.”
Victor looked down.
Daniel’s eyes filled with shame.
“Anna called me the night she died.”
Victor’s jaw tightened.
“She asked me to pick her up.”
Daniel’s voice broke.
“I didn’t go.”
“Why?”
“Because Hale told me if I helped her…”
Daniel swallowed.
“…he’d kill you next.”
Victor stared at his brother.
May you like
Then Daniel said the part that hurt more.
“And I believed him.”
