Chapter 13 - THE CHOICE ON THE ROOFTOP
Thomas pressed a gun against Lena’s side.
“Give me the flash drive.”
Isabelle held it tightly.
“Let her go.”
Thomas smiled.
“You never cared about servants before.”
Isabelle glanced at Lena.
“Perhaps I am tired of becoming you.”
Thomas’s expression hardened.
He nodded toward the guard beside Evelyn.
The guard struck Evelyn across the injured arm.
She fell to one knee.
Isabelle took a step forward.
The second guard raised his gun.
“Do not move.”
Rain poured across the rooftop.
Thomas looked at Evelyn.
“Your father was an arrogant man.”
“He believed wealth made him untouchable.”
“You were his attorney.”
“I was the person who cleaned up every disgrace he created.”
“And then you stole from him.”
Thomas shrugged.
“I collected what I was owed.”
Isabelle’s voice trembled with rage.
“You told me Evelyn erased my inheritance.”
“I told you what motivated you.”
“You used me.”
“You were remarkably easy to use.”
Isabelle flinched as though he had slapped her.
Thomas continued.
“You wanted your sister to suffer.”
“Adrian wanted power.”
“Victoria wanted status.”
“Everyone offered me a weakness.”
“I simply arranged them.”
Evelyn slowly reached toward the broken tile beside her.
A shard of glass lay near her hand.
Thomas noticed.
“Do not.”
Evelyn stopped.
“What did you do to our mother?”
Thomas’s smile faded.
Isabelle looked sharply at him.
“Our mother died in a car accident.”
“No,” Evelyn said.
“She tried to leave Father.”
“She planned to take Isabelle.”
Isabelle’s breathing changed.
Thomas pressed the gun harder against Lena.
Evelyn continued.
“Father asked Thomas to stop her.”
Isabelle stared at him.
“You killed her.”
Thomas’s eyes remained cold.
“She drove too fast on a wet road.”
“You cut the brake line,” Evelyn said.
“I found the repair invoice.”
For the first time, Thomas looked surprised.
Evelyn had lied.
There was no invoice.
But his reaction gave her the answer.
Isabelle let out a broken sound.
Thomas turned toward her.
“Your mother made a foolish choice.”
Isabelle threw the flash drive over the edge of the roof.
Thomas shouted.
One guard rushed toward the ledge.
At that moment, Evelyn grabbed the glass shard.
She drove it into the other guard’s thigh.
He screamed and dropped his weapon.
Lena slammed her heel onto Thomas’s foot.
He loosened his grip.
Isabelle charged forward.
Thomas fired.
The bullet struck Isabelle in the shoulder.
She fell.
Evelyn reached the dropped pistol.
She aimed at Thomas.
“Release her.”
Thomas grabbed Lena again and backed toward the ledge.
“You will not shoot.”
“You believe you are different from your father.”
Evelyn’s hands remained steady.
“I am.”
“Then lower the gun.”
Lena looked at Evelyn.
Very slightly, she shook her head.
Thomas took another step backward.
The edge was inches behind him.
Isabelle pushed herself up despite the blood spreading across her uniform.
She whispered something.
Thomas leaned closer.
“What?”
Isabelle looked toward his feet.
“The drive was in my other hand.”
She opened her palm.
The real flash drive was still there.
Thomas turned his head.
Lena drove her elbow into his ribs.
Evelyn fired.
The bullet struck Thomas’s gun.
The weapon flew from his hand.
Thomas lost his balance.
He grabbed Lena’s sleeve.
The fabric tore.
Lena fell forward.
Isabelle caught her wrist.
Thomas fell over the edge.
May you like
But his hand closed around Isabelle’s broken handcuff.
And he began pulling her down with him.
