Chapter 10 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE MASK
The hallway went silent.
Michael Carter stared at the woman standing ten feet away.
His mother.
Victoria Carter.
The woman who raised him.
The woman who taught him how to negotiate, how to win, how to never show weakness.
The woman who had told him his entire life:
“Family is the only thing you can trust.”
Now she stood beside his son’s hospital room holding the same bottle that almost killed him.
Michael’s voice was barely controlled.
“Put it down.”
Victoria smiled.
Not nervously.
Not fearfully.
Almost proudly.
“Still giving orders.”
Michael stepped forward.
“I said put it down.”
Two security guards moved.
Victoria didn’t even look at them.
“You really think your men can protect you from everything?”
Michael’s eyes hardened.
“No.”
A pause.
“But they can protect my son from you.”
The words hit her.
For the first time, her smile disappeared.
Daniel watched from behind Michael.
“Tell him.”
Victoria looked at Daniel.
“You always were dramatic.”
Daniel laughed.
“And you always were a liar.”
Michael looked between them.
“Enough.”
His voice shook.
“I want the truth.”
Victoria sighed.
“Truth is a dangerous thing, Michael.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“Tonight my son almost died.”
His voice cracked.
“I want every single truth.”
For a moment, Victoria looked at Noah.
Something strange appeared in her eyes.
Pain.
Then it vanished.
“You always had his weakness.”
Michael frowned.
“My weakness?”
“Love.”
The word was almost an insult.
“You became soft.”
Michael stared at her.
“You tried to kill my child.”
Victoria didn’t answer.
That silence was worse than any confession.
Frank stepped forward.
“Mrs. Carter, you are under arrest.”
Victoria laughed.
“Arrest?”
She looked around.
“At this moment?”
Then she pointed toward the hospital room.
“You still don’t understand what happened.”
Michael froze.
“What are you talking about?”
Victoria looked at Noah.
“Your son was never the target.”
Nobody moved.
“What?”
She looked directly at Michael.
“You were.”
The words hit him.
Michael’s face changed.
“You wanted me dead?”
“No.”
Victoria shook her head.
“I wanted you broken.”
Daniel’s expression darkened.
“Why?”
Victoria looked at both brothers.
“Because you destroyed everything I built.”
Michael almost laughed.
“You built nothing.”
Her eyes became cold.
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
She stepped closer.
“I built this family.”
A pause.
“And I built this empire.”
Michael stared.
“You manipulated everything.”
“Yes.”
The answer came so easily that everyone froze.
Victoria smiled.
“I taught you both how to win.”
Daniel whispered:
“You taught us how to destroy each other.”
Victoria looked at him.
“You were always the emotional one.”
Then alarms suddenly started screaming from Noah’s room.
Everyone turned.
Doctors rushed in.
Michael followed.
But before he entered, Victoria whispered:
“You’re going to lose him anyway.”
Michael stopped.
“What did you do?”
Victoria smiled.
“Nothing.”
May you like
A pause.
“Yet.”
