Chapter 8 - Harlan Chose His Daughter Over the Empire—And Victor Realized He Had Finally Lost Control of His SonThe warehouse was empty when we arrived.
Too empty.
Harlan knew immediately.
"It's a trap."
He was right.
The doors slammed shut.
Armed men appeared.
Belle was taken.
I was separated from Harlan.
Then Victor appeared on a balcony.
"Beautiful."
He looked at me.
"You finally know what you are."
"I know what you are."
He smiled.
"You think I'm the villain."
"You are."
"Perhaps."
He explained.
The research had begun as medicine.
His wife had died from a rare illness.
He became obsessed with saving children.
Then he realized he could control people through medicine.
His obsession became power.
He didn't see himself as evil.
He saw himself as necessary.
I looked at Belle.
"You used your granddaughter."
"To save thousands."
"No."
I shook my head.
"You used thousands to save yourself."
Victor's smile disappeared.
Harlan attacked.
Gunfire erupted.
Security fought.
I ran toward Belle.
We escaped the building through a side entrance.
Victor followed.
But Lydia confronted him.
She had finally chosen Harlan.
She stood between him and us.
Victor raised his gun.
Harlan shouted:
"Lydia!"
She didn't move.
"Run."
Victor shot.
Lydia fell.
Harlan caught her.
I grabbed Belle.
We escaped.
Victor vanished.
Lydia survived.
Barely.
The doctors said she would recover.
Harlan never left her side.
And I realized something.
Victor had lost.
May you like
Not because his empire was destroyed.
Because his family had stopped obeying him.
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