Chapter 8 - The Billionaire Who Had to Choose
Thomas had taken control of the hotel's security system.
Every exit locked.
Every elevator frozen.
Phones disconnected.
The entire building was sealed.
His voice continued through the speakers.
“You have one hour.”
“One hour for what?” Adrian demanded.
“For Adrian to transfer the trust.”
Eleanor shouted:
“Thomas, this is over.”
He laughed.
“No, Eleanor. It begins now.”
My father struggled to sit up.
“Claire.”
“Stay still.”
“He won't stop.”
“I know.”
Adrian crouched beside me.
“Can you move?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
He looked at my father.
“Where is the trust?”
Daniel pointed toward me.
“She's the key.”
“Then Thomas can't access it.”
“Not directly.”
I understood.
“He can force a transfer.”
“Yes.”
“What does he need?”
“Your consent.”
I shook my head.
“I'll never give it.”
Thomas's voice echoed.
“You already did.”
A screen turned on.
The wedding ceremony.
My signature.
The fake document.
Then the image changed.
A second document.
My signature again.
Except this time it was real.
I stared.
“No.”
Thomas laughed.
“You signed both.”
Adrian looked at me.
“You didn't.”
“I did sign one.”
Mason had switched documents.
I remembered the moment.
The pages.
The pen.
The flowers.
My hand moving.
I had assumed the second document was ceremonial.
It wasn't.
My signature was authentic.
But my father shook his head.
“It's invalid.”
Thomas went silent.
Daniel smiled.
“Why?”
“Because the trust requires independent counsel.”
I looked at Adrian.
“And I was my own counsel?”
“No.”
“You cannot represent yourself in a trust transfer.”
Thomas cursed.
My heart started beating again.
Then Adrian looked at the security system.
“He wants us afraid.”
“Why?”
“Because he's buying time.”
“For what?”
“To remove the final obstacle.”
“What?”
He looked at me.
“You.”
Thomas appeared on screen.
“You're very close.”
Adrian stood.
“Thomas.”
“Yes?”
“You made one mistake.”
“What?”
“You assumed Claire would choose money.”
Thomas laughed.
“She already chose betrayal.”
Adrian looked at me.
“No.”
He turned toward the camera.
“She chose evidence.”
The screen flickered.
Another video appeared.
Thomas in an office.
Giving Mason instructions.
Then Evelyn.
Then Kline.
Then Thomas himself discussing my father's death.
Every word.
Every detail.
He stared at the recording.
“What is this?”
Adrian smiled.
“Insurance.”
“You recorded me.”
“For eighteen months.”
Thomas went silent.
“I knew there was another player.”
“You didn't know who.”
“No.”
“Then why let this go so far?”
Adrian looked at me.
“Because we needed you to choose.”
I frowned.
“Choose what?”
“Whether you wanted revenge or justice.”
I looked at him.
He continued.
“Revenge would have made you reckless.”
“Justice made you patient.”
The room was silent.
Thomas finally understood.
“You've been recording everything.”
Adrian nodded.
“Every meeting.”
“Every transfer.”
“Every message.”
Thomas's expression changed.
Then federal agents entered the room.
They had been waiting outside.
Thomas had never controlled the entire building.
He had only controlled what Adrian wanted him to control.
The arrest was almost anticlimactic.
Thomas was taken into custody.
Mason was charged.
Several executives surrendered.
Evelyn testified.
Kline disappeared again.
And my father stayed in the hospital for two weeks.
The day he came home, I sat beside him.
“I hate you.”
He laughed weakly.
“That sounds fair.”
“You could have told me.”
“Yes.”
“You made me think I was alone.”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“I know.”
He touched my hand.
“But you were never alone.”
He looked toward Adrian.
“He made sure of that.”
I followed his gaze.
Adrian stood near the window.
He looked exhausted.
But peaceful.
I smiled.
“Are you in love with him?” my father asked.
I almost choked.
“Dad.”
“He's been staring at you for ten minutes.”
I looked at Adrian.
He turned away.
May you like
My father laughed.
“Definitely.”
