Chapter 5 - Evelyn Offered Me the Truth in Exchange for Vincent's LifeEvelyn's men surrounded us.
She held the final ledger.
"You want this?"
She raised it.
"Come take it."
Vincent stood beside me.
"What do you want?"
"You."
She smiled.
"Not dead."
"Controlled."
"I'd rather die."
"I know."
She looked at me.
"Claire, do you want him to survive?"
I didn't answer.
"Then give me the locket."
I touched it.
Vincent shook his head.
"No."
She smiled.
"You see?"
"He values you more than he values himself."
I looked at Vincent.
He whispered:
"Don't."
Evelyn continued.
"That is why he's dangerous."
She revealed the final secret.
The Moretti family trust was legally controlled by the person wearing the locket.
My mother had changed the succession.
She had named me.
That meant I controlled everything.
The companies.
The properties.
The money.
The empire.
I stared.
"I don't want it."
Evelyn laughed.
"You don't get to choose."
Vincent stepped forward.
"She does."
Evelyn raised her weapon.
Vincent stopped.
"One more step."
I moved first.
I threw the locket.
Not toward Evelyn.
Toward the open fireplace.
It landed in the flames.
Evelyn screamed.
Vincent moved.
Security attacked.
Chaos erupted.
I grabbed the ledger.
We escaped.
Outside, the police waited.
Tobias had called them.
Evelyn was arrested.
The final empire began to collapse.
Vincent looked at me.
"You destroyed it."
"I burned the locket."
"No."
He smiled.
"You burned the reason they were willing to kill you."
I stared at him.
"I thought you wanted the empire."
"I wanted you."
May you like
That was the first time he said it.
And it changed everything.
Related Stories
