Chapter 5 - The Uncle Who Wanted the Company Finally Revealed Why He Chose Thea
Pier 18 looked abandoned.
Broken warehouses.
Rusting fences.
No workers.
No trucks.
Just wind and water.
Lachlan and Thea entered the underground chamber.
Astrid was there.
Bound.
Julian stood behind her.
“You came.”
Lachlan stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
Julian smiled.
“You've changed.”
“So have you.”
“Your father would be disappointed.”
Lachlan's expression hardened.
“You killed him.”
Julian laughed.
“No.”
He looked at Thea.
“Your father did.”
She froze.
“What?”
Julian explained.
Her father had discovered the ledger.
He tried to blackmail Julian.
Julian offered him money.
He refused.
The argument turned violent.
Her father died.
Julian had staged the accident.
Thea shook.
“My mother knew?”
“She knew enough.”
“You destroyed my family.”
Julian looked almost amused.
“No.”
He pointed at Lachlan.
“Your family destroyed itself.”
He revealed the truth about the marriage.
The original plan had been for Thea to stay married for one year.
Then Julian would take control of Voss Industries.
Thea's mother would survive.
Thea would be sent away.
The ledger would disappear.
Everyone would win.
Except Lachlan.
Because Julian planned to kill him once the board transferred control.
Lachlan stepped closer.
“You forgot something.”
“What?”
“I can see.”
Julian's smile vanished.
For a moment, everyone froze.
Then Julian laughed.
“You think eyesight changes anything?”
“No.”
Lachlan looked at him.
“Choice does.”
He had already recorded the conversation.
Gideon had alerted the authorities.
Julian realized too late.
He grabbed Thea.
Lachlan lunged.
A gun fired.
Astrid screamed.
The shot missed.
Thea fell.
Lachlan froze.
“THEA!”
She looked up.
“I’m okay.”
Then another gunshot.
This one struck Lachlan in the shoulder.
He fell.
Thea screamed.
Julian grabbed her again.
“You see?”
He whispered.
“Everyone suffers when they love the wrong person.”
Thea kicked him.
He stumbled.
Astrid bit through her restraints.
Gideon burst into the chamber with police.
Julian ran.
But the ledger remained.
Thea found it beneath the floor.
The evidence was enough.
Julian was arrested.
Lachlan was rushed to the hospital.
Thea refused to leave.
She sat beside his bed all night.
When he woke, she was asleep holding his hand.
He smiled.
“Hey.”
She woke immediately.
“You scared me.”
“I know.”
“You got shot.”
“So did the bad guy's plan.”
She laughed through tears.
He squeezed her hand.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Good.”
She leaned down.
“Don't ever do that again.”
“I'll try.”
“No.”
She kissed his forehead.
“Don't try.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
They were both laughing when Astrid entered.
The old woman looked tired.
But alive.
“The board meeting is tomorrow,” she said.
Lachlan nodded.
“Then let's finish this.”
The company was his.
But before the meeting began, Thea discovered a new problem.
The ledger contained one final account.
A payment made only two weeks ago.
May you like
By someone they believed was on their side.
Gideon.
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