Chapter 8 - DINNER WITH A TRAITOR
The dining room was enormous.
A long table.
Twenty chairs.
Only six occupied.
Victor sat beside me.
Elena sat across from us.
Michael, wounded but alive, sat at the head.
Gabriel stood behind Victor.
Three other family members watched silently.
I looked around.
“Who are we waiting for?”
Elena's hands tightened around her napkin.
“Beatrice.”
Victor looked at his mother.
“You think she's involved?”
“I know she is.”
The door opened.
Beatrice entered.
She looked elegant.
Calm.
Almost maternal.
Her eyes immediately found me.
For one second, I saw something strange in them.
Fear.
Then it disappeared.
“Lily.”
I stood.
“You knew who I was.”
Beatrice looked at Elena.
Then Victor.
Finally, me.
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
She slowly sat down.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Your grandfather.”
Elena interrupted.
“That's not the whole truth.”
Beatrice looked at her.
“You survived.”
“Yes.”
“I thought you were dead.”
“I wanted you to.”
Victor stood.
“Enough.”
Beatrice looked at him.
“You don't understand what your mother did.”
Victor's voice was cold.
“Then explain.”
Beatrice began crying.
“I was the one who helped Elena escape.”
Everyone froze.
Elena looked at her.
“Then why did you betray me later?”
“I didn't.”
“You gave them my location.”
“No.”
“Someone did.”
Beatrice shook her head.
“Someone used my identity.”
Victor frowned.
“How?”
Beatrice reached into her purse.
She removed a photograph.
A photograph of a man.
I recognized him.
Samuel Cross.
“He wasn't dead,” Beatrice said.
“He worked for the inner circle.”
Victor stared.
“But why?”
“Because your grandfather hired him.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
Beatrice placed another photograph on the table.
This one showed my grandmother.
Beside her stood Samuel.
And behind them—
a younger version of Michael.
My father.
I looked at him.
“You knew?”
Michael closed his eyes.
“I suspected.”
“You knew my grandmother?”
“Yes.”
“Did you help hide me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I loved your mother.”
His voice cracked.
“And because I failed her.”
Before I could respond, every light in the mansion went out.
A scream came from the hallway.
Then a gunshot.
Victor grabbed me.
“Down!”
Glass shattered.
Someone rushed into the dining room.
Gabriel tackled him.
A fight erupted.
I crawled beneath the table.
Then I saw something.
A small red light.
Attached beneath the table.
A recording device.
I pulled it free.
A voice played.
My grandfather's voice.
When Lily turns twenty-three, the trust transfers automatically.
Another voice answered.
Samuel.
And if she refuses?
My grandfather laughed.
Then make her disappear again.
I covered my mouth.
The recording continued.
But there's one problem.
Samuel asked:
What?
My grandfather answered:
Victor.
A pause.
Then:
He loves his sister too much.
The recording ended.
I looked at Victor.
He had heard everything.
His face was pale.
Then another voice came through the device.
A voice none of us expected.
My grandfather.
That's why Victor must die first.
The room went silent.
Victor looked at me.
May you like
And then a gunshot came from the balcony.
He fell.
