“Well, I know it is. Which is why I know you’re gonna do anything to protect my daughter.” His eyes narrowed. “Including handing over Romano to me.”
Every sound in the world muffled in my ears.
Suddenly, everything clicked.
“You…” I shook my head. “This whole time it’s been you?”
He shrugged, pointing his gun at Oscar without even looking.
“Well, with a little help from brother-of-the-year over there, but yes, I’ll take the credit.”
I couldn’t breathe. My mind was still playing catch up that Oscar—Oscar—was at the centre of all this. He'd been by my side as we tried to find the snake slipping through the woodwork of the company. And all this time… he knew.
Arthur traced the question embedding in the cracks in my face, rolling his eyes like the explanation was the part of this he wanted to skip. "Whatever you're thinking, it's true. All of it. The clients, the files, sending you to London while I was in your computers stealing everything I needed to know to make this moment worth it.” He licked away a smile. "It was me."
I shook my head. “I don’t even know you.”
“No, but I know you.” He paced. “You built the company out of nothing but the guilt of not being able to save your precious sister. And now it’s grown into a security giant that stole everything I gave up to be the best.”
During the last part of his sentence, his eyes glided over my shoulder. Landing on Cora. It was the look you pulled out when staring at something you thought you'd never see again.It was all longing and nostalgia. But it made no sense. How did he know Cora?
I turned my head to face her, finding her eyes on him. The nearly onyx things were narrowed in anger, and I knew it was anger because she'd looked at me like that once before. My head hshifted back to Arthur, then Cora, until the constalation in my head connected by earth shattering asteroids.
My eyes sank into Cora's. "Do you know him?"
Slowly, her eyes found me, and almost like she didn't want to, she nodded. "He's my father."
My stare bouced between those teary eyes, then slowly, they shfited to Arthur, who I didn't even have to question. That knowing look was written all over his wrinkled face.
Then, his arms shot out. “I left my daughters to chase this dream, and you swoop in with your martyr’s drive and make everything I did look pointless.”
“Maybe it was,” I shrugged, gun still firmly pointed. “Maybe you just weren’t good enough. Did you consider that?”
He peered around me, staring at Cora, and I watched his eyes soften into something sad. “I missed her life because I wanted this. And you… you made that worthless.”
I shook my head, sweat-drenched hair plastered to my forehead. “I hate to break it to you, but that wasn’t my fault. Leaving those girls, leaving their mother—that was you. Not me. And I’m sorry you think otherwise. Sorry you’re too blinded by your own pride to see it.”
His bloodshot eyes narrowed, swinging his hands like I was speaking Spanish. “No, no, this… This started with you.” He stopped pacing, features hardening. “And it’s going to end, with you.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know what you think—”
“About thirty minutes ago, your brother spiked Cora’s drink with something that, in the next ten minutes, will kill her.” My stomach dropped. “I have the neutraliser in my pocket, and all you need to do to get it,” he pulled out papers from inside his suit jacket, “is sign these.”
As the white sheets broke through the darkness, I felt my heart clench. My head whipped around to find Cora, tears filling her eyes as mine were. Her head shook, and I felt that familiar, chilling dread.
These claws dug into me like before. Only this time, there was no doubt they’d kill me.
My eyes flicked back to Arthur, time moving in slow motion.
His smile was psychotic. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a pen.” He clicked it, nodding at me. “Off you pop.”
He wandered, and all I could think about was Cora.
I spun to her, untying the ropes around her back. Her hands sprang free as she sobbed, the rope cutting her skin raw. I held her face and let her cry into my palms.
“Marcus,” she sobbed, shaking her head. “You can’t… please, don’t throw it away.”
I shook my head, despair pouring out. “You’re insane if you think my company is more important than you.” I ran my hands through her hair, cradling her head. “Nothing—not one thing—is more important to me than you.”
