Chapter 10 - THE BETRAYAL
Damian did not reach for his weapon.
That surprised everyone.
Especially Vincent.
Victoria walked through the gate as if she still belonged inside the Hawthorne family.
Her red coat moved softly in the wind.
“Damian.”
He stared at Vincent.
“You.”
Vincent’s face was unreadable.
“I can explain.”
“Do it.”
Victoria laughed.
“Not here.”
Damian finally looked at her.
“You touched my son.”
Her smile vanished.
“Careful.”
“No.”
He stepped toward her.
“You threatened Emma. You drugged Noah. You lied about Sofia.”
“I never drugged him.”
“The medication was in his room.”
“Planted.”
“By whom?”
Victoria looked toward Vincent.
Damian’s eyes followed.
Vincent said nothing.
The silence was devastating.
Raymond emerged from the terrace.
Victoria smiled at him.
“Uncle Raymond.”
Damian turned sharply.
Uncle.
Not a blood relation.
But familiarity.
History.
Raymond’s face hardened.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“Neither should Damian.”
Victoria looked at him.
“But none of us seem particularly good at following instructions.”
Damian’s attention returned to Vincent.
“Emma gave you a letter months ago.”
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
“Destroyed.”
Damian’s jaw tightened.
“Why?”
“Because it would have gotten her killed.”
Emma.
Vincent continued.
“Victoria wasn’t the only person watching her.”
Damian stared.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“You always know.”
“Not this time.”
Victoria laughed softly.
Damian ignored her.
“Why were you with Sofia the night before the crash?”
“Because she asked me to help her disappear.”
Everything stopped.
Damian stared at Vincent.
“What?”
“She knew someone planned to kill her.”
“You helped her fake her death?”
“No.”
Vincent looked toward Raymond.
“We intended to.”
Damian slowly turned.
Raymond said nothing.
Vincent continued.
“The crash happened before our plan.”
“Was she alive afterward?”
“Yes.”
Damian’s voice cracked for the first time.
“Where did you take her?”
“We didn’t.”
“Who did?”
Vincent looked at Victoria.
Victoria’s smile had disappeared.
“She did.”
Damian stared at his former fiancée.
Victoria’s eyes hardened.
“I saved your wife.”
The sentence made no sense.
Damian took one step toward her.
“Where is Sofia?”
Victoria remained silent.
“Where is my wife?”
“She was alive for six hours after the crash.”
Damian stopped.
Victoria continued.
“Crane stabilized her.”
“Then what?”
“She gave us the ledger.”
Raymond whispered—
“You said you never had it.”
Victoria smiled faintly.
“I lied.”
Damian’s entire world narrowed.
“And Sofia?”
Victoria looked directly at him.
“She made a choice.”
“What choice?”
“To protect Noah.”
“He was six months old.”
“Exactly.”
Damian’s voice became lethal.
“Where did she go?”
Victoria opened her mouth.
Her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Then at Damian.
And for the first time, she appeared genuinely frightened.
Vincent noticed.
“Who is it?”
Victoria declined the call.
It rang again.
Damian took the phone from her.
She tried to stop him.
Too late.
He answered.
A man’s voice said—
“You have twenty minutes.”
Damian glanced at Victoria.
“For what?”
The caller paused.
Then laughed.
“You’re not Victoria.”
“No.”
“Damian Hawthorne.”
Silence.
Then—
“That makes this easier.”
A photograph arrived on Victoria’s phone.
Emma.
Sitting in Noah’s hospital room.
Except Emma wasn’t alone.
A man in medical scrubs stood behind her.
Holding Noah.
Damian felt every muscle in his body tighten.
The caller spoke again.
“Your nanny has approximately nineteen minutes to decide whether she values the child more than the truth.”
The connection ended.
Damian immediately called Emma.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
He called the hospital security desk.
The line rang.
Then Rebecca called him first.
Her voice was breathless.
“Damian.”
“What happened?”
“They took Noah.”
The world stopped.
“Emma?”
“Gone too.”
Damian looked at Victoria.
She stared back.
For once, the fear on her face matched his.
And Damian realized something worse than betrayal.
May you like
Victoria was no longer controlling the game either.
Someone else had just moved every piece on the board.
