Chapter 11 - Grace Refuses Her Father’s Bargain
Emergency lights came on.
The vault doors began closing.
Dominic grabbed Catherine.
Grace ran toward the exit.
Julian did not.
He stood beside the terminal.
“Grace!”
She turned.
Julian held up the remote.
“Come back and I stop it.”
Dominic shouted.
“Keep moving.”
Grace hesitated.
Julian smiled.
“You want the truth about Anna?”
Grace froze.
Dominic knew immediately what Julian was doing.
“Grace.”
Julian raised his voice.
“She didn’t die from cancer.”
Grace stopped breathing.
Dominic turned.
“What?”
Julian’s eyes remained on his daughter.
“She was poisoned.”
Grace stared at him.
“By who?”
“Come here.”
Dominic felt rage surge.
“You’re bargaining with your daughter using her mother’s death?”
Julian ignored him.
Grace took one step back toward the vault.
Then stopped.
“No.”
Julian blinked.
“You want the answer.”
“I do.”
“Then come here.”
Grace’s eyes filled.
“But if I come back every time you hold an answer over my head, you own me forever.”
Julian’s face changed.
Grace turned away.
“Close the door.”
Dominic pulled her through.
The vault sealed with Julian inside.
The machinery stopped thirty seconds later.
Aaron had overridden the system remotely.
Federal agents opened the vault.
Julian was arrested.
He did not resist.
As they led him away, he looked at Grace.
“Ask Marcus.”
Grace stared.
Julian smiled.
“He knows who killed Anna.”
Marcus.
The man who had tried to drag her into the elevator.
The man who claimed he had been saving her.
Grace closed her eyes.
Another answer.
Another door.
Dominic touched her shoulder.
“We don’t have to do this tonight.”
Grace looked at him.
“Yes.”
He understood.
They returned to New York.
Marcus agreed to speak after learning Julian was in custody.
Grace sat across from him again.
“Did someone poison my mother?”
Marcus looked down.
“Yes.”
Grace’s face emptied.
“Who?”
“I don’t know the name.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I know who ordered surveillance on her.”
“Julian?”
Marcus shook his head.
“Victoria.”
Grace stared.
Dominic, watching behind the glass, felt his stomach drop.
Grace whispered, “Victoria Ashford?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Marcus looked toward Dominic.
“Because Anna Bell had discovered what Victoria was really doing inside Vale Tower.”
Dominic entered the interview room.
“What was she doing?”
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“You still think this was Julian’s operation.”
Dominic stared at him.
Marcus leaned back.
“Julian started it.”
May you like
Then he looked directly at Dominic.
“Victoria was the one who perfected it.”
