Chapter 8 - VICTORIA'S LAST CHOICEVictoria lowered the gun slightly.
Nicholas approached.
“Where is he?”
“I don't know.”
“You were working with him.”
“I thought I was.”
“What does that mean?”
Victoria's eyes filled.
“He threatened my family.”
Nicholas stopped.
“What family?”
“My younger brother.”
Eleanor frowned.
“Thomas had one son.”
Victoria nodded.
“That's my brother.”
“Where is he?”
“Missing.”
Nicholas took another step.
“Since when?”
“Three months.”
“And you believed Richard had him?”
“I received photographs.”
She pulled out her phone.
Images appeared.
A young man tied to a chair.
Nicholas's face hardened.
“When?”
“Last week.”
Eleanor looked at the photograph.
“This is not Richard's style.”
Victoria looked at her.
“What?”
“Richard likes control.”
She pointed to the image.
“This person wants fear.”
Nicholas studied the background.
A red brick wall.
An American flag.
A wooden cross.
He recognized it.
“That's an abandoned church in Baltimore.”
Victoria looked at him.
“How do you know?”
“Because I bought the property.”
“Why?”
“It was part of a redevelopment project.”
Nicholas grabbed his keys.
“We're going.”
Eleanor stopped him.
“No.”
“Mom.”
“This is exactly what they want.”
“Then we change the rules.”
Victoria stepped forward.
“I'm coming.”
Nicholas looked at her.
“You almost destroyed me.”
“I know.”
“You lied.”
“I know.”
“You humiliated my mother.”
Victoria looked at Eleanor.
“I know.”
Eleanor walked toward her.
For a moment, Nicholas thought his mother would strike her.
Instead, Eleanor whispered:
“Then earn the chance to be forgiven.”
Victoria nodded.
Baltimore was cold and gray that evening.
The abandoned church stood between two warehouses.
Nicholas, Eleanor, Amelia, and Victoria entered through a broken side door.
The building smelled of dust.
Old wood.
Rain.
Nicholas switched on his flashlight.
“Stay together.”
A voice echoed from the darkness.
“You always did like giving orders.”
Nicholas froze.
Richard stepped into view.
No security guards.
No weapon.
Just a gray coat and a cane.
He looked older than the photograph.
But his eyes were sharp.
Nicholas stared at him.
“You're alive.”
Richard smiled.
“You already knew.”
“I knew you were alive.”
“Good.”
Nicholas stepped forward.
“Where is Victoria's brother?”
Richard shook his head.
“I don't have him.”
Victoria shouted:
“Liar!”
Richard looked at her.
“Your father does.”
Victoria froze.
“My father is dead.”
“No.”
Richard's smile disappeared.
“He isn't.”
The church doors slammed shut.
A second man appeared behind them.
Thomas Harrington.
Alive.
Victoria screamed.
“No.”
Thomas looked at his daughter.
“You were always disappointing.”
Victoria raised the gun.
Nicholas grabbed her wrist.
“Don't.”
Thomas laughed.
“Still protecting everyone.”
Richard watched.
“This is why you failed.”
Nicholas looked at him.
“What?”
“You chose compassion.”
Richard pointed toward Thomas.
“He chose power.”
Thomas smiled.
Then a gunshot exploded.
Victoria's brother fell from the balcony.
Everyone looked up.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Victoria screamed.
Nicholas ran toward the stairs.
Another shot.
Richard grabbed Eleanor.
Thomas disappeared through the side door.
Nicholas reached the injured man.
“Call 911!”
Victoria dropped beside her brother.
“Stay with me.”
The young man opened his eyes.
He whispered:
“Locker…”
Nicholas leaned closer.
“What locker?”
“Grand Central…”
Then he passed out.
Sirens sounded in the distance.
Richard was gone.
Thomas was gone.
But Eleanor remained standing.
She looked at Nicholas.
“This isn't about the foundation anymore.”
Nicholas nodded.
“What is it about?”
May you like
Eleanor looked toward the blood on the floor.
“The original inheritance.”
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