Chapter 12 - Broken Mirrors
The muzzle of Christian’s pistol was not pointed at Victoria, nor at Julian. It was leveled directly at Claire’s chest.
Victoria let out a breathless, hysterical chuckle from the corner. ""You thought he came back for you, Claire? You poor, arrogant fool. Christian didn't fake his death to protect you. He faked his death to cut Kane out of the global payout!""
Claire did not look at the gun. She kept her eyes locked onto Christian’s dark, unblinking irises. ""You were working with Kane from the very beginning. The plane crash wasn't an assassination attempt on you. It was a staged extraction.""
""Kane wanted thirty percent of the offshore portfolio,"" Christian said, his arm completely steady, holding the weapon with mechanical indifference. ""I built that portfolio from nothing while your father and your senile grandfather sat in leather armchairs talking about family honor and hundred-year legacies. I wasn't going to give a dime of it to Kane, and I certainly wasn't leaving it for Julian to snort away in Monaco.""
""And me?"" Claire’s voice cracked slightly, the only crack in her armor all evening. ""What was I to you?""
""A necessary safeguard,"" Christian replied, stepping closer until the cold steel barrel was three inches from her sternum. ""Your father knew I was siphon-trading, so he altered the vault biometrics right before he died. He made you the master key. I spent five years waiting for Julian to get desperate enough to force this vault open, but he lacked the spine. You, Claire... you had the spine. You walked into that banquet and blew up the entire board just to get the leverage.""
""And now you want me to hand you the kingdom,"" Claire whispered.
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""I don't want the kingdom,"" Christian said, cocking the hammer of the pistol. ""I want the vault open. Place your hand on the glass, Claire. Or I will sever your wrist and press it against the scanner myself.""
Julian groaned on the floor, dragging himself toward the terminal base, his fingers reaching blindly for the red manual lockdown lever.
