Chapter 13 - The Broken Vow
Lucas was forced to his knees in the center of the damp boathouse, surrounded by federal rifles. He didn't look afraid; instead, an unsettling, defiant smirk crept across his weathered face.
"Lucas..." Arthur whispered, his voice cracking with unprecedented pain. "You were like a brother to me. I pulled you out of the special forces. I trusted you with my daughter’s life!"
"You trusted me because you're arrogant, Arthur," Lucas spat, his eyes gleaming with deep-seated hatred. "You built an empire while stepping on every soldier who bled for you in the shadows. Do you know who owned the private military firm you contracted twenty years ago? My brother. And you let him take the fall when your operations in South America went public!"
"Your brother was selling weapons to cartels!" Arthur bellowed, stepping forward with fists clenched. "I buried the scandal to keep your name clean!"
"You buried him!" Lucas roared back. "And for twenty years, I waited. I watched your little princess grow up. I leaked her location to Marcus Sterling. I slipped the signet ring into your coat at the gala while helping you put it on!"
Clara stared at the man who had driven her to school, taught her basic self-defense, and stood guard outside her art studio. The betrayal stung deeper than any bullet could have.
"And what was your endgame, Lucas?" Clara asked, stepping in front of her father. "To let the Castellans and Sterlings destroy the Vances, and then what?"
"And then collect the thirty-percent finder’s fee secured by the Swiss offshore trusts," Lucas sneered. "Except you, little girl, proved far more dangerous than anyone anticipated. You tore through thirty years of our plans in six hours."
"Take him away," Agent Ross commanded, gesturing to his men. Two marshals hauled Lucas to his feet, hauling him out into the pouring rain toward the waiting armored transport.
Arthur looked exhausted, the weight of the last twenty-four hours visibly aging the titan of industry. He reached out to touch Evelyn’s arm. "Evelyn... stay. We can rebuild. We can be a family again."
May you like
Evelyn looked down at his hand, then up into his pleading eyes. Slowly, she stepped back, out of his reach.
"The war isn't over, Arthur," Evelyn said quietly, looking at Clara with profound sorrow and pride. "The Swiss accounts Lucas mentioned? They weren't just held by Marcus Sterling. The master syndicate has branches in London, Tokyo, and Singapore. Clara’s name is now on the global hit list."
