Chapter 7 - THE RECORDING BEHIND THE CLOCK
Sebastian lowered his eyes to the documents.
He had to keep Dominic talking.
"You want me to sign away my father's estate," he said. "But what happens to the original trust once you control it?"
Dominic's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"You'll have no reason to concern yourself with that."
"Because you plan to destroy it?"
"Because the trust will no longer matter."
Vanessa pressed the syringe closer to Antonio's neck.
"Sign it, Sebastian."
He picked up the pen.
His hand hovered above the signature line.
"Before I do, tell me one thing. Why did you keep my mother alive?"
Dominic laughed.
"Because dead women cannot tell the truth."
The words were exactly what Sebastian needed.
He placed the pen on the table.
"Then tell me the truth yourself."
Dominic glanced at Vanessa.
She looked furious, but she didn't interrupt.
"Twelve years ago," Dominic began, "Elena discovered that your father had been moving money through accounts connected to our overseas operations. She believed he was protecting the family. She didn't understand that he was trying to keep you out of a federal investigation."
"Was he?"
"Partly. But Elena threatened to turn over the records to prosecutors. She was going to destroy everything Antonio had built."
Antonio struggled in his wheelchair.
Dominic ignored him.
"I arranged for the lake house to burn. The plan was to convince Elena that she had to disappear for her own safety. But she refused to cooperate. Vanessa helped me move her to a private clinic, where we could keep her isolated until she changed her mind."
Sebastian's voice went dangerously quiet.
"You told everyone she died."
"Antonio signed the certificate. He believed it was the only way to keep you safe."
Sebastian looked at his father.
Antonio's face twisted with shame.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sebastian demanded.
His father forced out a broken sound.
"Afraid."
Dominic scoffed.
"Your father was afraid of losing his son. I was afraid of losing the family."
"And Vanessa?"
Dominic turned toward his accomplice.
"She was supposed to marry you. Once she became your wife, she'd have legal access to the trust. I needed someone close enough to control the paperwork."
Sebastian stared at Vanessa.
"Did you ever love me?"
For one brief moment, something vulnerable crossed her face.
Then it vanished.
"I loved the man I thought you would become."
"You mean the man who never asked questions."
"I mean the man who understood that power requires sacrifice."
"You sacrificed everyone except yourself."
Vanessa's hand trembled.
Dominic noticed.
"Keep the syringe steady."
Sebastian glanced at the clock.
The red light was still blinking.
Every word had been recorded.
But he needed time for Marcus to reach the library. The guards outside were waiting for his signal, and the signal was a simple phrase: The house is finally quiet.
He looked at Dominic.
"You said the original trust documents no longer matter. Where are they?"
Dominic smiled.
"Somewhere nobody will find them."
"You're afraid of them."
"I'm not afraid of paper."
"Then show me."
Dominic moved toward the fireplace.
For a second, Sebastian thought he was going to retrieve something from the mantel.
Instead, Dominic pulled a small remote from his pocket.
A click sounded.
The library doors locked.
A metallic shutter dropped over the windows.
Vanessa stared at him.
"What are you doing?"
"Ending this."
Dominic pressed another button.
A hiss emerged from the vents.
Sebastian smelled gas.
Antonio began coughing.
Dominic stepped backward toward the side exit.
"You always thought your father was the strongest man in the family, Sebastian. But he was never strong enough to do what was necessary."
Sebastian grabbed the wheelchair handles and pushed Antonio toward the interior door. Vanessa stumbled after them, suddenly terrified.
"Dominic, stop!"
He ignored her.
Sebastian slammed his shoulder against the door. It didn't move.
Then he saw a narrow panel beneath the desk, half hidden by a rug.
He tore it open.
A ventilation lever sat inside.
He pulled it down.
The hissing stopped.
From the other side of the locked doors came Marcus's voice.
"Boss! Step away from the entrance!"
Sebastian shielded his father.
A crash shook the library.
The doors burst inward.
Marcus and the officers rushed inside.
Dominic was gone.
Vanessa had collapsed beside the desk, coughing. The syringe lay on the floor.
Antonio was alive.
But the brass clock had fallen from the mantel, its glass shattered.
Sebastian picked it up.
The recording device was still intact.
Marcus checked his phone.
"We have the confession. We'll send copies to the authorities immediately."
Sebastian exhaled.
Then Antonio caught his wrist.
His father pointed at the broken clock, then at the fireplace.
A small compartment had opened behind the mantel.
Inside was a sealed envelope bearing Elena's handwriting.
Sebastian opened it carefully.
The first line made his stomach drop.
Antonio, if Dominic ever discovers that our daughter survived, he will kill her the same way he tried to kill me.
Sebastian looked at his father.
"Our daughter?"
Antonio began to cry.
Then, from the doorway, a woman's voice answered.
"Yes, Sebastian."
Elena stood there, supported by Clara.
May you like
"You have a sister."
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