Chapter 5 - THE MAN AT THE FAMILY TABLE
Sebastian Voss had kissed Tessa on the cheek every Christmas for five years.
He had toasted her wedding.
Sent flowers on her birthday.
Called her “the only woman stubborn enough to civilize Conrad.”
Now she stared at his name in Daniel’s ledger.
Payment after payment.
Judge.
Detective.
Dock supervisor.
Hitman.
Sebastian had not merely participated in Meridian.
He had built it.
Vivienne sat opposite Tessa inside an abandoned Voss warehouse.
“My mother worked for Sebastian,” she explained. “She betrayed Daniel because Sebastian threatened me.”
Tessa’s eyes hardened.
“And the mansion?”
Vivienne lowered her gaze.
“I needed you to leave.”
“You wore my bracelet.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Where did you get it?”
“Sebastian.”
That landed harder than Tessa expected.
“He told me Conrad kept it because it meant nothing.”
Conrad’s voice turned lethal.
“He had access to my study.”
Vivienne nodded.
“He wanted Tessa angry enough to leave without protection.”
Conrad’s hands curled into fists.
The entire scene had been engineered.
But that did not absolve him.
Tessa looked at him.
“You still participated.”
“Yes.”
No defense.
No excuse.
“I thought Vivienne was testing whether someone inside my house was feeding Sebastian information. I believed if you became angry and went upstairs, I could finish the conversation and explain.”
“You told me everything I had was because of you.”
Conrad closed his eyes briefly.
“I know.”
“You meant it.”
He looked at her.
“At that moment, yes.”
The admission hurt.
But it was also the first completely honest thing he had given her.
“I was arrogant,” he said. “I believed providing for you gave me the right to decide what you could survive. It didn’t.”
Tessa looked away.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.”
“Good.”
“I’m asking you to stay alive long enough to hate me safely.”
Despite everything, a tiny laugh escaped her.
Conrad almost smiled.
Almost.
Then Marcus entered.
“We have company.”
Black SUVs surrounded the warehouse.
Sebastian had found them.
Conrad immediately handed the ledger to Tessa.
“Back exit.”
“No.”
“Tessa.”
“I spent five years letting you decide what was safest for me.”
“This is different.”
“It always is.”
Gunfire erupted outside.
Marcus swore.
Conrad stared at his wife.
Then something unexpected happened.
He nodded.
“All right. What’s your plan?”
Tessa blinked.
It was the first time he had asked.
Not ordered.
Asked.
She looked at the warehouse map.
“My father chose this place for meetings twelve years ago. Why?”
Conrad understood.
“Tunnel.”
They found it behind shelving.
The passage emerged near an old rail yard.
Vivienne went first.
Marcus followed.
Tessa was about to enter when Conrad caught her hand.
She looked down.
He released her immediately.
“Sorry.”
Something in her chest shifted.
“Come on.”
They escaped seconds before Sebastian’s men entered.
But outside, three more vehicles waited.
A familiar man stepped from the middle SUV.
Silver hair.
Expensive overcoat.
Sebastian Voss.
“My nephew.”
Conrad moved in front of Tessa.
Sebastian smiled.
“Still protecting things you don’t understand.”
“You killed Daniel.”
Sebastian shrugged.
“Daniel made a business decision.”
“He had a daughter.”
“Everyone has someone.”
Tessa stepped around Conrad.
Sebastian looked amused.
“Little waitress.”
“No,” she said. “Accountant’s daughter.”
His smile weakened.
She held up the ledger.
“You want this?”
Sebastian’s eyes fixed on it.
“Yes.”
Tessa dropped it into a barrel beside her.
Then she struck a lighter.
Conrad stared.
“Tessa—”
She tossed the flame.
The ledger burned.
Sebastian lunged forward.
“No!”
For the first time, his composure vanished.
Tessa smiled.
“That was a copy.”
Sebastian stopped.
Police sirens erupted in the distance.
Dozens.
Vivienne held up her phone.
“I sent the real pages to three newspapers, the FBI, and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office ten minutes ago.”
Sebastian’s face changed.
Conrad looked at Tessa.
She had planned it before they left the warehouse.
Sebastian reached inside his coat.
Conrad moved.
A shot exploded.
Tessa screamed.
But Conrad remained standing.
Sebastian did not.
Marcus had fired first.
Sebastian collapsed onto the wet pavement, wounded but alive.
Federal vehicles poured into the rail yard.
Conrad watched agents surround his uncle.
Then he looked at Tessa.
“It’s over.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
Conrad’s face fell.
Tessa looked toward the burning barrel.
“Your family’s war might be over.”
May you like
Then she looked at him.
“Ours isn’t.”
