Chapter 6 - The Confession on the EdgeThe porcelain teacup shattered on the stone floor as Meredith was slammed against the thick glass wall of the conservatory. The cool night air rushed in through the broken door, whipping her silver hair around her face.
"Where is the master key?" Declan roared, his forearm pressed hard against her collarbone.
Meredith choked for air, her composure finally cracking. A frantic edge entered her voice as she clawed at his wrists. "In... in the wall safe behind the portrait of our mother! The combination is our birthday—"
Before Declan could retrieve the override code, a sharp, metallic click echoed from the shadows behind them.
Click.
Declan and Emma froze.
From behind the towering palm trees at the back of the conservatory, a tall figure stepped into the light. It was Viktor Vance, Declan’s long-time chief of security and the head of his personal detail.
He held a suppressed pistol aimed directly at the back of Declan’s head.
"Drop the girl, boss," Viktor said, his voice entirely devoid of emotion.
Declan slowly turned his head, his eyes narrowing into slits of pure fury. "Viktor. You."
"It’s always business, Declan," Viktor replied calmly. "Meredith promised me a forty percent stake in the shipping empire once the family court dissolved your parental rights and restructured the board. You were too soft, too distracted by ghosts of the past. You let a maid outsmart you, but you never saw your own shadow turn on you."
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Meredith coughed, slipping out from under Declan’s loosened grip and smoothing her emerald robe. She walked over to stand beside Viktor, her smug smile returning tenfold.
"Family business, Viktor," Meredith purred, looping her arm through the traitorous security chief's elbow. "And now, brother dearest, it’s time for you to take a permanent vacation."
