Chapter 13 - THE LAST HOUSE BLAKE OWNEDThe gun pointed at Adrian.
Blake's hand was steady.
Mara knew that look.
She had seen it before.
The cold calculation.
The belief that everyone around him was an object.
A tool.
A possession.
Adrian stood between them.
“Put the gun down.”
Blake smiled.
“You always did think you were better than me.”
“No.”
Adrian's voice was cold.
“I think you're weaker than me.”
Blake's smile disappeared.
Mara looked at Elena.
They were trapped.
Then Mara noticed the old bell rope beside her.
She grabbed it.
The church bell exploded above them.
Blake flinched.
Adrian moved.
He slammed Blake into the wall.
The gun fell.
Mara grabbed it.
Blake looked at her.
“Mara.”
She pointed the weapon at him.
Her hand shook.
Blake smiled.
“You won't shoot me.”
Mara stared at him.
He was right.
She didn't want to become him.
Adrian grabbed the gun from her hand.
“Leave him.”
Mara looked at him.
“No.”
Blake laughed.
“See? She wants revenge.”
Mara looked at him.
“No.”
Blake stopped.
“I want you to be afraid.”
His expression changed.
“For once.”
Adrian's men dragged Blake away.
But before he disappeared, he said:
“Your mother is not safe.”
Mara froze.
Blake smiled.
“Victor has her.”
Mara turned to Adrian.
“What?”
Adrian immediately called his men.
They found out the truth minutes later.
Mara's mother had been taken from the safe house.
Victor had planned it.
Mara felt something inside her collapse.
“I’m going.”
Adrian shook his head.
“No.”
“You don't get to say that anymore.”
“Mara.”
“My mother is there.”
“I know.”
“Then take me.”
Adrian stared at her.
Elena stepped forward.
“She's right.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Don't.”
“You can't keep everyone behind walls.”
Adrian said nothing.
Elena looked at Mara.
“You know where Victor is going.”
Mara thought.
Then she remembered.
The old house.
The property she had cleaned.
The place Blake had never allowed her to enter alone.
“The lake house.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Where?”
Mara gave him the address.
They drove through the night.
The house was surrounded by trees.
No lights.
No guards.
Too quiet.
Adrian raised his weapon.
Mara held his arm.
“Wait.”
She looked at the house.
“Blake always left the back door unlocked.”
Adrian stared.
“Why?”
“Because he wanted people to think they were escaping.”
Adrian understood.
They entered through the front.
Inside, Mara heard a voice.
Her mother's.
Then Victor's.
“Your daughter will come.”
Mara stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
Victor appeared at the end of the hallway.
Mara's mother sat behind him.
Victor smiled.
“There she is.”
Adrian stepped beside Mara.
Victor looked at him.
“Still playing hero?”
Adrian raised his weapon.
Victor laughed.
“Shoot me, and she dies.”
Adrian stopped.
Mara looked at her mother.
Her mother was tied to a chair.
But she was alive.
Victor looked at Mara.
“Come here.”
Mara took one step.
Adrian grabbed her hand.
She looked at him.
He whispered:
“Don't.”
Victor smiled.
“You see? He still wants to control you.”
Mara looked at Adrian.
Then at Victor.
“Let my mother go.”
“Come to me.”
“No.”
Victor's face hardened.
“Then she dies.”
Mara looked at her mother.
Her mother shook her head.
“No.”
Mara suddenly understood.
Her mother was looking at something behind Victor.
A small table.
A phone.
Mara looked closer.
The phone was recording.
Victor had been talking.
Everything was being captured.
Mara looked at Adrian.
He understood.
She needed to keep Victor talking.
So she stepped forward.
“What do you want?”
Victor smiled.
“Your child.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
“I don't.”
“You are the heir.”
“To what?”
Victor laughed.
“To everything I built.”
Mara kept him talking.
“Why did you marry me to Blake?”
“Because you were useful.”
Mara's face hardened.
“That's all I was?”
“To Blake, yes.”
“And to you?”
Victor smiled.
“You were blood.”
Mara felt sick.
“My mother?”
“Your mother betrayed me.”
“By leaving?”
“By taking you.”
Mara stared.
“You wanted me.”
“Yes.”
“And when she refused?”
Victor's smile disappeared.
“I waited.”
Mara felt cold.
“You watched me.”
“For years.”
“Why?”
“Because you had to become strong enough.”
Mara looked at her mother.
Her mother was crying.
Victor continued.
“Blake was supposed to make you dependent.”
Mara's blood ran cold.
“But he became obsessed.”
“He was always weak.”
Mara looked at Adrian.
Then back at Victor.
“And Adrian?”
Victor smiled.
“Adrian was supposed to die.”
Adrian's face hardened.
“What?”
“Your sister was the warning.”
Elena stepped forward.
Victor looked at her.
“You survived.”
“Yes.”
“You ruined everything.”
“No.”
Elena looked at Mara.
“She saved everything.”
Victor's expression changed.
Adrian's men suddenly entered.
They had been waiting outside.
Victor turned.
Mara grabbed her mother.
Adrian moved.
The house erupted into chaos.
Victor escaped through a side door.
But Mara's mother was safe.
And the phone had recorded everything.
For the first time, Victor's empire had a weakness.
His own words.
Mara looked at Adrian.
“We have him.”
Adrian shook his head.
“No.”
“Why?”
He looked toward the open door.
“Because he still has something we don't.”
“What?”
May you like
Adrian's face became cold.
“Your baby.”
