Chapter 7 - SAMANTHA'S SECRET
Samantha agreed to meet me at my father's house.
She arrived without Brendan.
She looked different.
Not confident.
Not elegant.
Just tired.
I placed the photograph on the table.
“Tell me.”
She stared at it.
Then closed her eyes.
“My mother told me never to talk about this.”
“About what?”
“My birth.”
I waited.
“She was seventeen.”
I said nothing.
“She had me in secret.”
“Why?”
“She couldn't afford treatment.”
I stared.
“For you?”
Samantha nodded.
“I was born with a heart defect.”
My breath caught.
“You had the same condition as Chloe?”
“Not exactly.”
She looked at the photograph.
“Your father paid for my treatment.”
“Why?”
“My mother worked for him.”
I frowned.
“Doing what?”
“Accounting.”
That made sense.
Then she said,
“But there was another reason.”
“What?”
“My biological father.”
I waited.
She whispered,
“Your father's brother.”
Silence.
I stared at her.
“What?”
“Victor.”
I felt the room spin.
“You're saying Victor is your father?”
“Yes.”
“That would make you—”
She nodded.
“Your husband's cousin.”
My stomach turned.
“Brendan knew?”
“No.”
“Victor knew?”
“Yes.”
“And my father?”
“Yes.”
I stood.
“Why did Victor finance you?”
“Because he wanted control.”
“Over what?”
“Over me.”
I stared at her.
She continued.
“He used my existence as leverage against your father.”
“Why?”
“Because your father discovered Victor had been stealing from the family.”
I understood.
Victor had built his empire through theft.
But my father had exposed him.
“So Samantha was his weakness.”
“Yes.”
“And Brendan?”
“Victor used him too.”
I looked at her.
“You came after my husband.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
She looked down.
“Because Victor ordered me to.”
My heart pounded.
“Then why stay with him?”
“I thought Brendan would protect me.”
“Did he?”
“No.”
She laughed bitterly.
“He was too obsessed with becoming CEO.”
I stared at her.
“You knew about Chloe.”
“Yes.”
My voice became cold.
“Did you know he was denying her medication?”
“I knew there was a problem.”
“That's not an answer.”
She looked at me.
“I knew.”
The room went silent.
I wanted to hate her.
Part of me did.
But she was also a victim of Victor.
That didn't excuse her.
It only explained her.
“Why tell me now?”
“Because Victor is going to kill me.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He knows I have copies of everything.”
“Where?”
She touched her handbag.
“Here.”
Before she could open it, the windows shattered.
Samantha screamed.
I pulled her to the floor.
A bullet struck the wall.
Another shattered a lamp.
Raymond shouted from the hallway.
“Down!”
Security rushed in.
The shooter disappeared.
Samantha was trembling.
She opened her bag.
Inside was a small drive.
“That's everything.”
I looked at it.
“Everything?”
She nodded.
“Bank accounts. Offshore transfers. Instructions. Payments.”
“Who has copies?”
“No one.”
I took it.
Then I looked at Samantha.
“You understand what this means?”
She nodded.
“Victor will come after us.”
I looked toward the broken window.
“No.”
I picked up the drive.
“Victor will come after me.”
Raymond entered.
“We need to leave.”
I nodded.
But before we could move, my phone rang.
Brendan.
I answered.
His voice was barely recognizable.
“Nora.”
“What?”
“Victor knows.”
“I know.”
“No.”
He sounded terrified.
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
“He's going to take control of the company.”
“That's not my problem.”
“He'll destroy everyone.”
I looked at Samantha.
“Maybe he should have thought about that before he destroyed my daughter.”
Brendan went silent.
Then he said,
“I know what happened to Chloe.”
I froze.
“What?”
“I didn't order the final restriction.”
“Who did?”
His voice cracked.
“Victor.”
My heart stopped.
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
“Brendan.”
“He said it was temporary.”
I closed my eyes.
“Where is he?”
“Chicago.”
“Where?”
Brendan whispered the address.
Then he said,
“Nora, I'm sorry.”
I ended the call.
I looked at Raymond.
“Take me there.”
He stared.
“Why?”
“Because Victor Fairchild is about to learn something.”
“What?”
I picked up Chloe's urn.
“I may have lost my daughter.”
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My voice was calm.
“But he hasn't lost yet.”
