Chapter 12 - THE PRICE OF BETRAYAL
Victor disappeared within hours.
His private aircraft remained grounded.
His passports were flagged.
His properties were watched.
Yet nobody could find him.
Elena knew he had help.
Damian knew something else.
“He’ll come after Catherine.”
Adrian immediately stood.
“My mother is protected.”
Damian shook his head.
“Victor doesn’t attack security.”
“What does that mean?”
“He attacks trust.”
Damian looked at Elena.
“He’ll use someone she knows.”
Catherine had been moved to a secure Voss residence.
Only six people knew the location.
Elena ordered Marcus to verify every one of them.
Five were clean.
The sixth disappeared.
A security contractor named Peter Cole.
By the time Marcus reached the residence, Catherine was gone.
Adrian exploded.
“You promised she would be safe!”
Elena did not defend herself.
She called Damian.
“Where would Victor take her?”
Damian thought.
“There’s an old Monarch property in Virginia.”
“Address.”
“I’ll come.”
“No.”
“Elena.”
“You give Marcus the address.”
Damian’s voice hardened.
“Victor knows you’ll come for Catherine.”
“I know.”
“He wants you there.”
“I know.”
“That’s why I’m coming.”
Elena remained silent.
Three hours later, they reached the property.
It was an abandoned country club owned through one of Monarch’s shell companies.
Marcus surrounded the building.
Elena, Adrian, and Damian entered with his team.
They found Catherine in the main ballroom.
Alive.
Untouched.
Sitting alone.
Adrian rushed toward her.
Catherine stood.
“Stop!”
Everyone froze.
A small device rested beneath her chair.
Marcus saw it.
“Don’t move.”
Catherine was crying.
“He said if I stood up, it would trigger the alarm.”
Marcus carefully approached.
Then speakers throughout the ballroom activated.
Victor’s voice filled the room.
“Elena.”
She looked upward.
“I knew you would come.”
A screen illuminated.
Victor appeared live from an unknown location.
“You took my company.”
Elena answered.
“You never owned it.”
“You took my people.”
“They abandoned you.”
“You took my future.”
“You destroyed that yourself.”
Victor smiled.
“Still your father’s daughter.”
Elena’s expression hardened.
“What do you want?”
“One signature.”
Damian looked at her.
Victor continued.
“Transfer controlling interest in Voss Global to Monarch Capital.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“You’re insane.”
Victor ignored him.
“You have ten minutes.”
Elena looked toward Catherine.
Marcus quietly examined the device.
Then he looked at Elena.
His expression told her everything.
The device was not what Victor claimed.
Elena understood.
She walked toward the table.
A document waited there.
Damian whispered.
“Don’t.”
Elena picked up the pen.
Victor smiled from the screen.
“That’s better.”
Elena signed.
Adrian stared at her.
“Elena!”
Victor laughed.
“Finally.”
Elena placed the pen down.
“Done.”
Victor leaned toward the camera.
“You just gave me your empire.”
Elena looked directly at him.
“No.”
Victor’s smile faded.
“You taught me something useful.”
“What?”
“Always read the documents.”
Natalie’s voice suddenly came through the ballroom speakers.
“The transfer has been received.”
Victor stared.
Elena continued.
“The document transfers controlling interest in Monarch Capital.”
Victor’s face changed.
“To Voss Global.”
Damian began laughing.
Elena stepped closer to the screen.
“You just authenticated the transfer using your own secure connection.”
Victor looked away from the camera.
For the first time, panic appeared.
Elena smiled faintly.
“Thank you for the signature.”
Then Marcus lifted Catherine safely from the chair.
The device had been nothing more than a pressure sensor connected to an alarm.
May you like
Victor had been bluffing.
And Elena had just taken the company he had spent decades building.
