Chapter 18 - THE THREAD OF HOPE

Jax sprinted up the iron spiral staircase, ignoring the agonizing pain in his shoulder, his heart hammering violently against his ribs.

Elena followed closely behind, her bare feet slapping against the cold iron steps.

They reached the top observation deck of the lighthouse, where the howling wind from the open ocean whistled through broken glass windows.

In the center of the room, sitting on a wooden chair, was little Lily.

Her hands were tied loosely with a soft silk scarf, and her eyes were wide with pure terror.

Standing directly behind her, holding a gleaming silver revolver, was a woman dressed in an elegant black suit.

Jax stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in complete shock.

"Victoria..." Elena gasped, standing frozen behind Jax.

It was Victoria Vance, Elena’s older sister, who had reportedly vanished five years ago after a failed power struggle within the syndicate.

Victoria smiled, a cold, elegant expression that mirrored her father's cruel demeanor.

"Hello, little sister," Victoria said smoothly, her fingers casually resting on the gun's hammer.

"You always were Father's favorite, weren't you?"

"Victoria... we thought you were dead!" Elena stammered, tears springing to her eyes again.

"Father tried to put a bullet in my head when I tried to take control of the family business," Victoria sneered, her voice dripping with venom.

"I spent five years in hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to tear his world down."

"And you used us?" Jax demanded, stepping forward slightly, keeping his weapon trained on her.

"You leaked our location to Marcus, didn't you?"

Victoria laughed, a melodious yet horrifying sound amidst the howling storm.

"Of course I did!" Victoria admitted freely.

"I needed you to destroy Father’s security force and weaken Marcus so I could take control of the entire syndicate without lifting a finger."

"And now that Father is ruined and Marcus is dead, everything belongs to me."

"Daddy... Mommy..." Lily whimpered from the chair, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

Jax’s eyes locked onto Lily’s frightened hazel eyes.

"It's okay, baby," Jax whispered softly. "Daddy's right here."

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"She dies, Jax," Victoria interrupted, her finger tightening on the trigger of the revolver.

"Unless you do one final thing for me."