Chapter 10: The Brother’s Plan
The broadcast ended before investigators could trace it.
Veronica denied knowing Lucas’s location.
Elena was escorted from Voss Tower under the new control order.
She no longer had the authority to enter her own company.
Three hours later, a black car stopped outside her apartment.
Lucas stepped out alone.
Elena opened the door but did not move aside.
“You voted to remove me.”
“I had to.”
“You appeared in a hostage recording.”
“It was staged.”
She stared at him.
“By you?”
“By us.”
Lucas entered and placed the missing Monarch ledger on the table.
He had taken it from the records facility.
He had also allowed Veronica to remove the code from his certificate.
“You handed her the company.”
“I handed her confidence.”
Lucas opened the ledger.
The final pages listed companies that had secretly financed Monarch Ridge.
Damian’s name appeared repeatedly.
So did Veronica’s.
But the largest payments came from an entity called Northstar Custodial Trust.
“Who owns Northstar?” Elena asked.
“No one knows. The records are stored inside Voss Tower’s original vault.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t know whether you would protect the company or protect your pride.”
Elena’s eyes hardened.
“You helped frame me to test my character?”
“I spent eleven years believing you stole my life.”
“Our father gave you those shares.”
“He also gave me a letter.”
Lucas handed it to her.
Their father had asked Lucas to leave the company and watch from outside. He feared that one day the family would become blind to threats growing within its own walls.
Lucas had not left because Elena rejected him.
Their father had sent him away.
Elena sat down slowly.
“He separated us.”
“He believed distance would protect at least one of us.”
“Instead, it taught us to hate each other.”
Lucas looked toward the window.
“Veronica will enter the original vault tomorrow during the transition of control.”
“We need the access code.”
“Damian has it.”
Elena almost laughed.
“Damian would sell his own shadow if it gave him five more minutes of power.”
A sound came from the hallway.
Lucas reached inside his coat.
The apartment door opened.
Damian stepped inside.
His suit was wrinkled. His face looked older than it had the day before.
May you like
He had heard everything.
And in his hand was a phone displaying a live call with Veronica.
