Chapter 12
My father died in a hunting accident.
That was the story.
I was nineteen.
Leon became my adviser.
Catherine stopped talking about that winter.
I thought grief did that.
Richard smiled across the conference room.
“Ask your uncle.”
I stared at Leon.
He said nothing.
“Ask him why your father closed the north corridor permanently two weeks before he died.”
My jaw tightened.
I looked at Leon.
“Why?”
Silence.
Richard continued.
“Because he caught Leon meeting Ashford men.”
Victoria's father.
Old alliance.
Older betrayal.
Leon finally spoke.
“This is irrelevant.”
No.
That answer made it relevant.
“What happened?”
Leon stared.
“Your father and I disagreed.”
“Then?”
“Nothing.”
Richard laughed.
“Coward.”
Leon turned.
Richard continued.
“He confronted you at the lodge.”
My stomach tightened.
Same lodge Daniel had been held in.
Family habits repeat.
“What happened?”
Leon said nothing.
Catherine whispered:
“Uncle Leon.”
He looked at her.
Then me.
“It was an accident.”
The room went silent.
My hands went cold.
“What?”
“He slipped.”
Richard laughed.
Leon snapped:
“Shut up.”
Richard smiled.
“After you hit him.”
Silence.
Catherine gasped.
I stared.
“Did you hit my father?”
Leon stood.
“He hit me first.”
There.
Admission.
“Then?”
“He fell against the railing.”
My throat tightened.
“And?”
“The railing broke.”
Silence.
“Did you help him?”
No answer.
“Leon.”
His face hardened.
“He was already gone.”
Not answer.
“Did you call for help?”
Silence.
Richard laughed.
“No.”
I looked at Leon.
“Why?”
His voice dropped.
“Because if anyone knew we fought…”
He stopped.
“Your command would collapse.”
I almost laughed.
There.
Again.
Family stability used to cover personal cowardice.
“You let my father die to protect command.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“I protected you.”
I stared.
“Don't.”
“You were nineteen.”
“No.”
“The family would've torn itself apart.”
“No.”
“I kept it together.”
I almost smiled.
“You stole the truth and called it protection.”
Silence.
Catherine cried quietly.
Leon looked at her.
“Your father was difficult.”
She stared.
“That's your defense?”
“He was old-fashioned.”
“He was forty-eight.”
Silence.
Leon looked away.
I understood.
My father had discovered the same network Elena later found.
Same routes.
Same Ashford pressure.
Same men.
He died before cleaning it out.
I inherited the organization and accidentally preserved the traitors by trusting the adviser who helped create them.
Richard smiled.
“Now you understand.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
“This was never about Victoria.”
“No.”
He laughed.
“Or Clara.”
“No.”
“It's about who controls Hale.”
I stared.
Then shook my head.
“No.”
Richard frowned.
I continued.
“That is why all of you lost.”
“What?”
“You keep thinking people are pieces around control.”
Silence.
“My father.”
I pointed at Leon.
“Elena.”
At Richard.
“Daniel.”
At Stephen.
“Clara.”
Nothing.
“Mia.”
Nothing.
“You measure all of them by usefulness.”
Silence.
“And never notice when the people you call weak become the ones holding the truth.”
The room was still.
Then Dominic stood.
He removed his capo pin.
Placed it in front of Leon.
Not me.
Leon stared.
Dominic said:
“I served your brother.”
Silence.
“Not the man who left him dying.”
May you like
One by one, two more men did the same.
Leon finally looked afraid.
