Chapter 11
Vanessa blamed Grant.
Grant blamed Vincent.
Vincent blamed Voss.
Nobody blamed themselves.
I almost laughed.
“What was Friday?”
Vincent finally answered.
“Transition.”
Grant smiled.
“Good word.”
I looked at him.
“What does transition mean?”
Vanessa snapped:
“Daniel—”
I raised one hand.
She stopped.
Vincent spoke.
“Your convoy gets hit outside South Ridge.”
“And?”
“You disappear.”
“For how long?”
Silence.
Grant answered:
“As long as necessary.”
“For what?”
He leaned back.
“To make the organization understand it can exist without you.”
I smiled faintly.
“And who replaces me?”
Grant looked toward Vanessa.
There.
I turned.
My fiancée lifted her chin.
“I wasn’t replacing you.”
“No?”
“I would keep the house stable.”
“With Grant.”
“And Vincent.”
Vincent laughed.
“Not anymore.”
Vanessa stared.
“What?”
He looked at her.
“You think Voss planned to leave you in charge?”
Her expression changed.
Grant stopped smiling.
Vincent continued.
“Voss wanted the South Ridge routes.”
Grant whispered:
“He promised—”
Vincent laughed.
“He promised everyone something.”
Interesting.
The traitors were discovering they had been betrayed too.
I asked Vincent:
“What were you promised?”
“North warehouses.”
Grant:
“South crews.”
Vanessa:
“Daniel’s household.”
Maria looked disgusted.
Vanessa turned on her.
“What?”
“You talk about his home like a prize.”
Vanessa smiled cruelly.
“You clean it. Don’t pretend you understand owning one.”
Maria’s face tightened.
Sophia whispered:
“Mommy owns me?”
Maria crouched immediately.
“No.”
Vanessa laughed.
“Cute.”
I turned.
“You still think this is funny.”
“No.”
Her eyes hardened.
“I think you’ve forgotten who I am.”
“My fiancée.”
“Yes.”
“Not anymore.”
The room went silent.
Her engagement ring suddenly looked enormous.
Vanessa’s face changed.
“You’re ending this over the maid’s child?”
“No.”
I looked at Sophia.
“I’m ending it because you starved a child, threatened her mother, helped cover Luis’s death, copied my access and planned my ambush.”
Vanessa scoffed.
“So dramatic.”
Then Sophia whispered:
“She said your ring opens the downstairs room.”
I turned.
“What downstairs room?”
Vanessa went completely still.
May you like
Another secret.
And this one was inside my own mansion.
