Chapter 46 - The Architecture of Betrayal
"You're in Switzerland," I said, my voice steady despite the trembling in my knees.
"I am where capital is respected, my dear," Arthur replied, tilting his head slightly. "Your sister made an unfortunate mess of things in Richmond, and your mother has completely lost her composure. Bringing you coffee in the hospital was an Eleanor classic—suburban sentimentalism masking pathetic incompetence."
Claire turned toward the camera, her eyes cold and empty behind designer frames. "Give us the cipher, June," she said flatly. "You never belonged in the company anyway. You were always too sensitive. You belong in a museum basement cataloging old papers."
"You tried to murder me, Claire," I said. "You held a pillow over my face until the blood vessels in my eyes burst."
"And you survived," Claire shot back without a trace of remorse. "Consider it your final corporate promotion. Now enter the bypass key into the terminal. Eleanor is thirty minutes behind you on that ridge. Those men she hired don't care about family reunions. They get paid an extra five million if they bring back your severed thumb."
Arthur raised a hand, silencing Claire instantly. "June. A proposal. Transfer forty percent to the Zurich accounts, keep the remaining fifty-four million for yourself, and Miller can escort you to an offshore jurisdiction of your choice. We close the books. The Holloway name remains pristine."
I looked down at the tablet, then at Miller, who had her weapon ready, her eyes fixed on me.
May you like
"A Holloway owes no debts," I whispered into the screen. "Isn't that right, Dad?"
Arthur's smile vanished. For the first time in my life, I saw genuine hesitation in his eyes.
