Chapter 12 - Someone He Called Family.
Arthur Bell climbed from the hatch with his gun lowered but not holstered.
Damian had known him since childhood.
Arthur had taught him chess, signed his first company documents, and stood beside his mother during Henry's funeral.
Seeing him alive felt less like relief than a violation of memory.
"Explain everything," Damian said.
Arthur looked at Conrad.
"Not with him here."
"He stays."
Conrad sat in a chair as if attending a board meeting.
Arthur began with Henry Cole's final year.
Henry had discovered that Conrad, Victor's father Samuel Shaw, and several executives were using Northstar to skim government logistics contracts.
Henry wanted out.
Conrad threatened to expose Henry as the architect of the scheme.
Samuel wanted to protect Victor from inheriting his crimes.
Arthur claimed he tried to broker a deal.
Then Henry's car crashed.
"Who changed the vehicle?" Damian asked.
Arthur looked at Lucas.
"Lucas did, after a call I never made."
Lucas went pale.
"So who called me?"
Arthur pointed at Conrad.
Conrad shook his head.
"Too obvious."
Arthur continued.
After the crash, evidence disappeared.
Samuel Shaw accepted money and then died two years later in what was called a boating accident.
Conrad remained powerful.
Arthur spent years rebuilding the paper trail.
"Why fake your death?"
"Because six months ago I found the missing ledger."
Harper stepped forward.
"Then why hide it in Henry's study?"
Arthur looked at her.
"I didn't."
Silence.
Damian felt the trap closing again.
Arthur said someone had stolen the ledger from his safe two weeks before his staged death.
He believed Conrad had it.
Conrad laughed.
"I believed you had it."
Harper looked between them.
"Then a third person had it."
Victor spoke from near the door.
"And that person had my cloned card, Damian's biometrics, Lucas's voice, every hidden passage, and the power to alter security archives."
Mara looked at him.
"Someone with years of access."
Conrad's eyes moved toward Victor.
Arthur's did too.
Damian noticed.
Victor's face became empty.
"Say it."
Arthur lowered his gaze.
"Your father Samuel did not die in the boating accident."
Victor stopped breathing.
"What?"
"He survived."
Arthur's voice softened.
"I helped him disappear."
Victor crossed the room in two strides and slammed Arthur against the wall.
"You let me bury an empty coffin?"
"Samuel begged me to protect you."
"Where is he?"
Arthur looked terrified for the first time.
"I don't know."
Victor's hands tightened.
"Where is my father?"
A gunshot exploded from the upper balcony.
Arthur jerked.
Blood bloomed across his shoulder.
Everyone dropped.
Victor returned fire toward the curtain.
The shooter vanished.
Damian saw a shadow cross the balcony and pursued it through the west corridor.
He reached the service stairs just in time to see a man descending below.
The man was older, broad-shouldered, and limped on his left leg.
Victor caught up behind Damian.
The fugitive turned at the bottom of the stairs.
Victor's weapon lowered.
His face collapsed.
"Dad?"
May you like
Samuel Shaw smiled at his son.
"You grew into exactly the man I needed.
