Kurt
In the shadowed corners of my memory, I could still see the night Jake had caught Moira and me. We had been reckless, caught up in our passion, and I'd ignored every instinct that told me to be careful. I thought we were safe in that private hotel room, away from prying eyes. But then Jake burst through the door, fury in his eyes, and Moira barely had time to push me aside and pull herself together before he could spot me.
I hid quickly, just in time. He hadn't seen me, but he saw enough to know she was hiding something. Moira played it cool, tried to dismiss it, but Jake had caught onto her lies. I watched, barely daring to breathe, as he threw accusations at her. And though she tried to spin her web of deceit, it wasn't enough. I could see the moment Jake's faith in her crumbled. He broke up with her that night, stormed out without looking back. She slumped onto the bed, her face pale as the realization settled in. She'd lost him.
When he was gone, I came out of hiding. Moira sat there, her face a mask of anger and betrayal. "We keep this a secret," she said, her voice cold and unfeeling, her words more a command than a request. We both knew what was at stake. She had a reputation to protect, and I…well, I had been promised a share of the riches and power that came with being associated with Jake's empire.
A few weeks after the breakup, though, Moira and I drifted apart. She seemed preoccupied, and I could tell she was crafting some scheme to win Jake back. But then the scandal happened between Jake and me, and Moira's involvement grew darker. She was the one who forced me to go into hiding, threatening to expose my ties to Jake's competitors if I didn't disappear. She had become ruthless, willing to burn anyone who got in her way. Reluctantly, I left, but not before making it clear that I wouldn't be her pawn forever.
Months passed, and I stayed under the radar. Then, news reached me, Moira was pregnant. I thought back to the last night we were together, and it hit me, the child could very well be mine. Moira had told me she and Jake weren't intimate a while before me so I knew the baby was mine. But I stayed away, unwilling to risk Moira's wrath by stepping forward. I was a shadow in the background, biding my time.
Besides, I had nothing. Jake had turned me into a wretch, I had to leave everything behind until that day when Moira called and asked me to come back…
And now, after everything, here I was, staring at Moira in this abandoned building, realizing I'd been played again. Jackson had walked off with Laura, leaving Moira and me alone, and I finally confronted her, anger bubbling up from every lie she had fed me over the years.
"Moira," I said, stepping forward. "I know you've been using me. I know I'm nothing but a tool to you. But don't think I don't know the truth. That child of yours? It's not Jake's, is it?" Her face tightened, but I didn't stop. "You can drop the act. I know the baby is mine. And that DNA test you showed Jake? It was doctored, wasn't it?"
For a moment, her face was unreadable, but then a flicker of panic crossed her features. I saw the truth in her eyes before she even spoke. "You have no proof, Kurt," she snapped, her voice a venomous whisper. "You're just grasping at straws, hoping to ruin my plans because you're too weak to stand up for yourself."
"Maybe I don't have proof right now," I shot back, my voice steady with newfound resolve. "But if you think I'm just going to let you betray me again, you're wrong. I'll make sure Jake knows the truth. I'll make sure everyone knows what kind of woman you are."
Her face went pale, but she tried to recover quickly, her lips curving into a tight, dangerous smile. "You think you can threaten me, Kurt?" she hissed. "You think you're any match for me?" Her eyes darkened as she looked me up and down, assessing her options, and I felt a twinge of doubt creep in.
Moira
Kurt's words echoed in my mind, and for the first time, I felt a flicker of fear. He knew. Somehow, he'd pieced it all together. I'd gone to great lengths to manipulate that DNA test, to make Jake believe that our child was his. It had been a flawless plan, until now.
But as I looked at Kurt, a low-life who'd clung to me like a parasite, I knew he'd become a threat. If he went to Jake, if he spread the truth about our child…I couldn't risk it. Not when I was this close to getting everything I wanted.
"Kurt," I said softly, my tone shifting as I tried to placate him. "You're overthinking this. You and I…we both know what's at stake here. There's no need for threats."
But he wasn't backing down. His eyes were hard, and I could see the resolve in his stance. He was done being manipulated, done playing my game. "No, Moira," he said firmly, his voice carrying an edge I hadn't heard before. "I'm done with you. I'll tell Jake the truth, and this time, you won't have any way to cover it up."
Desperation clawed at me, and without thinking, I looked toward Jackson's gun, lying on the nearby table. Kurt was close enough that he noticed my gaze, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. He reached out to grab my arm, trying to stop me, but I was faster.
In one swift motion, I snatched the gun and aimed it at him, my hands steady. Kurt's eyes widened, and I could see the disbelief on his face, as if he hadn't truly expected me to go this far.
"Moira," he stammered, taking a step back. "You don't have to do this. We can figure something out."
But I knew there was no other option. He was a loose end, a threat that I couldn't afford. And if I let him live, he'd ruin everything I'd worked for.
"I'm sorry, Kurt," I said, my voice cold and unfeeling. "But you should have known better than to cross me."
Before he could respond, I pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the empty building, and Kurt staggered back, his eyes wide with shock and betrayal. He fell to the ground, motionless, the life draining from his face.
A sudden scream shattered the silence, and I looked over to see Laura, her face pale with terror as she watched the scene unfold. Her hands were tied, her body trembling as she stared at me, her eyes wide with horror.
Jackson moved quickly, grabbing a roll of duct tape and pressing it over Laura's mouth to stifle her screams. She struggled, her eyes pleading, but there was no escape. She was trapped here, just like Kurt had been, and now she knew the truth, she was next…