Amelia sat in the quiet living room, her thoughts spinning as she stared at the envelope Daniel had left on the coffee table. The weight of their recent battles was heavy on her shoulders, but something about Daniel's behavior in the past weeks felt off. He had been distant, secretive, and unwilling to meet her eyes. She wondered if her brother, someone she had always trusted, was hiding something from her.
Finally, she picked up the envelope, her hands trembling as she opened it. Inside were a series of photographs and documents that made her heart race. The photos showed Daniel meeting with someone she recognized one of Victoria's most trusted allies.
Her breath caught in her throat.
"Why would he meet with them?" she whispered to herself, a sinking feeling growing in her stomach.
Amelia heard the front door creak open, and Daniel walked in, looking surprised to see her with the envelope in her hands. His face quickly shifted from shock to guilt.
"Daniel, what is this?" Amelia demanded, holding up the photos. "Why were you meeting with Victoria's people?"
Daniel froze, his expression unreadable. "It's not what you think."
"Then explain!" she shouted, her voice trembling with anger and hurt. "Because it looks like you're working with the enemy the same enemy who has tried to destroy our family!"
Daniel ran a hand through his hair, pacing back and forth. "You don't understand, Amelia. I did it for us for the family."
"For the family?" she repeated incredulously. "How does betraying us help the family? Do you have any idea what we've been through because of Victoria?"
Daniel stopped pacing and turned to her, his eyes filled with desperation. "You think I wanted to do this? I had no choice! She had something on me, something that could ruin everything."
Amelia's heart sank. "What could possibly be worth betraying your own family?"
He hesitated, looking down at the floor. "It's about Dad. Before he died, he made a deal with Victoria—a deal that went horribly wrong. She threatened to expose it unless I helped her."
Amelia stared at him, her mind reeling. "What kind of deal?"
Daniel swallowed hard. "Dad borrowed money from Victoria to keep the business afloat when times were tough. But the terms of the loan were brutal. When he couldn't pay it back, she demanded a stake in the company. He refused, and... well, you know how ruthless she is. She's been using this against me ever since."
Amelia's legs felt weak as she sank into a chair. The father she idolized had made a mistake, one that had come back to haunt them all. But Daniel's actions still felt like a betrayal.
"You should have told me," she said softly.
"I couldn't," Daniel said, his voice breaking. "I thought I could handle it on my own, but it spiraled out of control. Victoria didn't just want information—she wanted control over everything we have."
Amelia clenched her fists. "So, what did you give her? What information did you share?"
Daniel hesitated again, and Amelia's patience snapped.
"What did you tell her, Daniel?" she shouted.
"I told her about Lucas," he admitted quietly.
The room fell silent.
"What?" Amelia whispered, her voice trembling.
"I told her about Lucas's plans to expose her," Daniel said, guilt etched into his face. "She wanted to know how close he was to finding the evidence against her. I didn't think she'd act so quickly."
Amelia felt like the ground had been pulled out from under her. Victoria's recent moves suddenly made sense—her swift retaliation, her calculated attacks. It was all because of Daniel.
"You put Lucas in danger," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I didn't mean to," Daniel pleaded. "I thought I could protect him by feeding her half-truths, but she's smarter than I gave her credit for."
Amelia stood up, anger boiling inside her. "You've done enough damage. If we lose Lucas because of you, I'll never forgive you."
Daniel stepped back, his face pale. "I'll fix this, Amelia. I promise. I'll find a way to make it right."
"You'd better," she said coldly. "Because if Victoria wins, it won't just be Lucas who suffers. It'll be all of us."
Just as Amelia turned to leave, her phone buzzed. She pulled it out and saw a message from an unknown number.
"You've been digging too deep, Amelia. Time to face the consequences. – V."
Her blood ran cold.
She looked up at Daniel, her voice shaking. "What have you done, Daniel? What have you dragged us into?"
Before he could answer, the sound of tires screeching outside made them both freeze. Amelia rushed to the window and saw three black SUVs pulling up to the house. Men in suits and dark sunglasses stepped out, their movements precise and intimidating.
"Get down!" Daniel yelled, grabbing Amelia's arm and pulling her away from the window.
The front door shook violently as someone pounded on it.
"Open up, or we're coming in!" a voice shouted from outside.
Amelia's heart raced as she looked at Daniel. "Who are they?"
"They work for Victoria," Daniel said grimly. "She's come to tie up loose ends."
Amelia's mind raced as the pounding grew louder. She had no choice now but to fight back and to figure out how to survive this new threat.