Chapter 11 - The Last Deal Sebastian Ward Ever Made
“Mara?”
She raised both hands.
“I did not betray Sebastian.”
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Sebastian planned it.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
The anger came so fast I could barely breathe.
“He knew Nicholas would come for him?”
“Yes.”
“And he didn’t tell me?”
“He knew you would try to stop him.”
I laughed bitterly.
“He was right.”
Mara handed me a letter.
Sebastian’s handwriting.
Valerie,
If you are reading this, you are furious.
Correct.
Nicholas will not stop while he believes I am competing for control.
The only way to expose him is to let him believe he has won.
I am sorry I lied.
I know what I promised.
You may punish me for the rest of my life if I succeed.
That last line broke me.
If I succeed.
I looked at Mara.
“Where is he?”
“The address Nicholas gave you is false.”
“Then where?”
“We tracked Sebastian.”
“Take me.”
“He specifically said—”
“Mara.”
Something in my voice made her stop.
Twenty minutes later, we were driving toward an abandoned riverside courthouse north of Manhattan.
Inside, Nicholas waited with Sebastian.
Thomas was there too.
That surprised me.
Apparently Nicholas had kidnapped his grandfather as well.
Family traditions.
I entered with Mara and federal agents positioned outside.
Nicholas laughed.
“She came.”
Sebastian’s eyes closed briefly.
“Of course she did.”
I glared at him.
“If we survive, I’m killing you.”
“That seems fair.”
Nicholas looked annoyed.
“This is touching.”
Thomas sat nearby.
For the first time, he looked old.
Defeated.
Nicholas held documents.
“Sign these, Sebastian.”
“What?”
“Control of the remaining Ward companies.”
“They’re worthless.”
“Not all.”
Thomas spoke quietly.
“Don’t.”
Nicholas turned.
“You don’t give instructions anymore.”
Thomas looked toward Sebastian.
“I made this.”
“What?”
Nicholas.
The empire.
The hatred.
All of it.
“I taught Richard that compassion was weakness. He rejected me. I taught Nicholas the same lesson.”
Nicholas laughed.
“And I listened.”
Thomas’s face collapsed.
Sebastian said, “That’s your tragedy. Not mine.”
Nicholas slammed the documents down.
“Sign.”
“No.”
A sound echoed outside.
Nicholas looked toward the windows.
Sirens.
He realized.
“You brought them.”
Sebastian smiled faintly.
“I brought everyone.”
Nicholas moved toward him.
Thomas suddenly stepped between them.
For one impossible second, grandfather and grandson stared at each other.
Then Thomas said, “Enough.”
Nicholas shoved him aside.
Agents entered.
Chaos followed.
Orders shouted.
People moved.
I dropped behind a stone bench as Sebastian reached me.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“You?”
“No.”
“Good.”
I slapped him.
Not hard.
Enough.
He stared.
“That was for lying.”
“I expected worse.”
“You may still get worse.”
Nicholas attempted to escape through a rear corridor.
Agents stopped him.
Within minutes, it was over.
Thomas surrendered.
Nicholas was arrested.
Mara sat on a stair laughing from exhaustion.
Sebastian and I stood in the middle of the old courthouse staring at each other.
“Our wedding,” I said.
“Yes.”
“Ruined.”
“Yes.”
“My dress is dirty.”
“I noticed.”
“You lied to me.”
“I did.”
“No more secrets?”
He winced.
“I deserve that.”
I looked at him for a long moment.
Then I noticed something.
The abandoned courthouse still had an old judge’s bench.
Mara noticed too.
“Oh no.”
Sebastian looked confused.
“What?”
I pointed toward the front.
“We’re finishing this.”
“Here?”
“You owe me a wedding.”
Federal agents started laughing.
Someone found a retired judge among the investigators.
Apparently government task forces contain surprising resources.
Elena and Daniel arrived thirty minutes later.
Mara found flowers in the car.
Sebastian stood in a ruined courthouse wearing the same black suit he had nearly been kidnapped in.
I stood opposite him in a wedding dress stained with dust.
It was perfect.
When the judge asked whether Sebastian took me as his wife, he looked directly into my eyes.
“I do.”
Then came my turn.
I smiled.
“I do.”
The judge pronounced us married.
Sebastian kissed me.
Everyone applauded.
For the first time in days, maybe years, he looked completely free.
Then an agent approached Mara.
Whispered something.
Her expression changed.
I groaned.
“No.”
Sebastian looked at her.
“What now?”
Mara stared at both of us.
“Thomas has agreed to testify.”
“That’s good.”
“Yes.”
“But?”
“He says there is one final account.”
Sebastian sighed.
“Of course.”
Mara handed him a document.
The account contained almost two billion dollars.
Holder name:
Valerie Ward.
I stared.
“Why is there always more money?”
Sebastian almost smiled.
Then Mara continued.
“Because Thomas transferred everything remaining to Valerie ten minutes before his arrest.”
My smile disappeared.
“Why?”
Mara looked toward Thomas.
The old man sat beneath guard across the courtroom.
His eyes met mine.
May you like
Then he said quietly:
“Because someone in this family should finally use it for something good.”
