Chapter Twenty-Three: The Real Board Meeting

I tightened my hands against my pistol. Victor noticed that and he smiled. His smile disgusted me fr. It wasn’t cute but very dangerous.

I didn't move. I barely even couldn’t breathed. The pistol was still pressed firmly against my palm inside my pocket, I had planned to bring it out immediately but with four automatic pistol pointed directly at my chest, pulling it out would be a suicide mission. The four armed men surrounded me they didn’t even think of going to Elias.

Why would they? Obviously it was me they came for.

"Victor," Elias said, his voice dropping into a low, shaky tone as he slowly raised his hands into the air. "She doesn't know anything. Julian hasn't told her anything. Please Let her go."

Victor Laurent let out a soft, dry chuckle that sounded rough like his teeth was hurting him. He leaned lightly on his silver-headed cane, his cold blue eyes fixed on me through the blinding glare of the flashlight.

"Elias, always the honorable fool," Victor murmured, his voice smooth "You spent years hiding in my data networks, stealing my files for Silas, and you still don't understand the anatomy of the Vane family. Allowing Silas control you”.

Through there discussion to brought out my pistol. I was ready to fire, if they dare do anything funny.

“Drop the weapon, Vienne,” Victor said calmly.

I laughed nervously. Funny. Everyone keeps telling me what to do today. I didn’t drop it though, I know I was scared yes! But I wasn’t stupid.

One of the armed operators stepped forward, so close to me, his boots crunching against the floor. With a brutal, practiced quickness, he snatched the silver pistol from my grip, and kicked it across the concrete floor. It slid into the darkness, clinking uselessly against a drainage grate in the street.

My heart battered violently against my ribs. "My brother said you were a dying old man, Victor," I spat out, forcing my voice sound bitter and cruel even though I actually didn’t feel that way. I really wanted him to feel bad. Don’t judge me I’m not wicked trust me.

Victor’s smile didn't fade, but his eyes turned completely dead. And yes I was fine with that. He took a slow, deliberate step toward me, the silver tip of his cane clicking sharply.

"Julian is a brilliant boy, but he suffers from the classic arrogance of youth," Victor said softly, stopping just inches away from me. “He thinks he knows what he is doing but he’s still a child.”

“At least he is smarter than you. Age is just a number victor” I said bluntly trying to sound confident for Julian though I disliked him.

He let out a mockery laughter… "You thinks because he managed to smuggle the Godmother out of the Vane estate through the transit lines, he controls the board. He forgets who built those lines. He forgets who put her in that wall nineteen years ago."

My stomach turned over. Victor was in on it from the very beginning. Marissa didn't just lock her away alone; she did it with the backing of the entire Laurent empire.

And Silas was correct, Probably Julian was the one who let my Godmother out from the Vanes mansion.

Now everything seems clear to me. No wonder at that party where I got kidnapped, Marissa and Victor were so close.

"What do you want from me?" I demanded, my teeth grinding together to keep them from chattering.

"What do you possibly think I want? You body? He hissed… I don't want anything from you, child.”

I rolled my eye “Even if you wanted my body, I wasn’t going to give you that.”

Elias let out a silent cough as if he was holding himself from laughing. “If you don’t need anything from, then why are you stressing my life”.

Victor smiled. “You’re far more valuable alive than dead.”

Elias stepped slightly in front of me immediately he heard those words.

“Don’t listen to him.”

Victor sighed dramatically.

“Elias, my boy, you always interrupt the interesting parts.” He pushed him out of my front. “Get lost boy”!

“I said stay away from her.” Elias still persisted.

Victor chuckled.

“You say that as if you have any power left.”

And sincerely that was true because right now our savior “Silas” wasn’t available to save us.

“Bring them upstairs. He continued. Julian is waiting in the central mainframe hub, and I believe it's time we put an end to this childish rebellion."

The operators moved in instantly. One of them grabbed Elias by the collar, shoving him roughly toward the concrete stairs. Another hand clamped tightly around my upper arm, his grip so tight, forcing me to march forward into the dark stairwell.

We climbed in absolute silence, the only sound being the heavy thud of combat boots and the rhythmic click of Victor's cane behind us. My mind was spinning in a hundred different directions. Silas, Lena, the Godmother... were they even alive upstairs.

When the operator pushed me through the heavy steel doors at the top of the stairs, we weren't in the executive office Asa earlier.

We were in the heart of Level Four.

The room was freezing cold and in the center of the room stood a massive glass-panelled terminal.

When we got there, Julian wasn’t there yet.

“Your brother is never organize that why I said he still a child. Well… we would wait”.

I just rolled my eyes like I didn’t care. “

“You’re wondering if your fiancé is alive.”

My eyes snapped toward him immediately.

“What did you do to him?”

“Nothing.” He said.

The way he answered was too easy. Something was definitely wrong.

“If Silas Vane is dead, it wasn’t by my order.” Victor looked almost amused. “As difficult as that man is, even I know better than to underestimate him.”

For some reason, hearing Victor say that made me feel slightly better. That least he knows better that Silas was a man to be played with.

Suddenly… Julian was came. He had discarded his suit jacket, his white shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his fingers flying across a glowing phone. Aunt Marissa stood right behind him, her face completely expressionless.

And strapped into a heavy, metallic chair beside the terminal was my Godmother. It looked like the same chair Marissa was caged on at the penthouse. Cables were attached to her temples, and her pale face was twisted in painful silence, she was trying not to cry.

"Ah, Victor," Julian said without looking away from the screen, his voice completely calm. "I see you found the runaways. I told Vance you wouldn't let them get past the garage."

"You play a good game , Julian," Victor said, walking past me toward the terminal.

I was so digested because all three of them are fake. That is all full of fake people like it’s their name. The same Victor who had insulted Julian was acting like he was proud of him.

Julian finally stopped typing. He lowered his hands, turning around slowly to face Victor. A dark, terrifying smile spread across his face.

"I know," Julian murmured softly. He looked past Victor, his sharp gray eyes locking onto mine and that made my breath catch. "The reason I had you bring Vienne up here was because the encryption isn't coded to one caelthrone child, Victor. It's a dual-protocol lock. It needs both of us."

Before anyone could move, a violent, metallic crash echoed from the heavy security doors behind us. Everyone froze.

One of Victor’s men pressed a finger to his earpiece. His face changed instantly.

“Sir.”

Victor frowned.

“What is it again? Can’t we finish something without anything interfering. Julian just rushed it now!!!”

The man swallowed hard. “Sorry sir, but sincerely he can’t continue”.

“Why?”

“We have movement.”

Victor’s expression hardened. “From where?”

The operator looked genuinely disturbed “Everywhere.”

“As how? Everywhere? I’m confused. Break it down.”

Now I could say Victor was a dummy because if it was to be Silas, he would quickly understand.

Suddenly… The lights in the mainframe room instantly flashed from blue to a blinding, dangerous crimson.

A mechanical siren began to wail, its scream piercing through my ears.

“Warning. Structural breach in Sector Zero.”

Julian’s smile instantly vanished. He lunged back toward the terminal, his eyes scanning the security feeds. "What the hell is that?"

The heavy steel doors of the mainframe didn't just open—they were completely blown to a massive blast. The steel doors flew forward, crushing two of Victor's operators instantly against the server stacks.

Through the thick, black smoke of the blast, a heavy, towering silhouette stepped into the room.

Silas. He was breathing heavily with Lena beside him. Her hair standing all straight like she had been electrocuted.

Shockingly, My God mother stood ip from the chair. I was about to scream thinking we were all about to die instead nothing even happened. She smiled and stretched her hand towards i and Elias to come forward.

Lena ran towards me.

Suddenly, the lights in the mainframe room flashed from blue to a blinding crimson.

The heavy steel doors of the mainframe didn't just open—they were completely blown by a massive explosion. The steel doors flew open, crushing two of Victor's operators instantly against the glowing server stacks.

Smoke poured through the ruined doorway. Everyone froze. Even Victor and even Julian.

Through the thick, black smoke of the blast, a heavy, towering silhouette stepped into the room.

It was Silas.

He was breathing heavily, covered in soot and blood, his single dark eye wild and completely free from fear. But he wasn’t alone. He was dragging a trembling, terrified Lena by the arm, here hair standing straight like she got electrocuted before now. Silas rifle was leveled straight at Julian’s head.

"Step away from the terminal, Julian!"

Silas roared, his voice booming over the sirens.

"Silas, stop!" Aunt Marissa screamed.

Everything happened at a breakneck, sickening speed. Julian didn't back down. Instead, a manic, desperate look crossed his face. He reached out, his fingers slamming onto the main override button on the glass screen.

The machine shrieked. The cables attached to my Godmother's temples suddenly glowed a violent, blinding blue. Julian had put it on.

My Godmother didn't stand up. She didn't smile. Her eyes rolled back into her head, her entire body going rigid as she let out a blood-curdling, agonizing scream—the exact same terrifying late-night scream that had haunted the Vane mansion for years.

"Julian, stop it! You're killing her!" I screamed, trying to break away from the guard holding me, but Victor Laurent suddenly stepped in front of me, his heavy silver cane slamming into the floor right before my feet.

"It's too late, Vienne," Victor whispered, his face twisted into a dark, victorious grin. "The battle has started.”

Silas didn't hesitate too. He pulled the trigger, dropping the guard holding me with a deafening blast. But as the guard fell, his finger convulsed on his weapon. He shot towards the glowing server stack right above my head. The one holding my Godmother hostage.

The main glass terminal cracked down the middle. Sparks exploded everywhere, blinding me.

Through the flashing crimson light and the suffocating smoke, I saw Julian grab my Godmother's chair, dragging her toward a hidden emergency exit behind the terminal.

"Vienne, catch!" Silas yelled over the noise. He didn't run to me. He couldn't. Two more of Vance's men tackled him into the server stacks, sending his weapon flying across the floor.

The silver pistol the guard had kicked away earlier rolled out of the smoke, stopping right at my boots.

I scrambled for it, my fingers wrapping around the cold metal, but when I looked up, the room was a war zone. To my left, Silas was pinned, fighting for his life against three men. To my right, Julian was dragging my half-conscious Godmother into the dark elevator panel, and the security doors were already beginning to slide shut.

I was confused on who I should shot first so I raised the gun, my hands shaking violently as the alarms wailed in my ears.

I had one bullet left.

If I shot the men pinning Silas, Julian would escape with my Godmother and the keys to Level Four forever. If I shot Julian, Silas would be overwhelmed and killed right in front of me.

"Vienne, shoot!" Lena screamed from the floor, her eyes wide with pure terror.

My chest heaved. The red laser sights flickered across my eyes. I looked at Silas. I looked at Julian wondering who to shoot first.

The elevator doors began to close more …Silas hit the floor beneath another punch.

And I finally pulled the trigger.