Chapter 2

The Room Where Truth Goes to Die

I didn't sleep much after that phone call. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Klaus’s face on that giant screen. I kept wondering if I was in trouble. Maybe he wanted to make sure I never talked about our past. By the time the black car pulled up to my small house the next morning, my stomach was in knots.

The driver didn't say a word. He just opened the door and waited for me to get in. The car seats smelled like money and expensive air freshener. It made me feel out of place in my best jeans and a clean hoodie.

We drove deep into the heart of the city, stopping in front of the Conti Tower. It was a massive building made of dark glass that seemed to touch the clouds. I stepped out, clutching my old camera bag like a shield.

A woman in a sharp suit met me at the entrance. "Mr. Vance? This way, please."

She led me to an elevator that moved so fast my ears popped. When the doors opened, we were on the top floor. Everything was white and silver. She opened a set of heavy doors and stepped aside.

"They are waiting for you," she said.

I walked in, my heart hammering against my ribs. It was a large boardroom with a long table. At the far end, an older man sat with his hands folded. He looked powerful, with white hair and eyes that seemed to see right through me. That was Arthur Conti.

And then I saw him.

Klaus was sitting by the window, looking out at the city. He didn't turn around when I entered. He was wearing a dark suit that made him look older, more dangerous. His shoulders were broad, and his posture was perfect. He looked like a statue.

"Liam Vance," Arthur said, his voice deep and calm. "Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat."

I sat down as far away from Klaus as possible. "Am I being sued? If this is about the past, I haven't said a word to anyone."

Arthur smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No one is suing you, Liam. In fact, we are here to offer you a job."

I looked at Klaus, waiting for him to say something. To look at me. To acknowledge that we used to be best friends. But he stayed perfectly still, staring at the buildings outside.

"A job?" I asked, looking back at Arthur. "I’m a photographer. I don’t think I fit in here."

"Actually, that is exactly why you are here," Arthur said. He pushed a tablet across the table toward me. It showed the video of the argument between Klaus and his teammate, James. "Klaus has a bit of a PR problem. The world thinks he is a loner. We want to show them that he has a lifelong friend he has kept out of the spotlight. You."

I felt a cold laugh bubble up in my throat. "You want me to lie? You want me to pretend we’ve been friends this whole time?"

"It’s not a lie if we make it a reality now," Arthur said. "You would become the team’s official photographer. You would live in Klaus’s penthouse. You would be seen with him everywhere. The world will see two childhood friends who never let fame come between them."

I finally stood up, my chair scraping loudly against the floor. Klaus finally turned his head. His eyes were like flint—gray, hard, and completely empty. There was no trace of the boy who used to share a bed with me when the heat went out in our old house.

"This is insane," I said, my voice shaking. "You vanished, Klaus. You left me in the dirt for two years. You didn't call. You didn't write. And now you want to hire me to be your prop? To help you sell more jerseys?"

Klaus didn't flinch. He didn't apologize. He just looked at me like I was a bug he was studying.

"It’s a business arrangement, Liam," Klaus said. His voice was deeper than I remembered, but so flat. It was the 'Ice King' voice. "Don't make it emotional."

"Don't make it emotional?" I stepped toward him, my anger finally boiling over. "My father died a year ago. My brother is in a hospital bed right now fighting for his life. I am drowning in debt, and you are worried about your image? I don’t want your money, and I don't want to be your fake friend. I’m leaving."

I grabbed my bag and turned toward the door. I got halfway there before Klaus spoke again.

"The oncology wing at Seattle City Hospital is very expensive," Klaus said.

I froze. My hand was inches from the door handle. I turned back slowly. "What did you say?"

Klaus stood up. He was much taller than me now. "Leo’s treatment. The private room. The specialized nurses. I know exactly what it costs per month. I also know that your bank account has less than fifty dollars in it."

The room felt like it was spinning. I felt exposed. "You’ve been spying on me?"

"I’ve been keeping track of my interests," Klaus said, walking closer. He stopped just a few feet away. I could smell his expensive soap. "If you walk out that door, Dr. Reed will tell you tomorrow that Leo has to move to a general ward. You can’t save him on your own, Liam."

He picked up the contract from the table and held it out to me. "Sign it. All your problems go away."

I looked at the paper. Then I looked at Klaus. He wasn't even looking at me with pity. He was looking at me like I was a problem he was buying.

The grief of the last two years, the nights I spent crying over my dad, the days I spent starving so Leo could have a snack—it all hit me at once. And it was all because this man decided I wasn't worth a phone call.

I didn't take the paper. I snatched it out of his hand, but I didn't sign it.

I crumpled the thick, expensive paper into a ball in my fist. I looked him dead in the eyes, seeing the stranger who had stolen my best friend's face.

"You think you can buy me?" I asked, my voice low and trembling. "You think you can watch me struggle for two years, watch my family fall apart, and then show up with a checkbook when you have a bad day in the press?"

"Liam, be reasonable," Arthur started to say, but I ignored him.

"Reasonable?" I turned back to Klaus. "You’re not a king, Klaus. You’re just a coward in a nice suit. You're so afraid of the world seeing who you are that you'd rather buy a fake life than live a real one."

I stepped into his space, forcing him to look at me. "I would rather work ten jobs and sleep on the hospital floor than spend one second pretending I like the man you’ve become."

I took the crumpled ball of the contract and threw it as hard as I could. It hit him right in the chest, bouncing off his expensive tie and falling to the floor.

Klaus didn't move. He didn't even blink. But I saw his jaw tighten.

"Keep your money," I spat. "And keep your fake life. Don't ever contact me again."

I turned on my heel and walked out of the room. I didn't wait for the elevator. I found the stairs and ran down flight after flight until my lungs burned. I burst out of the lobby and into the bright Seattle sun, my heart racing.

I felt a moment of pure, sharp pride. I had stood up to him. I had told him the truth.

But as I stood on the sidewalk, watching the black car that brought me here drive away without me, the pride began to fade. I reached into my pocket and felt the medical bill I had tucked there earlier.

I had my dignity. But as the tears finally started to burn my eyes, I realized that dignity wouldn't pay for Leo’s medicine.

I started walking toward the bus stop, feeling smaller than I ever had in my life. I had walked away from the only person who could save my brother, and as much as I hated Klaus, I hated myself even more for being too poor to walk away and stay gone.