Chapter 62: The Throne of Ashes

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Vance Tower. The Penthouse Office. 5 Minutes Later.

The helicopter landed on the helipad amidst a swirl of black smoke and sparks. Liam kept the rotors spinning. "I can give you ten minutes, boss! Then the roof melts!"

"Five is enough," Sebastian unbuckled his harness. He grabbed his cane. He grabbed a heavy duffel bag. Harper checked the magazine of her pistol. Her hands were steady.

They kicked open the roof access door. The heat was intense. The fire alarm was deafening. They walked down the stairs to the top floor executive suite.

The door to Victoria’s office was locked. Sebastian didn't knock. He fired two shots into the lock. Bang. Bang. He kicked the door open.

Inside, the air conditioning was still humming, fighting a losing battle against the heat.Victoria Vance stood by the window, watching the chaos below.Richard Vance sat in a chair, head in his hands, surrounded by shredded documents.

"You're late," Victoria turned around. She held a glass of scotch. Her makeup was perfect, but her eyes were manic. "I expected the Russians first. Or the FBI. But the Cripple and the Maid? That's a surprise."

"The Russians are busy in the lobby," Sebastian threw the duffel bag on her mahogany desk. Thud. "I brought you the Key."

Victoria’s eyes lit up. Greed replaced fear instantly. "You have it?"

"It's in the bag," Sebastian lied effortlessly. "The drive. The samples. Everything."

Victoria rushed to the bag. She unzipped it. It was empty. Except for a single, cheap, plastic Noodle Bowl.

She froze. She looked up at Sebastian. Her face twisted into a snarl. "Is this a joke?"

"No," Sebastian leaned on his cane, towering over her. "It's a message. You wanted the legacy of Catherine Rousseau? That bowl is it. She fed people. You ate them."

"Where is the Helios Code?!" Victoria screamed, throwing the bowl at him. It shattered against the wall.

"I destroyed it," Harper stepped forward, gun raised. "I melted the drive in the jet engine. It's gone, Victoria. No super soldiers. No billions."

"You stupid girl!" Victoria lunged at Harper, her nails like claws.

Click. Harper pressed the barrel of her gun against Victoria’s forehead. "Sit down, stepmother."

Victoria froze. She slowly backed away and sat on the edge of her desk.

---

[The Father's Sin]

"Why?" Harper looked at Richard Vance. The man who was supposed to be her father. "Why did you let them hunt her? Why did you let them hunt me?"

Richard looked up. He looked aged, broken. "I didn't have a choice, Harper." "Arthur Sterling... he was dying. His bloodline was cursed. A genetic degeneration." "Helios wasn't a weapon. It was a cure."

Sebastian went still. "A cure?"

"Yes," Richard whispered. "Arthur had the disease. You have it too, Sebastian. That's why your legs are weak. That's why you have tremors." "Arthur used Julian... his own son... as an incubator. To distill a serum to save himself. And to save you."

Sebastian felt the room spin. Julian wasn't just a lab rat. He was a medicine cabinet. His father didn't hate Julian. He consumed him to keep his favorite son alive. The cruelty was absolute.

"And Catherine?" Harper’s voice shook.

"She was the only one who could stabilize the serum," Richard cried. "When she found out Arthur planned to harvest Julian's organs... she ran. She took the formula." "I... I tried to stop her. I needed Arthur's money. Sterling Corp was my biggest investor."

Harper stared at him. "You sold your wife and daughter for a seed round investment?"

Richard sobbed. "I was weak."

"No," Harper said coldly. "You are not weak. You are hollow."

---

[The End of the Empire]

BOOM. The heavy oak doors of the office splintered. Smoke poured in. Three men in tactical gear burst in. They weren't police. They had tattoos on their necks. The Triads.

"Mr. Sterling," the leader grinned, holding an assault rifle. "We heard you were having a party." "Where is the Key?"

Victoria’s eyes darted between the gunmen and Sebastian. She saw an opportunity. "He has it!" Victoria pointed at Sebastian. "He swallowed the drive! Cut him open!"

The Triad leader looked at Sebastian. Sebastian didn't flinch. He didn't even look at the gunman. He looked at Victoria.

"You really don't get it, do you?" Sebastian said softly.

He pulled out his phone. He pressed a button.[ LIVE STREAM ENDED ]

"I wasn't streaming to the public," Sebastian smirked. "I was streaming to them." He pointed to the Triads. "They heard everything, Victoria. They know the Key is destroyed. They know you have nothing."

The Triad leader stopped smiling. He looked at Victoria. "No Key?" "Then we take the money."

He grabbed Victoria by her pearl necklace. "Open the safe. Now."

"No! Get off me!" Victoria screamed, kicking and scratching. "I am Victoria Vance! I own this city!"

"You own nothing," Sebastian said. He took Harper’s hand. "Let's go."

"Wait!" Richard crawled toward them. "Harper! Take me with you! Please! They will kill me!"

Harper looked at her father. She looked at the man cowering on the floor. She remembered the noodle shop. Mr. Evans standing with a cleaver, ready to die for her. That was her father. This man was just a sperm donor.

"Goodbye, Richard," Harper said.

She turned around and walked out the door with Sebastian. Behind them, Victoria’s screams were drowned out by the sound of the safe being drilled open and the roar of the fire consuming the building.

---

[The Descent]

They reached the roof. Liam was shouting, "Boss! The structural integrity is failing! We have to fly now!"

They jumped into the helicopter. As they lifted off, the top floor of Vance Tower exploded. A plume of orange fire shot into the night sky, illuminating the clouds.

Sebastian watched his enemy burn. He felt the vibration of the helicopter in his bones. He felt the pain in his legs. The genetic curse that would one day kill him. But then he felt Harper’s hand in his. Warm. Alive.

"It's over," Harper whispered, watching the tower collapse in slow motion.

"The war is over," Sebastian nodded. "But we are still here."

He looked at her. "The cure is gone, Harper. I am still dying. Slowly."

"Then we live fast," Harper squeezed his hand. "We live for Julian. We live for Catherine." "And we live for us."

The helicopter banked away from the city, flying toward the ocean. Toward freedom.