Chapter Fifty-Eight

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Chapter Fifty-Eight

One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three.

I count my breaths, separating the sequence of rapid breathing through several inhales and exhales. My eyes are wide, as if blinking is a concept that no longer constitutes my living. I have never been in a situation like this. I never have been prepared for a situation like this. No one has.

Do I scream? I ask myself, igniting the first real thought into my brain. Someone would hear. Anyone nearby. Then they'd call a doctor or the cops. The rest of the guards? All I know is I need to get out of this situation. Whatever has happened or is happening right now...I need to get out. I begin to reach for my phone, an object I had just so simply passed to my back pocket.

"Hands in the air. Both of you. Scream and I shoot," the man orders. His voice is deep and scratchy, the perfect voice cast for a villain. I don't recognize him at all. "Shut the door behind you and slowly walk over here."

My eyes search for Madam Jin's. She is visibly shaking, her hands slowly rising in the air as her eyes are stuck on her son's face. I can't even imagine what must be going through her head.

Suddenly, as if a wave of reality had crashed into her, Madam Jin's spine straightens along with her poker face. Her glare was firm and angry. "Victor, what the hell do you think you're doing once again with my family?"

Victor.

As if a chip had connected and downloaded in my head, I recall everything Madam Jin had revealed to me about the supposed truth about my father and my family. Victor was the Vice-President under my father, Nate. Madam Jin had adopted my father in her early years, raised him, and made him a hard worker who earned his humble place. However, many workers were angry that my father would naturally inherit the company though he was adopted and had not been in the company as long as others or had worked up to the position as President.

He had tried killing my father several times—carbon monoxide, attempted physical assaults, and a home invasion where a brawl had resulted in my father slashing a scar through Victor's right eye. He couldn't be jailed, not with his wealth and power at the time. I look at the man now, seeing the faint but still visible scar run through his eye. It felt like a childhood movie, the evil character so menacing and so prominently evil in appearance. It sends a chill down my back.

My father, never content with risking family for fortune, had talked about running away and sacrificing his position. He staged a car accident and took our family away, taking my mother's name "Flores" instead of "Jin". But Victor was alive, his vengance ignited as pure fuel to make sure he destroyed my father. His reputation and career was tarnished, in his eyes, due to my father's existence.

For years, we had slipped under the radar. But my father was beginning to be found out so he really had to make it seem like he was dead to Victor, disappearing from my mother and I's life for years. He was just an empty space in photo frames and an empty seat at the few dinners we sat down at. A part of life was just knowing he was dead.

Having my entire life be a lie, having it shattered and re-emerged in front of me, connected in pieces I never could have imagined—I barely have the brain energy or the supposed strong heart to endure it right now. Especially when I am about to lose both parents in the same room if everything that Madam Jin said is completely true.

"Shut your mouth, you old hag," the man with the scar, Victor, barks. He presses the gun farther into my father's temple. "I have the silencer on. I already shot two of your prestiged guards. You think I won't shoot your son?" He laughs, an eerie noise. "Try me."

Madam Jin sighs, realizing he is right. "What do you want?"

Victor's eyes turn to me. He is a tall, built, and looks like he could tackle anyone. His hair has several lines of gray and white along with the hair on his face, his beard aging along with the rest of his face. Hard wrinkles cover his face and almost a permanent line between his eyebrows as he furrows them in anger. "Shut the door—what is it...Ivory?" He smiles. "I finally get to meet you in person, Ivory. Now shut the door. NOW."

His voice scares me and I turn and shut it, praying that anyone realizes something's not right. Where is Lee? Where is Madam Jin's personal detail or the medical team? Where is anyone?

"You already know what I want," Victor says, his words reminding me of ants running over my body. "I have planned this for far too long to not have it executed perfectly."

"You took my family from me for nearly two decades. What more can you take?" Madam Jin asks, her voice pleading for peace.

"I haven't taken anything. Not really. Not what I have meant to take," Victor answers. He looks at my father, who has been still the entire time. He must be frozen in shock as well. His wife just died, he saw his daughter up close for the first time in years, and now his life is at risk again. "I haven't really gotten anything, have I, Nate?" He slings an arm around my father's neck, pulling him close to him while choking my father simultaneously. "Isn't that right?"

My father refuses to speak.

"Well, let's all take a trip down memory lane, it's been so long," Victor announces, his theatrics at an all time high. It worries me. It means he's comfortable enough to be telling stories in leisure while holding a gun to my father. "I had always felt skeptical of Nate being truly dead. But when the guy attends PTO meetings and is so very public, despite looking physically different by a small portion, it's hard to try not to kill him..again. But then he pulled another stunt and truly disappeared. For years, I waited. Then, I saw your daughter in headlines with New York's finest bachelor. I found Brownwood. I observed. I waited. Then, I made a plan. If Nate was still alive, he would surely come out if his daughter was front page news. If his wife was in a car accident and then coma."

I think of Lee's birthday bash last year, the height of my popularity in headlines. I had seen him. He had come out, brief as it was, to check up on me. Had he tried talking to me without getting recognized by Mark, someone close to Madam Jin?

"However, Helen here went into a coma yet nothing. No signs of Nate. I was truly baffled. But then actually," Victor says as he looks at Madam Jin, "the old hag led me to Nate. I kept tabs on all of her searches and investigations. I still had connections. I found photos, the same ones I'm sure that she found, of Nate. It was enough. It was proof he was alive.

"Now, this is where I messed up. I felt bad for Ivory. She barely knew anything. She went through life and the papers and even passed by Lee's interests. I had originally planned to threaten Ivory, at least drawing out Nate and maybe even getting ransom money from Lee Richardson. But you know what? Helen was dying anyway. She was never rude to me. Who I really wanted to get revenge on was Nate. I would just wait until she died and wait as all of you came to me. So, here we are."

Just then, the door clicks open. Lee's on the phone with Mark by his side, not looking up. When he does, he freezes and then his eyes run quickly over the dead bodies, me, and the gun.

"What is—"

"Hands in the air. All of you!" Victor yells. "Close the door or I shoot."

Without a breath, Lee follows his instructions, his eyes wary and making sure I'm okay as his phone drops to the floor. Mark looks terrified as he walks in, eyes wide as he follows Lee's footsteps and shuts the door behind him with his arms up.

I look around. Brent will be coming. Candy is coming. Daniel.

Suddenly, I almost want to throw up at the irony. Everyone I love is coming to support nme and here I am, letting them walk in on danger and risking their life. I look at the stories in the room. A mother, a grandmother. Two best friends with a past. There is family, friendship, and life on the line. And it's all my fault. My one lie catapulted all of this. I will never forgive myself.

"Well, well, isn't this nice," Victor says. His voice reminds me of slime. "So many familiar faces. Wow, Mark has grown. Lee, sorry about your father's death! He was a dick." I see Lee's jaw clenching. "You two have always been needless troublemakers. But all of us just can't stop being connected, huh?"

"Who are you?" Lee asks, his voice close to a growl, his tone low and demanding despite the fear that should be instilled in him. "Don't act as if you know me or my father."

"Don't worry about it, Lee," Victor says as if he wants to spit on Lee's name. "You are only of concern when I let you be. Otherwise, shut up or I will kill everyone in this room." He turns to Mark. "Hmm, I have so many heirs and fortunes in this room. The net worth in assets and fortune in this room could pay for a luxurious life for at least everyone in a small country alone. I certainly didn't expect so many choices."

"Name your price," Mark speaks up. I haven't seen him forever. This is how we meet again. There are gaps where he should have been in my life and now there might be a gap in his chest because of me and this crazy criminal. I'm sorry, I apologize as if he can hear me.

"Oh, no no no," Victor sings. He swiftly removes the gun from my father's head and quickly turns it to Madam Jin's head. "Before, I had just planned to kidnap Nate once he came to see his dead wife and then get money from this old hag. I realize my vengeance is just as important as money is to me. I have a hole that can only be filled by Nate's death or an unfathomable amount of money. Or both. And that was the plan. But now that we have so many options in the room, I think I'll skip killing Nate if I can get all of you to chip in."

In a split second, he walks around and points the gun to Lee's head. I gasp, jumping without meaning to. I want to wrap my hands around Victor's neck and give him more scars to add.

My father, who I haven't heard in years, finally speaks. "Stop this, Victor." His voice sounds like it's been dragged through years of turmoil and stress. He sounds broken.

Victor, suddenly ignited more than ever, raises his voice turning to my father but pressing the gun to Lee's forehead. "SHUT UP. You speak again and I will kill someone in this room indefinitely. You will lose a mother or a daughter today if you act up again."

He turns back to Lee, who stands unwavered. Lee stands fearless. "Now," Victor chirps. "As of current date, you are the richest person in the room. Congratulations. You recently surpassed Madam Jin, your lifelong friend and business partner. And now you can pay the price."

Before anything happens, Lee's phone rings and buzzes on the marble floors.

Victor's jaw clenches. A nuisance to his not-so-perfect plan. "Pick it up."

"I can't. You have a gun pressed to my head," Lee says, looking unamused. I want to tell Lee to stop egging Victor on.

Victor's scarred eye twitches for one second before he takes the gun and uses the back to slam it into Lee's face. I shout before the gun quickly turns to me. "Quiet." Lee's face is bruised from cheek to jaw and I'm surprised he didn't pass out. His lip is also cut open, blood pooling down his chin. Lee wipes it with his black handkerchief in nonchalance. "Pick up the phone, boy."

Lee bends and retrieves the phone in perfect grace, answering it as if it's a normal day. "Richardson. Talk to me." Whatever response being said can't be heard. Victor remains to hold the gun to Lee's face. "Yeah. I see. Give me a second." He presses the phone to his chest, covering the microphone. "It's my guards downstairs. They have Daniel and Candy and are asking permission to escort them up."

"I don't know nor do I care who they are," Victor replies. He pushes the gun further into Lee's face. "Tell them not right now."

Lee closes his eyes. "Keep them down for a second. Tell them it'll be a few more minutes before they can come up...." Lee pauses as if he might let loose a secret code or something to signal our trouble.

"Don't pull anything, boy," Victor whispers like a viper hissing at his prey. "Remember what I can do."

"That's all," Lee concludes. He hangs up without releasing anything that could save us.

Victor smirks. "It appears time is running out." He trails his gun down Lee's jet black suit and settles it on his heart. I feel my heart squeezing in return. "And I choose you."

"Stop! Don't hurt him!" I interject. I don't realize I'm crying until I hear my voice.

Lee looks at me, his face shifting for the first time in emotion. "Ivory, no," he whispers.

"Shut up," Victor commands. "Don't be a fool. I'm not going to kill him. Here's what's going to happen." He turns to all of us, making eye contact with everyone as if this is his final performance. "I am going to walk out of this building safely with Lee. I have my men outside too. Actually, some of my men are already on this floor. Some of my men...are your men. So, let's not make any foolish mistakes.

I will take Lee. I will get into a car with Lee. I will take him to an unknown destination. All of you will obtain his assets—I don't care how, just do it—and also liquidize your assets and anything you have in your accounts and transfer it to a private wire plus the several accounts I've built through algorithms not to be caught. The world will wonder where your money and companies went and you will simply be bankrupt or jailed for jeopardizing your companies through financial fraud. You will lose everything. Your reputation, your wealth, and anything else you ever thought you had. Remember, I'm going gentle on you. I originally planned to kill a few people at least. But this is much smarter. So do we all understand?"

No one moves, breathes, or speaks.

"I SAID, DO WE UNDERSTAND?" Victor raises his voice, his eyes angry. "Speak or I will shoot right now."

Everyone nods or mumbles a yes, left defenseless.

"Perfect."

I clench my fists, close my eyes and open them before taking all the courage I have and using it. "NO," I refuse.

Victor's eyes scan over and settle on me. "Excuse me?"

"No," I repeat. I stand my ground, putting my hands at my side. "That's not the smartest thing to do," I say. "The smartest thing to do...would be to take me."

Everyone's faces are surprised and upset that I would suggest that but Victor's twists into confusion before it becomes a menacing evil smile. "Why is that, Ivory?" he questions.

"Because," I elaborate, my voice shaking slightly. "If you think about it. Every single person in this room has a direct connection to me. I am a daughter, a granddaughter, or was once loved deeply by people in this room." Lee and I lock eyes, his angry and telling me to quit it. "If you take me, you can get guaranteed money from every fortune as you say, in this room. I am valuable to all of them." I try to seem confident. "And you can torture all of them emotionally, especially my father, because you are taking the last of his family away from him until you get your money."

Victor, beaming with happiness now and a dark spark in his eyes, walks over to me as he points his gun. "Who knew? The smartest of them all would be—"

Lee suddenly shifts for the two seconds that Victor isn't looking and pulls out a black gun from the inside of his coat pocket, pointing it at Victor. "Get away from her."

Victor turns, slightly surprised. "Oh! Would you look at that? Rich boy came prepared." He quickly grabs my arm and pulls me close to him, pressing his gun to my head. "Oh, but I am just too quick for you. Put that gun away, boy. Or I will kill the girl you love right in front of you."

Being strong was never my best ability. Tears begin to flood my eyes. I am scared and I feel stupid in every sense. It feels like either I will get shot or Lee will get shot.

"Put the gun down," orders Victor, leaving no space between the tip of the gun and my temple. He begins to choke me with the arm around me as well, leaving me sputtering.

The sounds trigger Lee as he puts the gun down. "Fuck you," Lee spits out.

"Ah-ah, wouldn't want to get me angry, now would you?" Victor says, choking me further. I struggle to breathe and he doesn't stop. I feel his arm cutting into my neck, digging into any pipe that helps me breathe.

"STOP!" Lee yells, his fists clenching. He bends, almost as if to reach for the gun again.

"Do you see this? You're doing this every time you disobey. Beg me to stop or I won't."

I began to scramble, arms reaching up to get him off of me but his arm is firm. Noises of choking begin to escape me.

"Beg, boy."

Nothing. I'm losing feeling.

"Beg."

"Please let her go," Lee begs, his eyes shut and face contorted in absolute pain. His face finally portrays weakness much to Victor's glee as he stops choking me, but his gun never wavering.

"Now, all of you watch, as I take away one of your most valued prized possession. If I don't get out of this building safely, if I don't get my money within hours, trust me, I will kill her. I am going to jail either way if I get caught so don't pull anything. If Ivory dies, it will be all of your faults," Victor announces, pushing me to the door. "Remember my words. You can mark her death if you do anything foolish." He opens the door, shoving me in the hallway, hiding the gun in an angular area as he closes the door. "Say goodbye. Who knows if you'll ever see her again?"

The door slowly shuts as I say goodbye to everyone and everything I love.

--

Hey! I told you I'm going to upload consistently now (to the best I can) until this book is finished! And many of you said that this feels rushed and like the story is ending soon. I don't mean it's ending right away -- we still have a couple significant chapters left! Though, I do hope to finish Started With a Lie before I hit Chapter 70! And don't be sad! I'm thinking of a sequel!!

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