CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

The Discovery

Jessica sits in her darkened penthouse, laptop screen casting blue light across her face. She's been watching the same footage for the third time, and each viewing makes her smile grow wider.

Sebastian Gaston sits across from three city council members at an upscale restaurant. The camera angle is perfect—hidden, but capturing everything. She watches as Sebastian slides an envelope across the table. Watches as one council member opens it, counts the bills inside, then nods.

"The school relocation will be approved by next month," the council member says. "You have my word."

Sebastian raises his glass. "To profitable partnerships."

They toast. The footage continues for another ten minutes—more details, more promises, more evidence of corruption.

Jessica closes the laptop and picks up her phone.

Time to make some calls.

The First Domino

Council Member Patricia Hayes sits in her office when her assistant buzzes her. "Ma'am, there's a woman here to see you. She says it's urgent."

"I don't have any appointments—"

The door opens. A woman with auburn hair and designer sunglasses walks in. April.

"Who are you?" Patricia demands. "You can't just—"

April places a tablet on the desk and presses play.

Patricia's face drains of color as she watches herself accepting Sebastian's bribe.

"Where did you get this?"

"That doesn't matter." April's voice is calm, controlled. "What matters is what happens next. You're going to call Sebastian Gaston. You're going to tell him the school relocation deal is off. You're going to cite community concerns, environmental impact, whatever excuse you want. But the deal is dead."

"And if I refuse?"

April smiles. "Then this footage goes to every news outlet in the city. Your career ends. Your reputation ends. Possibly your freedom ends. Your choice."

Patricia stares at the tablet, then at April, then back at the tablet.

"I'll make the call," she whispers.

April collects the tablet. "Smart woman."

The Secret Room

Kyle enters the abandoned building at midnight, carrying bags of medical supplies and food. He's been doing this for months now, and he still doesn't understand why.

Kira lies in the bed, bandages covering most of his body. His breathing is steady. His vitals are improving. But he hasn't spoken since that first night.

Kyle changes the IV bag, checks the monitors, adjusts the bandages.

His phone buzzes. A text from the distorted voice: Good work. Keep him alive. Keep him hidden.

Kyle types back: How much longer?

The response comes immediately: As long as it takes.

Kyle looks at Kira's bandaged face. "Who are you really? And why does Zoey Skye want you alive so badly?"

No answer. Just the steady beep of the heart monitor.

The Departure

Cross finds Penelope in her room, packing a suitcase. Designer clothes, expensive shoes, jewelry—everything she owns.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"What does it look like? I'm leaving."

"Leaving? Where?"

Penelope doesn't look at him. "Italy. I got accepted to a music conservatory in Florence. I'm leaving tomorrow."

Cross feels like he's been punched. "Tomorrow? And you weren't going to tell me?"

"I'm telling you now."

"Penelope—"

"Don't." She finally looks at him, and her eyes are cold. "We're not family, Cross. We never were. Jessica made that clear. So I'm done pretending."

She zips the suitcase closed and walks past him.

Cross stands there, stunned, as she disappears down the hallway.

Then he pulls out his phone and calls Jessica.

The Loan

Sebastian sits across from Zoey in her office at the Skye Foundation. He looks tired. Stressed. Nothing like the confident man he used to be.

"I need a loan," he says bluntly.

Zoey leans back in her chair. "How much?"

"Five million."

She doesn't even blink. "That's a lot of money, Sebastian."

"I know. But I'm good for it. You know I am."

"Do I?" Zoey studies him. "Your real estate deal is falling apart. Your investors are getting nervous. Your cash flow is drying up. Why should I give you five million dollars?"

Sebastian's jaw tightens. "Because we're engaged. Because we're supposed to be partners."

"Partners." Zoey smiles. "Interesting word. Alright, Sebastian. I'll give you the loan. But I want something in return."

"What?"

"Ten percent of your shares in the Skye Foundation."

Sebastian's eyes widen. "That's—"

"Non-negotiable." Zoey's voice is steel. "Ten percent, or no loan."

Sebastian stares at her. He's trapped and he knows it.

"Fine," he says through gritted teeth. "Ten percent."

Zoey extends her hand. "Pleasure doing business with you."

The Setup

Mariah stands backstage at the Skye Foundation's concert hall, watching as a famous soprano—Elena Moretti, fresh off a European tour—rehearses with the orchestra.

Sloane stands nearby, her face pale, her hands shaking. She's supposed to perform a duet with Elena tonight. It's supposed to be her big moment.

But Mariah knows the truth.

She orchestrated this. She contacted Elena's manager. She arranged the performance. She made sure Sloane would be put in a position where she'd have to compete directly with a world-class professional.

And Sloane is crumbling under the pressure.

"I can't do this," Sloane whispers to Lauren. "I can't—"

"You'll be fine," Lauren says, but even she sounds uncertain.

Mariah watches from the shadows, satisfaction warming her chest.

This is for you, Mom.

The Pills

Sloane corners Lauren in the bathroom, her eyes wild. "I need more."

"More what?"

"The pills. The memory loss pills. I need more of them."

Lauren's face hardens. "Sloane, you can't keep taking those. They're dangerous—"

"I don't care!" Sloane grabs Lauren's arm. "Every time I close my eyes, I see her! I see Riley falling! I see my mother's face! I need to forget! Please!"

Lauren pulls away. "I don't have any more. And even if I did, I wouldn't give them to you. You need help, Sloane. Real help."

"You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I am on your side. That's why I'm saying no."

Sloane's face crumples. She slides down the bathroom wall, sobbing.

Lauren stands there, helpless, watching her daughter fall apart.

The Grandmother

Alastair sits across from an elderly woman in a nursing home. Kira's grandmother. She's frail, her hands shaking, but her eyes are sharp.

"You say my grandson is alive?" she asks.

Alastair nods solemnly. "Yes, ma'am. He's in hiding. He's safe. But he needs money. He asked me to come to you."

The grandmother studies him. "Kira never mentioned you."

"We were friends in college. Before everything happened."

She's silent for a long moment. Then she reaches under her chair and pulls out a briefcase. She opens it, revealing stacks of cash.

"This is everything I have," she says. "My life savings. If Kira needs it, he can have it."

Alastair takes the briefcase, his expression appropriately grateful. "He'll be so thankful. I'll make sure he gets this."

The grandmother nods, tears in her eyes. "Tell him I love him. Tell him to come see me when it's safe."

"I will," Alastair lies.

He walks out with the briefcase, and the moment he's in his car, he's counting the money.

Two hundred thousand dollars.

Not bad for an afternoon's work.

The Exposure

The news breaks at 6 PM.

Every major outlet runs the story simultaneously. Footage of Sebastian Gaston bribing city officials. Audio recordings of illegal deals. Documents showing the entire corruption scheme.

Jessica watches from her penthouse as Sebastian's face fills every screen.

"Breaking news tonight: Real estate mogul Sebastian Gaston is at the center of a massive bribery scandal..."

Her phone rings. It's Amber.

"Did you see?" Amber asks, her voice breathless.

"I'm watching it now."

"This is it, Jessica. This is what we needed. He's finished."

Jessica allows herself a small smile. "Not yet. But soon."

The Confrontation

Sebastian's office door bursts open. Five men in construction uniforms storm in, led by a massive man with a scarred face.

"Where's our money?" the man demands.

Sebastian rises from his desk. "Gentlemen, if you'll just—"

"Don't 'gentlemen' us!" The man slams his fist on the desk. "You promised us that school relocation contract. You said it was a sure thing. We invested two million dollars based on your word!"

"There were unforeseen complications—"

"Unforeseen?" Another man steps forward. "We saw the news, Gaston. You got caught bribing officials. The whole deal is dead. And we want our money back. Now."

Sebastian's face is pale. "I don't have it."

"What?"

"I don't have it. The money's tied up in other investments. I can get it to you in a few months—"

The scarred man grabs Sebastian by the collar. "A few months? We needed that contract to stay in business! Our company is going under because of you!"

"Let go of me—"

"You're going to pay us back. One way or another."

They throw Sebastian against the wall and storm out, leaving him gasping on the floor.

The Collateral

Sebastian sits across from Mel at an upscale café. She's impeccably dressed, her expression neutral.

"I need a loan," Sebastian says.

Mel sips her coffee. "I heard. You've been asking everyone."

"I'm in a temporary cash flow situation. It'll resolve itself—"

"Sebastian." Mel sets down her cup. "Let's not pretend. Your empire is collapsing. The bribery scandal destroyed your reputation. Your investors are fleeing. Your properties are underwater. You're desperate."

Sebastian's jaw clenches. "Will you help me or not?"

"I'll give you three million dollars," Mel says. "But I want collateral."

"What kind of collateral?"

"Your penthouse at Madison Tower."

Sebastian's eyes widen. "That's worth ten million—"

"And if you default on the loan, it becomes mine." Mel smiles. "Those are my terms. Take them or leave them."

Sebastian stares at her. He has no choice.

"Fine," he whispers.

Mel slides a contract across the table. "Sign here."

What Sebastian doesn't know is that Mel and Jessica had coffee yesterday. That Jessica orchestrated this entire meeting. That the trap is closing around him from every direction.

The Revelation

Sebastian returns to his penthouse to find someone waiting for him.

A woman with auburn hair. Designer clothes. Sunglasses even though it's evening.

"Who the hell are you?" Sebastian demands.

The woman removes her sunglasses.

And Sebastian's blood turns to ice.

Because the face staring back at him isn't April's.

It's Jessica's.

"Hello, Sebastian," Jessica says softly. "Surprised?"

Sebastian stumbles backward. "You—you were—"

"April? Yes. That was me. Every meeting. Every blackmail. Every domino that fell. That was all me."

Sebastian's face contorts with rage. "You bitch—"

"I prefer 'architect of your destruction.'" Jessica stands, moving toward him. "You killed my sister. You destroyed my family. You thought you could get away with it."

"I didn't kill Layla—"

"Liar!" Jessica's voice cracks like a whip. "I know what you did! I know everything!"

She grabs a heavy statue from the side table and swings it at Sebastian's head.

He dodges, but not fast enough. The statue catches him on the temple, and he goes down hard.

Jessica stands over him, the statue raised for another blow.

"This is for Layla," she says.

And she brings it down.

The Beating

Sebastian tries to crawl away, blood streaming down his face. Jessica follows, relentless.

"You took everything from me!" She hits him again. "My sister! My family! My life!"

Sebastian's vision blurs. He tastes blood. He can't think straight.

"Jessica—please—"

"Please?" She laughs, the sound unhinged. "Did Layla say please when you pushed her off that balcony? Did she beg for her life?"

"I didn't—I swear—"

Another blow. Sebastian's world explodes in pain.

He's going to die here. He knows it. Jessica is going to beat him to death, and no one will stop her.

And then—

The door bursts open.

Cross rushes in, his eyes wide with horror. "Mom! Stop!"

He grabs Jessica, pulling her away from Sebastian's broken body.

"Let me go!" Jessica screams, fighting against him. "He deserves this! He deserves to die!"

"Not like this!" Cross drags her backward. "Not like this!"

He looks at Sebastian, barely conscious on the floor, and makes a split-second decision.

He hauls Sebastian up, throws him over his shoulder, and runs for the door.

His motorcycle is parked outside. He throws Sebastian onto the back seat and guns the engine.

Jessica appears in the doorway, the statue still in her hand, screaming after them.

But Cross is already gone, speeding into the night with Sebastian's blood soaking into his jacket.

The Flashback

Twenty-five years ago.

A makeshift shelter on the outskirts of the city. Wood and tarp held together with rope and hope. Inside, a woman huddles with her two sons—one eight years old, one twelve.

The younger boy is Sebastian.

"Mama, I'm hungry," Sebastian says.

His mother strokes his hair. "I know, baby. We'll find food tomorrow. I promise."

The older brother, Marcus, looks out through a gap in the tarp. "There are trucks coming."

"Trucks?" Their mother stands, peering out. "What kind of trucks?"

"Big ones. With machines."

The sound grows louder. Engines. Hydraulics. The grinding of gears.

And then a voice through a megaphone: "This is private property! You need to vacate immediately!"

Their mother rushes outside. "Please! We have nowhere else to go! Just give us one more day—"

"Ma'am, you need to leave now. We're demolishing this area."

"Demolishing? But we live here! My children—"

"I'm sorry. We have our orders."

The bulldozer starts moving.

"Marcus! Sebastian! Run!" their mother screams.

Marcus grabs Sebastian's hand and they run. But their mother doesn't follow. She stands in front of the bulldozer, arms spread wide, trying to stop it.

"Please! Don't do this! Please!"

The bulldozer doesn't stop.

Sebastian watches from fifty feet away as the machine crushes their shelter. Watches as the tarp collapses. Watches as his mother disappears beneath the rubble.

Marcus runs back, screaming, trying to dig through the debris.

And then the second bulldozer comes.

Sebastian screams, but no sound comes out. He watches his brother disappear beneath the machine. Watches everything he loves destroyed in minutes.

When the construction workers finally realize what happened, they find Sebastian sitting in the dirt, covered in dust, staring at nothing.

The only survivor.

A social worker comes. Takes him away. Puts him in the system.

But Sebastian never forgets.

Never forgives.

And he swears, on his mother's grave, on his brother's memory, that he will never be powerless again.

He will have money. Power. Control.

He will never let anyone destroy what's his.

No matter what it takes.

No matter who he has to hurt.

Present Day - The Hospital

Cross carries Sebastian into the emergency room, both of them covered in blood.

"Help!" Cross shouts. "Someone help him!"

Nurses rush over with a gurney. They load Sebastian onto it, checking his vitals, shouting medical jargon.

"What happened?" a doctor demands.

"He was attacked," Cross says. "Please, just save him."

They wheel Sebastian away. Cross stands there, shaking, wondering what the hell he just did.

His phone rings. It's Jessica.

He doesn't answer.

The Discovery

Detective Morris sits at his desk, examining evidence from Riley Oh's death. They've been over the scene a dozen times, but something's been bothering him.

His partner, Detective Chen, walks in holding an evidence bag.

"You need to see this," Chen says.

Inside the bag is a smartwatch. Waterlogged, damaged, but intact.

"Where did you find this?"

"At the base of the cliff. It was wedged between some rocks. Must have come off during the fall."

Morris takes the bag, studying the watch. "Can we access the data?"

"Tech team is working on it now."

Two hours later, they have their answer.

The watch recorded everything. Audio. GPS coordinates. Timestamps.

And when Morris presses play, he hears Riley Oh's final moments.

Her voice. Zoey's voice. The sound of the car shifting into neutral. Riley's scream as she realizes what's happening.

And then, faintly, another voice in the background.

Sloane's voice.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

Morris looks at Chen. "Get Jessica Gaston on the phone. And Mariah Oh. They need to hear this."

The Police Station

Jessica and Mariah sit in the conference room, listening to the recording for the third time.

Mariah's face is wet with tears. "That's my mother. That's her voice."

Jessica's hands are clenched into fists. "And that's Zoey Skye committing murder."

Detective Morris nods. "We have enough evidence to arrest her. But there's something else on this recording. Something about DNA tests. Something about twins."

He plays another section. Riley's voice, talking to someone on the phone earlier that day.

"The DNA results came back. Penelope is Layla's twin. Which means she's Jessica's biological daughter."

The room goes silent.

Jessica's face drains of color. "What?"

"According to the recording, Riley discovered that Penelope Gaston is actually your daughter," Morris says gently. "Layla's twin sister."

Mariah stares at Jessica. "How is that possible?"

Jessica's mind races. The fertility clinic. The embryos. The twins that were supposed to be implanted together.

But only one took.

Or so she thought.

"Someone stole my other embryo," Jessica whispers. "Someone implanted it in another woman. And that woman gave birth to Penelope."

"Who would do that?" Mariah asks.

Jessica's eyes harden. "Sebastian. It had to be Sebastian. He wanted leverage over me. He wanted—"

She stops. Because suddenly everything makes sense.

Why Sebastian kept Penelope close. Why he treated her differently than Cross. Why he was so obsessed with controlling her.

Because Penelope was Jessica's daughter. And Sebastian knew it all along.

Italy

Penelope wakes up in a dark room. Her head throbs. Her wrists are bound.

She tries to remember how she got here. The airport. The flight. Landing in Rome. A car picking her up.

And then nothing.

She looks around. The room is small, windowless. There are other girls here—five of them, all around her age, all looking at her with hostile eyes.

"Where am I?" Penelope asks.

One of the girls—tall, with a scar across her cheek—steps forward. "You're in our territory now, princess."

"What? I don't understand—"

"You were never going to music school," another girl says. "That was just the story they told you."

Penelope's blood runs cold. "Who told me? Who brought me here?"

The scarred girl smiles. "Someone who paid us a lot of money to make sure you never come back."

Penelope tries to stand, but her legs won't support her. "This is a mistake. My father—"

"Your father doesn't know where you are. No one does."

The girls close in around her, and Penelope realizes with growing horror that she's been betrayed.

Someone wanted her gone.

Someone wanted her disappeared.

And now she's trapped in a foreign country with a gang of blood-thirsty teenage girls who have no intention of letting her go.

The Secret Room

Kyle enters the abandoned building for his nightly check on Kira. He's exhausted. The stress of keeping this secret is eating him alive.

He changes Kira's IV, checks the monitors, adjusts the bandages.

And then Kira's hand shoots out, grabbing Kyle's wrist.

Kyle jumps, his heart hammering. "What—"

Kira's eyes are open. For the first time in months, he's awake.

"Jessica," Kira rasps, his voice barely audible. "Bring me Jessica."

Kyle stares at him. "You're awake. You're actually—"

"Jessica Gaston." Kira's grip tightens. "I need to see her. Now."

"I don't know if I can—"

"Please." Kira's eyes are desperate, haunted. "She's the only one who can stop this. She's the only one who can end it."

Kyle's phone buzzes. A text from the distorted voice: Do not let him contact anyone. Keep him sedated.

Kyle looks at the phone, then at Kira, then back at the phone.

For the first time in months, he makes a choice.

He pulls out his personal phone and dials Jessica's number.

"Jessica? It's Kyle. I need you to come to an address I'm about to send you. And I need you to come alone."

"Why? What's going on?"

Kyle looks at Kira, who's staring at him with those desperate, haunted eyes.

"Because Kira Khan is alive," Kyle says. "And he's been alive this whole time."

The line goes silent.

And then Jessica's voice, cold and sharp: "Send me the address. I'm on my way."

Kyle hangs up and looks at Kira. "She's coming."

Kira's eyes close, and a single tear runs down his bandaged face.

"Thank you," he whispers.

Outside, in the shadows, a figure watches the building.

Zoey Skye stands with her phone in her hand, listening to every word through the bug she planted in Kyle's jacket.

Her face is expressionless.

And then she makes a call.

"It's time," she says. "Bring everyone. Tonight, we end this."

She hangs up and disappears into the darkness.

The final game is about to begin.

And this time, there will be no survivors.

Jessica finds footage of Sebastian bribing city officials into moving the school into their district. Jessica uses that footage to get them to change their mind as she blackmails them into reneging on their deal with Sebastian.

Speaking of blackmail, Zoey keeps herself in the shadows as she continues to use Kyle to keep Kira Khan alive.

More evidence of bribery and Jessica and Amber are hitting up anyone that Sebastian plans to use in his quest to redevelop his district.

Penelope is heading out of the country, on her way to Italy to study. The only person she tells is Cross, who’s livid. He tells Jessica. Cross offers to help look into Riley’s death. Jessica reluctantly admits to him that Sebastian may be involved.

Kyle wants to come clean to Jessica about Kira, but voice-distorted Zoey threatens him if he mentions anything to her, using Sloane as leverage.

Sebastian hits up Zoey for a loan, now that she’s been reinstated. She agrees, but he has to give her 10% of his shares in her foundation. Sebastian agrees. Now he can continue his bribery.

A famous singer arrives on campus for a lecture. He overhears Mariah practicing in the back and is surprised she’s not given better opportunities. Reluctantly, Zoey agrees to feature Mariah. We come to find out the “overhearing” of Mariah was setup by her in an effort to bump Sloane from the top spot at the school.

This all upsets Sloane, who begs Lauren for more memory-loss pills.

Alastair returns home to find Kira’s grandmother waiting. Alastair uses this to get a briefcase of cash, convincing her that he thinks Kira is still alive. He promises to bring Kira home.

Despite her bargaining, Jessica releases all of her footage to the press sending Sebastian into a rage. The construction company Sebastian promised the bid to was disqualified after the bribery was exposed. This puts Sebastian into hot water with them as they storm into his office demanding their money back.

Needing money badly, Sebastian approaches Mel who agrees to lend him the money in exchange for turning the Penthouse over to her. We find out that Jessica is behind the entire thing.

In fact, Jessica shows her face and admits to being responsible for everything that’s happened. They end up in a tussle but it’s Jessica who comes out on top as she smashes a statue into Sebastian’s head, leaving him beaten and bloody.

However, in his unconscious state, we get a flashback and finally find out Sebastian’s motivation.

When he was a child, his mother, himself and his older brother were sleeping in a makeshift shelter made of wood and tarp, homeless. A construction company came in and after asking them to leave the property several times, brought in a bulldoze to tear down the shelter, killing Sebastian’s mother and brother in the process. Sebastian was the only survivor.

Sebastian wakes up to more screaming from Jessica when Cross shows up, pulls Sebastian onto his motorcycle and speeds off.

Jessica and Mariah show up at the police station after a smart watch was found at the scene of Riley’s death.

On that watch is a recording confirming that Penelope was in fact Layla’s twin and Jessica’s biological daughter.

In Italy, Penelope wakes up and finds herself trapped overseas with a gang of blood-thirsty teenage girls. It seems that she wasn’t sent to college after all.

Kyle is tending to Kira, when Kira suddenly wakes up, grabs Kyle by the wrist and begs him to bring him Jessica.