Chapter 44: Trust and Betrayal

The day the confrontation was scheduled arrived, and the Beaumont building's air seemed heavy with unsaid conflict. Scarlet eyed Tucker across the conference room from the edge of the table, her fingers closed around the edge of the table. The personnel setting up hummed in the dimly lighted area, but all she could hear was her own heartbeat pumping quickly. She had never been so near to the truth or so close to revealing all. But the fear bit her. The stakes were too great, and the question tormented her: Could they face Wyatt without being carried beneath the flood of his control? Tucker came closer to her, his face insumutable. Though his voice was hardly audible, he whispered, "You okay?" his eyes darting the room as though he expected someone to emerge from the darkness at any minute.

She nodded, but she felt not good. Her chest felt as though it were iron vice, weight of what they were going to do pressing on it. "I'm ready." Let's call it finished. But the old sense of uncertainty came in and threatened to ruin what they had created as they exchanged a moment of silent knowledge. Tucker had never been the kind to share his worries, but tonight she noticed a flickering in his eyes that she couldn't overlook. She had been fighting with the same thoughts; could they truly bring Wyatt down? Suppose they dropped just as her father had? Her stomach churned with fear just thinking about being caught in Wyatt's web and the way he had imprisoned her father.

The lightest touch Tucker's fingers stroking hers sent a surge of warmth through her. Their basic relationship felt like a lifeline amid turmoil. Though brief, it was enough to let her realise Tucker was with her despite all. "Whatever happens in there," Tucker continued, his voice low and solemn, "I've got your back." Her weight of his words setting in, she turned to face him totally. The thanks, the anxiety, the hope buried for so long bubbled up inside her and she couldn't stop them. She yearned for him. More than she had ever acknowledged to herself, she needed him. She said, "Thank you," her voice quivering slightly. "I merely... Without you, I not sure what I would do. His mouth closed tightly, the corners drawing a harsh line. You are not working on this by yourself. Not anymore.

The unexpected burst of adrenaline reminded Scarlet of the weight of what they were about to encounter as they headed towards the door. For too long Wyatt had been dictating their life. But right now it was their time. As they neared the last fight, she could see the momentum gathering; every stride brought them either towards their triumph or their demise. Underneath her will, though, she couldn't get rid of the sense that something would go wrong. What if it wasn't sufficient? The frail partnership they had developed, together, would break the instant they met Wyatt personally. The trust they had developed also. Though the conference with Wyatt had been set for hours, it felt like an eternity until they were at last in the room, in-person with the guy in charge of everything. Scarlet could feel the weight of the tense air in the room bearing down on her chest. Looking out over the city, she stood at the window trying to quiet the nervous buzz within her. Bernard entered carrying a dossier that seemed to contain all they may possibly require. His face tight, his gaze fixed on hers as he walked towards. He had no need of speaking at all. His facial expression spoke it all. Setting the file on the table, Bernard remarked, "I've got it." He raised his head to Scarlet, his voice steady but tinged with urgency. "The absent bit."

The last connecting link. As Scarlet approached, her breath caught in her throat and her eyes scanned the paperwork. Her words blurted for a moment then sharpened as she understood what she was looking at. It was the proof that might reveal Wyatt's direct participation in her father's passing. Her heart pounding, her hands trembled as she held the page. These were it. Eventually, the truth. She said, "This... this is what we've been missing," her voice shaking with a mix of relief and anxiety. Wyatt's relationship to the loss of my father is all here. Bernard nodded, his eyes fixed on nothing. "This is the moment, Scarlett. This allows us to wipe out his kingdom. Every thing he created will fall apart. Looking at the paper once more, Scarlet felt a cold pass through her.

Wyatt had been instrumental in guiding her family's demise including the death of her father. The man who had wrecked her world was now about to lose everything. Still, the weight of this insight was nearly intolerable. Really would that be sufficient to bring him down? Her thoughts were cut off when Tucker walked into the room. His eyes landed right away on the papers she was handling. He glanced at her, his face a mix of worry and resolve. "Is this it?" he asked, his voice soft but charged with expectancy. Scarlet nodded gradually. "This is the last component". Tucker let out a leisurely breathed, as though a weight had been taken off his shoulder. "It is time." Allow us to wrap up here. For a time the room was quiet, the tension hanging between them.

Their waiting for was exactly this moment. It was their one opportunity to bring Wyatt down. But when Scarlett examined the proof, something clenched in her chest. She started to wonder whether they were erasing a mistake. As they entered the modern, austere office where Wyatt sat at the helm of his empire, the place felt too small, too chilly. The low illumination creates long shadows across the room that accentuates their conflict. Wyatt's figure was commanding; his back was straight, his posture royal as he fixed cold, calculated eyes down on them. "We at last meet facetoface," Wyatt continued, his voice calm and patronising. "I have to say, you really shocked me with your depth of inquiry. But never believe you have triumphed for a moment.

Standing beside Tucker and Bernard, Scarlet's heart pounded as she prepared to reveal Wyatt for the monster he really was armed with the proof. The stakes exceeded their past levels. Now turning back was not possible. Tucker moved forward, his jaw locked with will. " Wyatt, we are not here to demolish everything. Here we are to reveal you for exactly who you are. Wyatt slanted back in his chair, his eyes narrowing. You believe you could pull me down with this? You believe you can discredit all I have worked for? His laughter lacked any humour and was chilly. You are mistaken, all of you. You are never going to win. Not under my control. Scarlet moved forward, her voice calm but cutting. " Wyatt, you have wrecked too many lives. Mine." The family's here. It is now time for you to deal with the fallout. The room went quiet momentarily. Breath froze in her throat as Scarlett watched Wyatt's visage stiffen; his arrogant façade cracked slightly as he understood they were serious. "You actually believe this proof will alter anything?" Wyatt's voice sank to a dangerously low level. You are all morons. My truth is one that I can manage. Still always is. From nothing, I erected this empire. Furthermore you? You are nothing more than pawns. Tucker stepped closer and his eyes flared. "No longer. This comes to an end now. Wyatt's face darkened quickly, and Scar knew then that the last fight had started.