Chapter 295 Chapter 295

Chapter 295 Chapter 295
Chapter 295

The quiet study inside the Keystone family’s private estate in Monterey was filled with the low hum of a television set mounted on the wall. Roland Keystone stood near the mahogany desk, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as he glared at the screen. The breaking news ticker across the bottom of the display broadcasted red alert banners in bold letters, displaying a high-resolution photograph of his only son. Interpol and the FBI had officially listed Sam Keystone as a primary suspect in an international kidnapping and corporate fraud investigation.

Roland’s face was dark with fury. The Keystone family was only days away from finalizing a massive multi-million-dollar merger that would solidify their place at the very top of the industry. Years of strategic moves, political networking, and careful board meetings were currently unraveling because of the red letters flashing across the news.
A heavy wooden side door leading into the study creaked open softly. Sam stepped inside, looking nothing like the polished, arrogant heir he usually was. His hair was messy, his designer jacket was stained with dirt from his hasty flight out of France, and dark shadows hung under his exhausted eyes. He pulled the door shut behind him, breathing heavily as he leaned back against the wood.

Roland turned around immediately, his face turning red the second his eyes landed on his son. He didn't ask if Sam was okay. He didn't ask how he got back into the country. Instead, he slammed his heavy palm down on the mahogany desk so hard that a glass pen holder rattled against the wood.

"Look at what you did, son!" Roland roared, pointing a shaking finger directly at the television screen. "How on earth did you pull off a move like this? You are wanted by the FBI! Interpol has your face on every single international broadcast! Look at the television, Sam!"
Sam pulled himself away from the door, wiping a hand across his forehead as he took a step into the center of the room. "Dad, just calm down for a second and let me explain—"

"Calm down?" Roland interrupted, his voice rising even louder as he paced back and forth behind his desk. "You tell me to calm down? Do you have any idea what is happening right now? Our business is reaching its highest point! We were literally days away from closing the biggest corporate merger this family has ever seen, and now my phone won't stop ringing because my own son is on the news like a common criminal!"

"Dad, blame Ethan Castellan! Do not blame me!" Sam yelled back, his voice cracking with rage as he threw his hands into the air. "Ethan ruined everything! He’s the one who tracked me down in France! He’s the one who brought law enforcement into this! None of this would be happening if Ethan hadn't meddled in my affairs!"

Roland stopped dead in his tracks, staring at Sam as if he had completely lost his mind. "Ethan Castellan? Ethan is supposed to be missing or dead! Why were you even in France dealing with him in the first place? And then I hear reports about a girl. Why did you abduct the girl, Sam? Who the fuck is that girl?"

Sam went dead silent, his lips pressing into a thin line. He looked away, his jaw clenching tightly as he refused to answer. He couldn't bring himself to explain his deal with Isabelle, nor could he explain how his entire master plan to break Ethan had blown up in his face.

"Answer me!" Roland demanded, stepping out from behind the desk and getting right into Sam's face. "Who is she, and why did you risk our entire family name, our entire empire, for some girl? You acted like an idiot!"

"It was about control!" Sam snapped, glaring back at his father with venom in his eyes. "Ethan had everything handed to him his whole life! I was taking away the one thing he cared about! I can still fix this, Dad. I just need you to unlock the private family account and get me on the company jet to South America before the federal warrants go fully active nationwide. 

Once I'm out, you can handle the press!"
"You want me to finance your escape?" Roland laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "Are you insane? You think I’m going to throw away my life's work to hide a fugitive?"
The heavy double doors of the study swung open, and Sasha, Sam’s stepmother, walked into the room wearing an expensive silk robe. She took one look at Sam’s disheveled appearance and the red numbers on the news screen, her eyes widening in alarm.

"Roland, what is going on in here?" Sasha asked nervously, holding her hand over her chest as she looked between the two men. "I could hear the yelling from the upstairs hallway. Sam, what did you do? The news is saying—"
"Shut up, woman! Do not put your mouth in this!" Sam screamed at her, turning his rage entirely toward his stepmother. "Get out of here! This is between me and my father!"

Sasha gasped, stepping back in shock at the sheer disrespect in his voice. Roland’s eyes went dark, his chest heaving as he stepped directly between Sam and Sasha, grabbing Sam roughly by the collar of his jacket.
"Don't you ever speak to her like that in my house!" Roland growled, his voice dropping into a harsh, dangerous whisper. "You come into my home after ruining our business, bringing the federal government to my doorstep, and now you want to yell at my wife? You are out of options, Sam."

Sam ripped his collar out of his father's grip, staggering back two steps as he stared at Roland with complete disbelief. "So that's it? You're just going to turn your back on me? I am your son!"
"You were my heir," Roland corrected sharply, pulling his cell phone out of his inner coat pocket and holding it in his hand. "Right now, you are a massive liability to everything I built. If you think I am going to let you drag the Keystone name into the gutter with you, you are completely mistaken."

Sam stared at his father's hand hovering over the phone screen, realizing in an instant that Roland was actually considering calling his legal team or the authorities to protect his merger. Sam took two steps back toward the side exit, his knuckles white as he balled his hands into fists.
"You're making a mistake, Dad," Sam spat out, his eyes wild with desperation as he backed toward the door. "If I go down, I'm taking everything down with me."

Sam reached behind him, ripped the side door open, and slammed it shut behind him before running out into the dark hallway.