Chapter 15

**Victor’s Manipulation**

Silence, the kind that suffocates rather than calms, pervaded the home. I had developed the ability to hear the things that quiet hid. There was a hint of something evil in it tonight. As I made my way down the large staircase, my hands gripped the silk of my robe tighter, the weight of my own doubt weighing me down like a shroud.

In the darkened study, I discovered Victor, calm as ever, but with a sparkle in his eyes that made me uneasy. He was a man who flourished in the shadowy nooks of dishonesty, preying on the vulnerabilities of others like a vulture circling its victim. I also had the nauseating impression that I was his next victim tonight.

Victor said, "Amelia," in a voice that was almost too silky. "I was hoping we'd have a moment to talk."

I paused. Victor had a plan for everything he did. "What do you want?"

He leaned back in the leather chair and said, "To protect you," with the easy authority of a man who thought he already had it. "You're not seeing it, are you? How near to devastation are you?"

Even though my pulse accelerated, I maintained a neutral expression. "If you have something to say, say it."

He shook his head and laughed. "Jack isn’t who you think he is, Amelia."

A glimmer of annoyance ignited inside me. "I am already aware of Jack's risk. Nothing changes as a result.

Victor grinned, but it wasn't a friendly one. It was the smile of a man who was more knowledgeable than you. "It ought to. Particularly when your family is involved.

I went cold. My relatives.

My mind whirled with potentialities as the words stuck in my throat. Jack had never mentioned bringing them in. He had made it plain that Victor and the empire that had mistreated him were the targets of his retaliation. Had I been wrong to think it wouldn't go any farther, though?

I responded, "You’re lying," but my voice lacked the conviction I wanted it to have.

Standing up to pour himself a drink from the decanter, Victor sighed. "Amelia, I have no justification for lying. If nothing else, I believe you should be aware of the type of man you are entrusting with your trust."

I detested the fact that his remarks sowed doubt in my already shaky faith in Jack. "If you’re so sure, prove it."

Victor grinned, as though he had foreseen my challenge. A manila folder was slid across the desk by him. As I lifted it up, my hands shook a little, and I looked over the contents.

Images and records.

a thorough description of my entire family, including my younger brother's school schedule, my father's business affairs, and my mother's daily routine. I flipped through them, my stomach churning with each page, my breath stopped in my throat.

"Jack did this?" I hardly raised my voice above a whisper.

Victor took a cautious sip after swirling his glass. "Amelia, Jack is a man who seeks retribution. Furthermore, retaliation knows no bounds.

I wanted to call him a liar, deny it, and fling the folder back in his face. However, the evidence was too comprehensive and well-considered to be disregarded.

"Why are you showing me this?" I insisted. "What do you gain?"

With a deep exhale, Victor put his glass down and clinked it gently. "Because I don't want to witness your devastation among the flames. Everyone in my sphere is important to Jack's endgame, not just me. That also applies to you. Amelia, you can now leave. Prior to it being too late.

With my mind racing, my hands clenched around the folder. Is it possible? Had I always been misled by Jack? Or was this just another of Victor's tricks, meant to make me distrust the one man I had begun to trust?

With perplexity roiling in my head, I turned toward the door.

Victor contacted me; "One more thing, Amelia," he said.

I stopped, but I didn't look back.

He lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "You might want to look at Jack's research. He doesn't want you to see something there.

With my heart hammering between my ribs, I walked out without saying anything else.

I had never been suspicious of Jack before. However, I wasn't sure what to think at this point.

And I was afraid of that.

The glossy floors in the hallway that led to Jack's study seemed to reflect my waning confidence, making it seem longer than normal. I arrived at the massive mahogany door and, after a little moment of hesitation, pushed it open.

The fragrance of old books and leather filled the room, but something was strange. With my fingers tracing the edge of his desk, I entered. Everything appeared to be tidy and in control. However, Victor's words kept repeating in my mind. Something was present.

I looked at the bookcases, the drawers, and even the carpet underneath the imposing desk. Nothing. till the bookshelf in the corner caught my attention.

There was one book that wasn't quite aligned.

I inhaled deeply and pulled it.

After clicking and shifting, the bookshelf revealed a secret compartment behind it.

As I reached inside and took out a locked black box, my heart pounded. I got chills at the weight of it in my hands.

I rummaged through papers and trinkets on Jack's desk in search of a key, and eventually I discovered a small, plain silver key hidden under a stack of letters. I turned and put it into the lock, my fingers shaking.

Its contents were exposed when the lid suddenly opened.

A mountain of pictures of me.

dozens, perhaps hundreds, recording my every action. Some had just been taken at the residence where I was now standing. Others were from far before I had met Jack years ago.

My thoughts whirled, and I gasped for breath. Why? He had these, but why?

Then, beneath the pictures, there was something much more terrifying: a note to Victor.

I opened it with trembling hands and saw:

Time is drawing near. She now has faith in me. She will soon be just where we need her to be.

The room whirled around me. It felt like the air was too heavy to breathe.

Jack had told lies. Throughout.

And I had given him exactly what he wanted.