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“What the hell is this?” Matthew Montgomery roars as Cruz drags Michael across the room and violently shoves him into his seat.
A pleasant smile stretches across my face as I turn to face the men at the table, as innocent as can be. “There,” I smile at Harlen. “Every member is now present. I am assuming you now have no issues with me commencing tonight’s meeting?”
Seeing that I’m clearly a little unhinged and should probably have joined Sara in the institution, Harlen silently nods and flicks his gaze between me and Michael, unsure of what the hell is about to go down. Though one thing is for sure, the confusion on his face makes it clear that he’s been left out of the loop. And while I can’t necessarily trust him, I can trust that he’s innocent in this.
“Why don’t we start with the elephant in the room?” I suggest as everyone nervously looks toward Michael.
I slam the photo of Michael and Paris down on the table and slide it toward Earnest Brooks beside me. His eyes go wide, and as he flips it over to read the writing on the back, he gasps. “No, this isn’t possible.”
The photograph is passed around the table, and by the time it gets halfway, I know I have their attention. Being guilty of stepping against the leader is one thing, but concealing the fact that London had a twin sister for the past however many years is like throwing acid over an already gaping wound to these men.
‘“Last night, I discovered this photograph in my father’s files,” I tell them, watching as the photo continues to make its rounds. “What you are seeing is the start of an affair between Michael Harding and my mother’s identical twin sister, Paris Moustaff. Michael has concealed Paris’ existence from Dynasty for all these years as their affair has continued. Over the past eighteen hours, Grayson Beckett and Dante Carver have been responsible for leading an investigation into this relationship, and the information which has been uncovered … Michael must be held accountable for his actions.”
Mr. Danforth straightens, looking at Michael with a hard stare. “What actions are you referring to? The affair in itself is grounds for dismissal. Do vows mean nothing anymore?”
Carver adjusts himself slightly, and I look toward him to find his eyes on mine, silently asking for permission to take it from here. I nod and he doesn’t miss a beat. “As you all know, a few weeks ago, Elodie was attacked in her home. We believed it was London Ravenwood, however it has come to light that the woman who attacked Win—Elodie is in fact her aunt, Paris Moustaff. After speaking with Michael Harding, we have discovered that together with Paris, the two of them have been organizing attacks on Winter in an attempt to claim Dynasty for themselves.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Earnest says to my right. “How will she claim Dynasty?”
Grayson steps forward moving into the space beside his father’s seat. “Paris plans to murder our leader and claim the identity of her dead sister, London Ravenwood.”
Gasps sound around the table as horrified stares come back to Michael. “She will never sit where London and Andrew once sat,” he spits, his disgust for Michael shining through loud and clear. “I won’t allow it.”
“The other attacks?” Harlen questions. “The assassins in the woods, the hitman in the pool, the ball? That was all you?”
Michael’s head snaps up. “I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT EXPLOSION,” he roars. “I lost my brother that night. How dare you.”
“I thought Scardoni was responsible for the attack in the woods,” Cruz’s father asks, sailing straight over Michael’s hurt feelings about the ball comment.
“He was,” I say. “However it has come to light that both Preston Scardoni and Royston Carver were working under Michael and Paris. They all wanted Dynasty for themselves. They wanted control and power over the rest of you and the world, and they worked together to make it happen. Though who knows what would have happened had they been successful. It would have been a shitstorm of power struggles that would have ended with them and the rest of us dead.”
Carver stands. “My father and Preston have been held accountable for their part in all of this, and now it’s Michael’s turn.”
“Wait,” I say, my sharp glare focusing on Harding. “Tobias King?”
Michael’s jaw clenches as he shakes his head. “I had nothing to do with that and neither did Paris.”
I hold his glare for a moment and for some damn reason, I believe him. He’s been forthcoming with everything else and at this point, there’s no reason to lie. He knows he’s done for. There’s no way in hell he’s going to walk out of here alive and he knows it.
Heads nod all around the table as Sebastian Whitman slams his hands down against the hardwood. “Let’s vote and get this over with. Our families have been fretting for weeks, absolutely terrified. I’m tired of telling my children that they can’t go out and play in their own damn yard in fear of a random shootout.” His hand raises high above his head. “I vote for immediate execution. Who is with me?”
