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Garrick clenched his jaw, paused half a breath, then forged forward and ripped her from Finn’s grip. He hauled her into his arms. Her head rolled onto his shoulder.
“She’s on fire.” He growled at Finn.
“I gave her aspirin, but it didn’t bring it down. I tried a cold cloth, nothing.” Finn, sounding panicked, looked to Bastian and then to Ursa. Understanding covered his face. “You said it would only make her tired. You lying bitch.”
“What?” Bastian whipped his stare from Finn to Ursa. “What did you do?”
Finn paled. “It was only supposed to be a sedative. But she’s sick. Real sick.”
Ursa blew out a frustrated sigh and put her cup down on the table. “You are really ruining my moment.” She waved a hand toward Garrick.
“What did you do?” Henry stepped in front of her, his rage reddening his face. “I swear, Ursa, I’ll end you right here if you have hurt her.”
Ursa slashed a hand through the air. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you, Henry. According to our father’s will, should you take any hostile action toward me in any way, fifty-one percent of the business- the legit ones anyway- will revert to me.” She clapped her hands together. “So, you won’t do anything just yet. I also found out that you, my dear younger brother, could have granted me ownership over the companies at your discretion. You had the lawyer skip that part before, didn’t you? My new attorney found it buried deep in the documents.”
“Ariella, are you all right? What hurts?” Garrick kissed her forehead. Her only response was a low moan. “I’m taking her to the hospital.”
“That won’t matter!” Ursa yelled at him. “By the time they figure out what’s wrong with her, it will be too late to counteract the poison.”
“What did you give her?” Bastian launched at Ursa, but Henry grabbed him, pulling him away.
“If you kill Ursa, we won’t know,” Henry pushed Bastian back.
“Get on with it!” Garrick growled, holding her tighter in his arms. Her body was limp, and her glassy eyes barely opened.
“So dramatic.” Ursa shook her head. “Fine. Here’s the deal, boys. Henry here only has to sign away his claim to our father’s businesses - as they were when he died. Not the new lines you’ve started since then. You can keep those. Then, I’ll hand over the antidote to the poison she drank.” Ursa put the pen on top of a piece of paper that sat beside the teapot.
“You’re willing to kill my daughter just to get the business?” Henry took a step toward her.
“Yes.” She nodded simply. “I asked you when father died to ignore the will, to allow me to have some control in the businesses, but you said no.”
“Because our associates wouldn’t do business with you, Ursa. We went over this.”
“I honestly don’t care. I want the empire, and you took it from me.” She jabbed her finger into the paper. “Sign it. You can only have one, the empire or your daughter. Not both.” She tilted her head with a smile.
Garrick gently laid Ariella on the settee in the sitting room.
“Sign it,” Bastian growled at Henry. “Sign the fucking paper.”
Henry looked at Bastian, then Ariella, then the slip of paper that would rip his world from his grasp.
Moments ticked by painfully slow.
“Sign the fucking paper!” Garrick bellowed.
“The antidote is in her necklace!” Finn yelled. Around her neck hung a gold conch shell large enough to be a container.
Henry still hesitated, looking like a lost little boy who couldn’t choose which ice cream to have for dessert.
“Fuck it.” Garrick shoved past Bastian and Henry. Grabbing the pen from the table, he turned on Ursa. He stepped to her and jabbed the pen into her neck. He dug it deeper, shoving it until he was sure the carotid artery was severed.
Wild, shocked eyes met his. When he let go of her, the pen remained lodged in her neck. She turned, felt for the pen, and pulled it free. Blood spouted from the wound as she stared at the pen in her hand. Garrick grabbed the conch, yanking it from her neck as she sank to the floor, and threw it to Bastian.
Bastian caught it and brought it to where Ariella lay. Garrick stepped over Ursa’s crumbled body and lifted Ariella’s head for Bastian to pour the antidote down her throat. She swallowed slowly but managed to drink it all down.
“I swear, Bastian. She told me it was only a sedative. I wouldn’t hurt Ariella. Not really. Not like this.” Finn tried to get close to Ariella, but Garrick shoved him away.
“It will take time,” Bastian said, lifting her in his arms. “Let’s get her out of here.”
