CHAPTER 17: A DESPERATE GAMBLE

                                    

                                          
Charles’s mind raced. Simon was unpredictable and clearly willing to do whatever it took to see his plan through. But something about his confidence unsettled Charles—there had to be more to the game.
Victor, breathing heavily, whispered, “We need to get out of here… we’re sitting ducks.”
Charles didn’t respond immediately, his eyes never leaving Simon. “You want revenge, Simon, I get that. But what about the others? Why kill everyone involved?”
Simon’s smile returned, but this time it was cold, mechanical. “Because Dalton wasn’t the only one who needed to be punished. His empire was built on the backs of others—Kenneth, David, even you. You all played a part, knowingly or not. None of you deserve to walk away.”
The room’s oppressive silence was broken by a sudden, sharp sound—a door creaking open from somewhere deep within the mansion.
Simon’s eyes flicked toward the noise, but his calm never faltered. “Looks like our time is running out.”
Charles’s mind worked quickly. There had to be a way to turn this situation around. “Simon, you said we decide how this ends. What’s that supposed to mean?”
Simon’s cold smile widened. “Simple. You can either try to kill me and risk dying in the process, or you can walk away. I have no intention of killing either of you—unless you force my hand.”
Victor glanced nervously at Charles. “We… we could just leave?”
Charles narrowed his eyes. “You really expect us to believe you’d let us walk out of here alive?”
Simon stepped closer, his voice dangerously calm. “Believe what you want, but here’s the truth: If you leave now, you might survive. If you stay, I guarantee that one of us won’t.”
Charles weighed his options. Simon’s offer felt like a trap, but confronting him head-on without a plan was equally dangerous. Still, something about the way Simon spoke made Charles wonder if there was a sliver of truth in his words