Chapter 16 - Tyler Chooses
Victor smiled at Tyler as if they had met for lunch.
"There you are."
Leah stepped in front of him.
Victor frowned. "Move."
"No."
"Leah, you've caused enough damage to this family."
Tyler flinched at the familiar phrase.
Victor saw it.
"You know I'm right," he said gently. "Your father never tells you the whole truth. She comes back, and suddenly everything becomes chaos again."
Tyler stared at him.
For a second Leah feared the worst.
Victor held out his hand.
"Come with me."
Tyler looked down at that hand.
The hand that had brought him birthday gifts. Taught him to drive in empty parking lots. Told him he was smart when Grant told him to slow down. Fed every hurt until it had a target.
"Did you drug me?" Tyler asked.
Victor's smile weakened. "You were upset. I helped you sleep."
"Did you cut Mom's brakes?"
"No."
"Did you tell Elliot to?"
Victor's eyes hardened.
That was enough.
Tyler pulled out the burner phone and held it up.
"You've been calling me on this for two months."
Victor glanced at it. "Give it to me."
"No."
"Tyler."
"You told me Leah hated Mom. You told me Dad was covering for her. You told me I was the only one strong enough to make her admit it."
Leah's throat tightened.
Tyler continued, voice breaking. "You wanted me to hurt her."
"I wanted you to protect your family."
"From you?"
Victor stepped forward.
Tyler backed up but did not run.
He pressed the call button on the burner.
Victor stopped.
"Who did you call?"
Tyler looked at him.
"Dad."
Grant's voice came faintly through the speaker.
"I'm listening."
Victor's face changed.
Tyler raised the phone higher.
"Tell him what you told me, Uncle Victor. Tell him how Mom deserved what happened because she wouldn't sign."
Victor's mask cracked.
"Your mother destroyed everything our father built."
Leah closed her eyes.
Grant heard it.
So did Renee, Malik, and the police line recording the call.
Victor lunged.
Tyler threw the phone down the hallway.
Victor chased it instinctively.
Leah grabbed Tyler and ran the other direction.
A shout thundered from downstairs.
"Police!"
Victor froze.
Then instead of running for the exit, he turned toward Caroline's study.
Grant reached the foyer just in time to see his brother disappear through the door.
Renee shouted, "He's going for something!"
Grant ran after him.
Inside the study, Victor had pulled a hidden panel from the wall.
Behind it was a small safe Grant had never known existed.
Victor entered a code.
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The safe opened.
And inside was Caroline's missing phone.
