Chapter 10
Sabrina had help inside security.
Again.
But this time we knew how she operated.
Hannah refused to let me go alone.
I agreed.
I was finished obeying criminals.
At midnight, I walked onto the roof of Reed Publishing wearing a hidden microphone.
Police tactical teams waited below.
Gabriel watched through a security feed.
The city lights surrounded me.
Sabrina stood near the edge.
Julia sat several feet behind her.
Her hands were restrained.
Sabrina held no visible weapon.
That didn’t comfort me.
“You came.”
“You have Mom.”
Sabrina smiled.
“Our mother.”
Julia shook her head.
“Emma, leave.”
Sabrina ignored her.
“Where’s the recording?”
“Safe.”
“Bring it.”
“No.”
Her expression changed.
“You always were spoiled.”
“I was six when Mom disappeared.”
“You still had Jonathan.”
“And you had years of choices after that.”
Her jaw tightened.
“You don’t know what I survived.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“But I know what you did.”
“You killed Victor.”
Silence.
“You killed Damian.”
Her face twitched.
“You manipulated Christian.”
Nothing.
“You helped destroy my pregnancies.”
Her eyes hardened.
“You paid someone to attack me.”
“I didn’t order the acid.”
I froze.
“What?”
“That was Christian.”
I stared.
She laughed bitterly.
“He wanted sympathy publicity.”
My stomach turned.
Of course.
Christian had admitted paying the attacker.
But I assumed Sabrina designed everything.
Apparently Christian had created that cruelty himself.
“He thought becoming the devoted fiancé to a scarred woman would save his falling album sales.”
I felt sick.
Even Sabrina looked disgusted.
“He was always weak.”
“That didn’t stop you from using him.”
“No.”
For once, she admitted it.
I asked the question that mattered.
“Why my pregnancies?”
Her face changed.
“Because every child made you harder to control.”
“You knew what those pregnancies meant to me.”
“Yes.”
“You’re my sister.”
“Half-sister.”
“As if that makes it better.”
Julia started crying.
“Sabrina, stop this.”
Sabrina turned.
“You always defend her.”
“I am trying to save you.”
“You left me!”
“I was forced into hiding!”
“You chose Jonathan!”
“No.”
Julia’s voice broke.
“I chose survival.”
Sabrina stared at her.
For the first time, she looked young.
Lost.
Then she recovered.
“Give me the archive, Emma.”
“No.”
“I will destroy everything.”
“You already tried.”
“I’ll expose every celebrity in those files.”
“The FBI has copies.”
That stopped her.
“What?”
“We copied everything.”
Her face emptied.
“Victor’s will too.”
Silence.
“Your accounts are frozen.”
She took a step backward.
“Judge Mercer has been arrested.”
Another step.
“Dr. Feld is cooperating.”
“No.”
“Christian confessed.”
“You’re lying.”
“Damian’s recording proves he planned to testify.”
Sabrina froze.
“What?”
I saw genuine confusion.
“You didn’t know.”
“Know what?”
“Your father wasn’t abandoning you.”
I held up a copy of Damian’s statement.
“He was trying to dismantle the network.”
“No.”
“He was going to protect you.”
“NO.”
She screamed.
Then Julia whispered:
“Your father loved you.”
Sabrina’s face broke.
For decades, she had built her identity around abandonment.
Now the foundation was collapsing.
She looked toward the roof edge.
I moved forward.
“Sabrina.”
“Stay away.”
“I’m not forgiving you.”
She laughed through tears.
“Then why care?”
“Because I’m not you.”
Police appeared from the stairwell.
Sabrina looked around.
No escape.
She reached toward Julia.
I moved between them.
Sabrina lunged.
I blocked her arm.
Gabriel rushed from the stairwell and pulled Julia away.
Officers restrained Sabrina.
She screamed my name as handcuffs closed around her wrists.
“You think you won?”
I looked at her.
“No.”
I touched the bandage still covering part of my cheek.
“I survived.”
That mattered more.
The trials lasted almost a year.
Christian pleaded guilty to charges connected to the attack and medical conspiracy.
Dr. Feld lost his license and received prison time.
Judge Mercer was convicted on corruption charges.
Sabrina faced charges tied to fraud, blackmail, kidnapping, Victor’s death, and other crimes still under investigation.
The truth about Damian reopened another case.
My marriage never happened.
My face healed slowly.
Some scars remained.
I stopped hiding them.
Julia and I began therapy together.
Some days I loved having my mother back.
Other days I was furious at her.
Both feelings were allowed.
Gabriel eventually met his father again.
Not forgiveness.
Just conversation.
That was enough for now.
Apex Media legally transferred to Victor’s estate structure, making me the controlling beneficiary.
I shocked everyone by refusing to run it like Victor or Sabrina.
I merged its legitimate assets with Reed Publishing.
Then I created a legal fund for artists whose work had been stolen through the old network.
Sixteen months after the attack, I stood onstage at a music-industry event.
No bandages.
No attempt to cover every scar.
Reporters filled the room.
One asked:
“Do you regret that the attack changed your appearance?”
I thought about Christian’s words.
If she’s scarred, even better.
Then I smiled.
“It changed more than my appearance.”
Another reporter asked, “Do you hate Christian?”
“No.”
That surprised them.
“Hate would require too much of my time.”
The room laughed.
Then someone near the back asked:
“What would you tell Sabrina if you could speak to her today?”
I paused.
“I would tell her pain explains many things.”
The room became quiet.
“But it excuses nothing.”
Afterward, Gabriel waited backstage.
“You were good.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I’m terrified of your ego.”
I laughed.
For the first time in a long time, it felt natural.
Then Rebecca approached carrying a small package.
“This arrived for you.”
“No sender?”
“No.”
Security scanned it.
Nothing dangerous.
Inside was a cassette tape.
My father’s handwriting appeared across the label.
EMMA — PLAY ONLY AFTER SABRINA IS STOPPED.
My heart started pounding.
We found an old player.
Dad’s voice filled the room.
“If you are hearing this, then Sabrina’s network has finally collapsed.”
I covered my mouth.
“But there is one truth even Victor never knew.”
Gabriel looked at me.
Dad continued.
“Christian was not chosen because he was Damian Vale’s son.”
I frowned.
“Then why?”
“He was chosen because Sabrina believed he carried legal rights to something much larger than Apex.”
Rebecca leaned closer.
Dad’s voice became quieter.
“Damian Vale had another company.”
“A company nobody publicly knew belonged to him.”
Then Dad named it.
Rebecca’s face went white.
I recognized the name too.
Everyone in America would.
One of the largest media corporations in the world.
Dad continued:
“And Emma…”
I stopped breathing.
“According to Damian’s sealed will, Christian never inherited it.”
A pause.
“You did.”
The tape clicked off.
Gabriel stared at me.
“Why would Damian Vale leave you his company?”
I looked at Julia.
Her face had gone pale again.
Too pale.
“Mom?”
She slowly sat down.
“There’s one more thing I never told you.”
I closed my eyes.
“Of course there is.”
Julia looked at me.
“Jonathan Reed raised you.”
My heart stopped.
“But Damian Vale…”
She swallowed.
May you like
“…was your biological father too.”
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