Page 38 of The Cousins and the Brunette

“Help us understand,” Sebastian prompted gently, “why now?”

“Because I’ve seen enough,” she said, her gaze hard. “I’ve lived a life of privilege built on his ruthlessness. It’s time I helped dismantle it.”

Joel crossed his arms. “Sounds noble. Or convenient.”

“Believe what you will,” Elizabeth replied, “but know this—I’m ready to bring him down, with or without your help.”

Dismantling daddy’s empire from within? She’d fit right in with us. If she was telling the truth, that is.

I studied her face, searching for any hint of deceit. But all I saw was fire in her expression, a sincerity that couldn’t be feigned. It was a look I knew well—the face of someone about to burn their bridges. Despite my skepticism, a small part of me wanted to believe her.

“All right, Elizabeth, if that’s true,” Sebastian said, “then if we’re gonna pull this off, we’ll need every advantage we can get. Your knowledge of your father’s estate could be invaluable. We plan to steal his tech.”

“Shut up, Sebastian!” Joel growled. “We don’t for sure if we can trust her yet.”

I couldn’t help smiling at Joel’s outburst. Trust? That was a luxury I’d long since abandoned. But Elizabeth’s presence here, ready to turn on her own father, stirred something in me. A flicker of hope, maybe? Or just another setup waiting to blow up in my face.

“I get it. I suppose I wouldn’t trust me, either. But maybe this will help.” Elizabeth sighed, reaching into her designer purse and pulling out a folded sheet of paper. She handed it to me—a complete blueprint of Shoemaker’s fortress.

My fingers trembled slightly as I took the paper. This was either the key to our salvation or the lock on our prison cell.

“I figured after my father betrayed you in that deal that you would do something even more drastic, you know, after kidnapping the fake me.”

That was because I had taken her place, pretending to be Elizabeth, and gotten myself kidnapped by the Porters. But then Shoemaker double-crossed me. When the Porters discovered who I really was, they threw me out. Desperate, I went to Shoemaker for my payment, but he had his men try to kill me instead. Betrayal from every side. And now, here was Elizabeth, ready to betray her father.

I was in a room full of liars and cheats, planning to take down the biggest liar and cheat of them all. It was almost poetic, in a twisted sort of way.

“Damn,” I muttered, unfolding the blueprints with a mix of admiration and incredulity. “You’re not playing around, are you?”

“Neither is my father,” she replied gravely.

I’d seen firsthand what Shoemaker was capable of, the lengths he’d go to maintain his power.

“Thank you, Elizabeth,” I said, sincerely in spite of the wariness that clung like shadows to my heart.

She hung her head. “Let’s just call it my first step towards redemption…”

What a concept. I wondered if any of us in this room were truly redeemable. But then again, maybe that’s what made us perfect for this job. We had nothing left to lose.

Braxton, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, leaned forward, his snarky humor replaced by the gravity of the moment. “We steal the Nant-bots, and your dad’s out of his precious tech, but if we really want to cut the head off the snake...”

“Then we expose him for what he is,” Joel finished.

The air in the room shifted, charged with a newfound purpose.

Sebastian tapped a finger on the blueprint where Shoemaker’s office was marked. “A tiny camera in there could capture all sorts of incriminating conversations. If we play this right, we can show the world his true face.”

“Risky, cousin.” Braxton whistled.

“Everything worth doing is,” I said, smirking.

“Good luck.” Elizabeth turned towards the door.

“Thank you, Elizabeth. For everything,” Sebastian said warmly and escorted her to the door.

As I watched her leave, I had a twinge of respect. It couldn’t have been easy, turning against everything she’d known.

“It’s not just about stealing technology,” I called after her. “It’s about stopping a man who thinks he’s above everyone else.”

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