Victor
Greene stared at the Silver Baron tower through the glass window of
his penthouse apartment suite at the top of the Black Diamond. Rage
danced in this man's eyes. A sharp furrow crossed his brow. Venom
surged through his veins.
He
stood silent looking past the steel and structure at John Quincy who
he knew was staring back at him. He hated this man with every breath
and electrical impulse of his being. His heart raced as he wished for
his enemy to drop dead. John Quincy was a damn fool who deserved
nothing he had.
“Father.”
A voice called over his shoulder. It was his son. His second son. His
worthless son to be more exact; a failure in every way.
“What?”
Victor answered with his gaze still honed on his enemy. His voice was
like poison to the ears.
“I
came to see if you needed me today. I was thinking of going down to
the lower part of the valley.”
“Weston,
when will you learn.” Victor turned to his second son. “You are
better than some commoner. You are a Greene. You are wasting your
time with that girl. Why can't you be more like your brother Casden.
He is out there conquering land in my name. You disappoint me.”
Victor returned to his window. “Leave me. I don't wish to see you
anymore.”
Weston
left his father.
* * *
Weston
waited for the elevator to arrive. A soft voice called his name.
“Weston.” It was his young sister, Katherine.
“I'm
leaving, Kate. I've had it with him. He despises me. I'm not Casden.”
“I'm
glad you're not Casden. He is just like our father. Don't go.” She
pleaded to him. “Please.”
The
elevator arrived. Weston stepped on and the doors shut.
* * *
“Father,
Weston is leaving. You have to stop him.”
“You're
brother is weak, Katherine. His failure to me is complete.”
“But...”
“But
nothing,” he shouted. “I will have no more discussion in this
matter.”
Katherine
stormed out of the room.
“You
will not act like that to me,” he yelled as she slammed the door to
her room.
* * *
Katherine
fell on her bed and screamed into her pillow. She hated him. How
could he be so cruel. Her eyes were hot with tears.
She
looked at her room. Her prison. She was forbidden from leaving the
penthouse floor. Every day of her seventeen year life was spent up in
the tower.
The
walls felt closer to her. She couldn't breathe. Katherine grabbed a
bag and filled it with clothes and supplies. She fixed on a pair of
boots that once belonged to her mother. She threw the bag over her
back and left the room.
* * *
“Father,
I'm leaving.”
Victor
looked at his daughter. He shook off her idle threat. Lately every
time she argued with him, she would put Lara's old boots on and
declare she was leaving.
“Can
you spare me your defiance this time.”
“I
can't stay here anymore, Father. I'm trapped in this place. Weston
was all that made it bearable to live with you. He's a buffer from your insanity.”
“You
ungrateful bitch.” Victor slapped his daughter across her face. “I
keep you safe here. If you were out there, you'd be dead by now, or
some bastard's slave. You don't know what the world is like out
there.”
“How
can I know, Father? I've never stepped a foot off this floor.”
“Before
your mother died, I promised her that I would keep you safe. Your
mother would be appalled at the way you are acting.”
“No, Father, she would be appalled at the way you're acting. One of my
brothers is at the ends of the earth fighting just to please you and
the other is gone because he chooses not to. You've pitted your sons
against one another for your love. Weston was smart not to play your games.”
“Your
brother Weston is a spineless piece of gutter scum. He is an
insignificant waste of time. He'd rather choose the easy path to life
by burning his brain on chemicals with some street corner whore. He
is weak. I've spent his entire life trying to teach him, but my time
has been stolen. He could easily seize control of this city with my
help and then I could finally be the ruler of New Reno, not that
thing, that indescribable thing down the street: John Quincy. But
you're brother is weak, mark my words, Katherine.”
She
only looked at her father. She was either afraid to say anymore or
she just ran out of energy to fight. “I'm leaving.”
* * *
Katherine
stood in front of the elevator. She couldn't press the button that
would take her away from this world. She just stared at the dull and
warned piece of metal.
There
was a rumble and the doors burst open. Katherine was startled.
“Casden!”
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