The Syndicate’s Bride

24

Vanessa

I weaved through the crowd, muttering words of apology to the guests I had to squeeze past just to reach the scene.

When I arrived, I took angry steps towards the two men who still hadn’t noticed me, until I stopped beside Ryan, and fixed my cold gaze on Owen.

“I don’t know what’s going on, and I frankly do not care but Owen, you will put that gun down,” I looked over his shoulders, raising my voice at the other guards. “And so will the rest of you.”

I was aware of the tension that filled the rooms when the two men occupied the same space, and I was aware of their unmasked irritation at each other, but this, this had gone too far.

The guards exchanged uneasy glances, silently asking if my command surpassed my father’s in his absence. Unsure of what to do, they turned to Owen, and seeing as he hadn’t made any move to lower his gun, they kept theirs aimed at Ryan.

I fumed in anger. “They won’t listen to me until you compile, Owen. Put the gun down.”

Owen replied without taking his eyes off Ryan. “Mr. Logan gave a command that I must adhere to, princess. This has nothing to do with you.”

“Bullshit, Owen!” I roared, “You were there the other day when he got injured in the attack ordered by my father. In fact, you helped him!”

“That was only because you were there, and I wasn’t part of the team sent after him. I would have had him killed myself.” He sneered.

I recoiled. “Who... who are you right now, Owen?

He didn’t answer, only looking ahead at Ryan. But for a split second, I saw his eyes tremble slightly, almost like an indication of nervousness, but by the time I blinked, it was gone and washed away with his humanity as he corked the gun aimed at Ryan.

The latter chuckled.

Owen’s brows dipped in annoyance. “Is something funny, Winchester?”

Using his hand, Ryan pushed me behind him almost fully shielding me with his body. “And do you think you’d stand a chance then? If you were part of the team sent against me, that is.”

“Should we find out?”

“Please,” Ryan raised his hands in the air, his voice dropping low. “be my guest.”

Owen chuckled bitterly. “You really think you’re invincible, don’t you?”

“Bold statement coming from you, don’t you think so?” Ryan said dryly. “You’re always ready to boast about being ‘the Logan princess’ body guard’ when you can’t even do much to guard her,” he scoffed. “What bragging rights do you have when you’re nothing but Logan’s loyal dog?”

“You f*****g bastard!” Owen roared, charging at him.

“Owen!” I screamed, making him stop his attack mid way.”

Ryan scoffed. “Please, you’re a man without a father. Show me some respect.”

Everywhere went silent. Guests looked at the men with wide eyes, Ryan’s words echoing in their minds. Owen stared at him, his eyes flashing with anger. Clearly Ryan had treaded a part he shouldn’t have, a wound that ran too deep.

Maybe it was warranted from the way Owen ambushed him the second he walked to the front yard. Maybe he had every right to be angry, but I trembled with worry and a bit of anger as I peeled my eyes from Owen to the ground, wanting to stare at anything else than his growing angry expression. I didn’t know how far their dislike for each other ran but this was escalating too quickly.

“Go home, Ryan” I said, barely above a whisper for only him to hear.

He snapped his head to me, his face blank and expressionless. “Why?”

“You’ve crossed the line,” I said quietly, swallowing down the emotion bubbling inside me. “You both have.”

Turning to Owen, I said, “Lower your gun and head inside,”

“Vanessa I–”

I held a hand up. “Do not make me repeat myself this time. The both of you are beginning to get on my nerves,” I pointed to the guests. “Take them with you.”

Without waiting for either of them to respond, I turned and headed back into the house.

THIRD POV

Mr. Logan sat outside his island resort, sipping on a glass of wine as he enjoyed the ocean scenery and the sound of the tide.

He visited the place often, coming for a time of relaxation as he left his dirty work to his servants who wouldn’t dare to betray him.

Even his daughter too. He had commanded her to attend the Logan annual banquet even though it was something she never missed, standing in as the party’s host in his stead.

Lately, though, he thought he had been too soft on her, and the more children are dealt with a soft hand, he believed, the more rotten they were likely to become.

He kept that in mind.

He settled back on the bench and heaved a contented sigh when his phone rang. Irritated at his quiet time being, he picked the call with a grunt, not bothering to see who the caller was, and said,

“You better have something meaningful to tell me.”

The caller cleared his throat nervously, immediately giving off his identity as one of Logan’s servants. “The mission to set the Winchester boy and Owen against each other is in progress, sir,” he reported. This piqued Logan’s attention.

The guard then proceeded to tell him everything that transpired at the banquet merely a few minutes ago. Mr. Logan’s lips stretched into a satisfied smile. He took a sip of his wine as the servant continued to speak and somehow, with the news, the red liquid tasted even better.

“Yes,” he said in contentment as the guard ended the call, “This is what I like to hear.”

He looked to the sky as a roar of near-maniacal laughter burst out from him, satisfaction cursing through his veins.

“Let them kill each other,” he screamed. “Let them all die at each other’s hands.”

Owen

As soon as a disappointed Vanessa turned and disappeared into the mansion, I ordered the guards to guide the guests back into the building, apologising for the sudden commotion.

It was hard to keep up the facade knowing Vanessa also felt deceived by it too. And even beyond her anger at the situation, I could tell she was crushed and worried, feeling helpless when she believed it was her duty to set things right between Ryan and I. The guilt only continued to eat me up.

Even when her eyes flashed with disappointment when she looked at me, that was something I knew I wouldn’t easily erase from my mind. But for now, I had to set it aside. There were bigger matters at hand.

I glanced back at Ryan who was already looking at me, and with a subtle nod, he turned and left the event.

It was a little code of understanding we had agreed on since we knew we couldn’t have much of a conversation in public. My phone chimed a few minutes after his departure, a message from the man himself telling me to meet him in his cabin after Vanessa had safely returned home.

After shooting him a response, I returned into the building to make sure Vanessa was safely interacting with the guests.

Once that was confirmed, I headed deeper into the manor to take care of a few things before my meeting with Ryan.

I knew better than to meet up with him without evidence of my seriousness in the situation. I wasn’t about to betray just anyone, I was about to betray the man under whose roof I had spent half my life, a man who I knew would request for my execution if he caught even a small whiff of betrayal.

That was why I had to go all out.

A walked a bit further, making sure to be on the look out for unwanted followers, until I came to a stop before a black door.

No one knew about this door, not Mr. Logan, not Vanessa, not even Alice. Why? It was my own little information safe haven, something I had spent years building for the perfect moment.

Ever since Mr. Logan took me in, I knew a time would come when the perfect opportunity would present itself and I’d finally have the chance to hold on to my freedom, as well as Vanessa’s. It wasn’t easy but seeing thirteen years of patience finally pay off, a smile touched my lips as I pushed the door open and headed inside.

Shutting the door behind me, I took in the little space that seemed to be nothing more than a study, on the surface. But as I walked to the reading table, pushed it out, stopped low to the ground and pulled open the fake floor to reveal years and years of documentation containing every single illegal activity Mr. Logan had engaged in, the room’s atmosphere immediately melted into one of intense secrecy.

I couldn’t just betray Mr. Logan. If I wanted a life for both me and Vanessa outside his dictator rule, merely betraying him wasn’t enough.

I needed to destroy him.