The air within the warehouse was electric with tension, a silent battle of wills being fought between father and son. Mr. Harris stood like a king surveying his waning empire, his piercing eyes raking Joan, Alex, Albert, and Davis. The two bodyguards on either side of him were tense, hands near their concealed guns.
Joan's heart pounded as she took a step forward, refusing to be concealed. This is it. There's no turning back now.
"You didn't come here to negotiate, did you?" she asked, attempting to maintain a steady voice as the storm brewed within her.
Mr. Harris laughed derisively. "No, my dear. I came to put an end to this farce."
"Of all the hypocrisy, here it is—the life you built on lies," Albert inserted himself, replacing Joan at their father's side. His glare ignited into their father. "You kept us separated for years, playing games with us. But that stops today."
Davis, caught between them, was stiff with uncertainty. All his life, he'd been the obedient son, the one who never questioned, who always did as he was told. But for the first time, he glimpsed his father's facade slipping, revealing the hard man within.
"It's not over until I say it is," Mr. Harris said calmly, inclining his head toward one of his bodyguards.
In an instant, the bodyguard sprang at Alex.
Joan shouted out as Alex dodged the first blow, landing a sharp punch to the man's belly. Albert was on the second guard before he even got to pull out his gun, having them both lying on the floor.
Davis froze where he stood as chaos erupted around him. His father was frozen, an expression of total devastation on his face as his empire fell.
"Decide! Davis!" Joan shouted out.
Davis's hands balled into fists. His entire life had led up to this.
With a sudden gasp, he made his choice.
He spun around
And struck his father.
A Father's Fall
Mr. Harris's stumble backward was all that held him upright after the force of Davis's punch had slammed into him, shock momentarily crossing his face before twisting into something worse.
"You ungrateful little—"
Before he could go on, Albert punched him again. Joan watched, amazed, as the two brothers, now estranged for so long, stood together at last.
Mr. Harris wiped the blood from his lip open and laughed. A low, sinister sound.
"You think you've won?" he sneered, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "You think the world's going to let you be happy?"
"It's not winning," Joan said. "It's free."
Alex followed her, broken but intact.
"You don't control us anymore."
For the first time, a glimmer of fear crossed Mr. Harris's face.
He had shaped them for years, keeping them in line with his vision. But now his kingdom was crumbling, and his children were breaking free.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
Chelsea and Ruth had done their duty. The evidence mounted against him. He had nowhere to hide.
"You'll regret this," he muttered, straightening his suit as though he weren't moments away from being arrested.
"No," Joan said, her hand slipping into Alex's. "We won't."
And then, for the first time in their lives, they turned their backs on him.
Picking Up the Pieces
The news broke within minutes—Mr. Harris, one of the most powerful businessmen in the country, was arrested on charges of corruption, fraud, and conspiracy.
Joan sat on the balcony of the apartment later that night, the weight of it all finally bearing down upon her. Alex sat next to her, his presence grounding her.
"It's over," he breathed, wrapping an arm around her.
She let out a shakily held breath. "Is it?"
Alex was quiet for a moment. "It will never be easy. But we're free now. And we have each other."
She turned her eyes toward his, searching for his face.
"Regret it?"
He smiled, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Not for a second."
Her heart was full. Maybe, maybe they had won after all.
And then he kissed her
A promise.
A beginning.
A future.