33. Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Damon
"Well, if it isn't the biggest asshole I know. Happy Birthday."
I raise an eyebrow at Christopher, leaning against his door. "Did you get it done?" I ask sternly, ignoring his subpar wishes regarding my existence.
He nods, holding out a piece of paper. "Just need your signature and we're good to go. I got the other signature this morning."
I step inside the office, grabbing a pen off his desk as I snatch the paper from him. I glance over it, satisfied with the details and quickly sign before handing it back to him.
"And no one suspects anything?"
He shakes his head. "I hope you know what you're doing, Damon," he warns. "This could end badly—for all of us."
"I hope it ends in a massacre," I reply coolly, throwing the pen at him. "The best birthday present would be my father in a pool of blood."
Christopher shakes his head again in disapproval, shoving the signed document into an envelope. "Arthur is in early today. Be forewarned—he's in a good mood."
"I can't wait to ruin it," I answer, turning and walking out of his office. "File that straight away."
His reply is cut off by the door slamming shut behind me. The noise grabs the attention of the others, their faces tight as I head over.
Theo and Grey are stationed outside Elsher's office, standing guard while Avery does duty with him again.
"All sorted?" Grey asks casually.
Nodding, we glance down the corridor to see Christopher strolling out of his office with the envelope in hand. He gives us a curt nod as he passes, disappearing through the doors that lead to Arthur's office and the outside world.
And now the countdown begins.
I've spent the morning briefing everyone, preparing for the inevitable fallout that will occur once the news breaks. While Avery slept in Grey's room last night, I watched the recorded footage from our new cameras, listening to Arthur's phone calls yesterday. From them, I know my father is going to make an appearance today—anything to gloat in my face on the one day of the year that he knows he can fuck up.
It's also the same day that he murdered my mother. So, it seems poetically fitting that I ruin today for him just like he ruined my birthday for me.
She'd like this.
Sure, she'd scold me for being harsh, but it's a nice tribute. We can do it together, even beyond the grave. I love that she prepared for everything, like she knew this day would come.
She always knew what I needed before I did.
"Is everyone in place?" I ask, leaning against the wall next to them.
"Yep," Grey confirms. "Byrone and Jillian are watching the cameras and will text us. Everyone else is on standby, ready to go."
"Good."
The hour passes uneventfully, and when Avery emerges with a sneer plastered across her face, I resist the urge to go into Elsher's office and stab him in the throat.
Everything has to go according to plan today—even if that means leaving him in one piece… for now.
"God, he's a fucking asshole," Avery mumbles, stopping in front of us. She watches as Siobhan disappears around the corner before she relaxes, smiling at us.
"Want me to rip his intestines out of his ass?" Grey offers, only half-joking.
Avery laughs, the sound brightening my mood. She shakes her head. "Not at the moment. Too much mess."
A door closes to our left and we all look simultaneously as Christopher returns. He spots us still loitering in the hallway, pausing when he reaches our group.
"It's done," he says, holding the envelope out. "Happy Birthday."
"Wait," Avery gasps. "It's your birthday?"
I narrow my eyes at Christopher, who just laughs, continuing on his way like he doesn't care that he just dropped that bombshell.
"Fucking bastard," I mumble, turning to look at Avery.
She stares at me expectantly, until I finally cave, nodding once.
"Oh! Happy Birthday," she gushes, crashing into my chest.
We fall back into the wall, my arms wrapping around her as she squeezes me in a hug.
Grey cackles beside me, clearly amused by her enthusiasm. He knows how much I detest my birthday. I hate people making a big deal out of it. Except, if I'm being honest… I don't exactly hate this .
When she pulls back, her eyes fall onto the envelope in my hand, brows furrowing with interest. "What's that?"
"Just paperwork," I tell her, handing it off to Grey.
He grabs it, peeking inside for me. I wait until he gives me a nod, confirming that everything is set.
My cell vibrates in my pocket, and I fetch it out, opening the text from Jillian.
"Arthur is on the move," I say, kicking off from the wall. "Let's go."
The bell for lunch is about to sound at any second, and if Arthur is leaving his office, I can only surmise that he's coming to the hall to make some type of announcement—he's too predictable.
We head into the hall just as the bell goes, taking a seat at our table. My eyes stay glued to the door, watching as other patients file in, until I spot Arthur and his group of guards at the rear, carrying his portable podium.
Instantly, he glances over to our table, locking eyes with me. A smug smirk crosses his face, his back turning away as he directs the guards to set up.
"What do you think it is?" Avery asks.
None of us answer, the room falling silent as everyone watches the center of the room.
I know exactly what's coming—some pathetic excuse to gain sympathy and pretend today is a celebration.
Grey throws me a knowing look as Arthur steps up, and I feel my hands curl into fists under the table.
"Good afternoon, students," he starts happily. "Today is a great day for Lilydale."
Avery gives me a confused look, her face puzzled as she listens carefully.
"Today marks the anniversary of dear, sweet Lily Emerson-Dale's passing. Her legacy lives on in all of you. Her life was not wasted, this facility giving you all a second chance…"
He pauses for dramatic effect, though the other patients just stare blankly at him. Avery's head snaps toward me, her eyes wide as she processes the information. I don't look at her though—not trusting myself to stay calm if I see the empathy and pity in her eyes.
Arthur clears his throat, unfazed by the lack of reaction. "To commemorate, we have been working hard with our team of professionals, and I am pleased to announce that we will be trialing new therapy alternatives."
My spine stiffens as my knuckles turn white. Next to me, Avery tenses up as his words sink in.
"That fucking cunt," Grey whispers angrily, reaching for Avery's leg under the table.
"As an initiative and a show of good faith, we will be offering a reduction on your sentences here for anyone who voluntarily opts in to join the trial. All we need is your signed consent and upon completion of the trial, we anticipate you'll be in a position to leave Lilydale."
There's chatter through the hall as his words finally spark interest in the patients. Avery's head whips around, and even without looking, I know she's seeking out Capello.
I can hear her breathing get deeper as she tries to calm herself, Grey leaning over to whisper into her ear.
"Dr. Elsher will be in his office during your free time," Arthur states loudly. "If you are interested, please make your way there. We are canceling classes today and extending free time which starts now in honor of Lily. The guards will be there to assist with queues. Thank you."
He steps down, throwing one final glance back at me before slinking out of the hall.
When he's out of sight, noise erupts as people talk, excited about the prospect of getting out of here.
"He's going to send them out of here in body bags," Avery snaps quietly. "We have to do something."
"I need to go speak to him," I say, standing up.
Avery's hand swings out, grabbing my wrist. "Damon…" she starts, voice laced with pain.
"Don't, Avery," I murmur, not trusting myself. I'll snap if she looks at me with those pitying eyes. "It's fine."
She hesitates, not letting me go. "I'll come with you. Or Grey," she states, turning to him for support.
Grey reaches out, gently prying her hand back from me. "We've got this under control, little killer. Trust us." He squeezes her hand, entwining their fingers as he gives me a nod.
I take off after Arthur, tapping my pocket to check for the envelope. He vanishes through the door at the end of the corridor, my eyes narrowing on the line of people against the wall waiting to enter Elsher's office.
They are going to sign their own death warrants and don't even realize.
He knows I can't protect them all at once, particularly if they go willingly. I didn't see this coming, but that's okay—they won't see me coming either.
The guard at the end of the corridor steps aside as I approach, clearing the path for me.
"Open the door," I demand.
He quickly swipes his card, punching in my mother's birthday before swinging it open. I cross the threshold of the entrance, passing Dorothea's empty desk, and slam open Arthur's door with my palm.
It bounces off the wall, the two men turning casually to look as if they expected my arrival.
"You're too predictable, Damon," my father sighs with disappointment from his place behind the desk. He's sitting in Arthur's chair while the other man leans against the wall, watching on with a smug smile that I can't wait to wipe off his face.
"Then you should know what's coming next," I taunt. "But I bet you don't because your heads are too far up each other's asses."
My father taps his fingers on the edge of the desk, disinterested. "The order passed yesterday. It's over, Damon."
"It's not over until I say it's over," I retort, glancing between the two of them. "You might have the patients fooled but that order isn't worth the paper it is written on now."
His eyes narrow at me. "What are you talking about?"
I reach into my pocket, pulling out my ammunition. I unfold the envelope, digging inside for the paper. "Mom really did cover all the bases because she knew what a slimy, manipulative bastard you are. And thanks to your recent stunt, it worked out perfectly. So, who's the predictable one now, Father?"
Stepping forward, I slam the paper down in front of him, watching his face harden as he reads it.
"What is this?" he hisses angrily, glaring at me.
"Consider yourself dethroned as the majority shareholder," I answer, throwing a smirk at Arthur for good measure. "You might have the patients for your experiments, but we're filing an injunction as we speak to block your order. And I don't need to bribe judges to pass it—the merit is there. I'm the majority shareholder now, and according to this, I'm also currently in a lucid state of mind to make decisions. Good luck funding the equipment now."
Arthur steps forward, reading the document over my father's shoulder with an angry face. "It doesn't matter," he says quickly. "Now that we have the patients, the contract will remain in force. They will be willing to fund the equipment repairs themselves since it will be worth their while."
"Maybe so," I agree. "But the patients trust me a hell of a lot more than they do you. Once word spreads about the true nature and intentions of your little experiments, they will run. And you can't lock them into the contract. If you agree they have consent to sign, then they have consent to withdraw."
The two of them fall silent, veins bulging on the side of their heads as they radiate anger.
Checkmate, indeed.
I reach forward, snatching the paper off the desk and securely placing it back into my pocket. "Your castle is crumbling, Father. Brick by brick I'm bringing it down. And eventually, in the near future, I'll be free from your prison. You better believe I'll be coming for you."
Turning, I stroll out of the office with a shit-eating smirk.
It's not quite the birthday present I had hoped for, but it's a pretty damn good second place.
I find everyone in the library, gathered around Jillian's laptop.
They look up when I enter, grins breaking across their faces. Avery dashes over first, engulfing me in a hug.
I wrap my arms back around her, resting my chin on the top of her head, glaring at the stunned reactions of the rest of the group. They turn away awkwardly, pretending not to notice.
"We heard you on the live feed," Avery says, pulling back with a bright smile. "You were amazing."
Unable to stop myself, I tip her chin up with my finger, pressing my lips to hers. She kisses me back, and when I feel eyes on me again, I open mine and glare at everyone behind her while pushing my tongue into her mouth.
Grey gives me the thumbs up, shaking with silent laughter as Leighton stares at me gob smacked, quickly trying to distract himself with the wall when my eyes fall to him.
Pulling back from Avery, I grab her hand, leading us to the table. My usual seat is free, and I sit, dragging her onto my lap.
"So, what now?" Byrone asks. "How should we warn the others?"
"We need to start spreading the word," I say. "Find out who has signed a consent form, and we'll visit them one by one."
Avery turns her head to look at me. "I can help," she offers. "And maybe Vivian too. If they don't believe you, we can tell them what happened to us."
"Are you sure?" Theo asks with a hint of concern. "You don't have to relive that."
She nods confidently. "If it will protect other people, they should know. There's no way that they are being upfront about these so-called therapy alternatives ."
"She's right," Grey answers. "The more information we can provide, the better. We can't risk people taking the gamble. They need to know the full details of what they are trying to do to them."
My hand strokes the top of her leg. "Alright. But stay on guard. Arthur knows we're going to try to intervene. We need to be prepared."
It's nearing the end of free time when Jillian suddenly shoots up straight in her chair, a look of panic on her face.
"Damon, they are taking Smith."
She flips her laptop around so that the screen is facing me at the other end of the table. My eyes narrow as I spot two guards escorting Christopher from his office, his arms held down.
"We knew this was a possibility," Grey says lowly, looking at me. "What do you want to do?"
I stand from my chair. "Jillian, keep watching the feed. Make sure it's being recorded. Leighton and Andy, go gather the others. Grey, with me."
Avery jumps to her feet. "I'm coming with you," she declares firmly. "Theo, too."
I turn to argue, but her eyes flash with stubbornness, Theo already on his feet. Begrudgingly, I nod.
"Fine, let's go."
The four of us quickly make our way out of the library, heading toward the staff rooms. Immediately, we spot Christopher, still squished between two guards while my father towers over him, berating the younger man.
Arthur spots us first, whispering to a guard as we approach. Immediately, I throw my arm out, making Avery stumble for a second as I usher her behind me. Grey and Theo cage her in, stopping next to me.
"It appears we've hit a crossroad," my father states, spotting us. "Dr. Smith has just been fired from Lilydale for insubordination."