I Died Loyal But Returned Lethal

Blood In Their Wine

He didn’t plan to destroy Sebastian that day. Not really. At least not in that exact hour. He only wanted to trace another thread, something tied to Victor. Something cold and undeniable. But that’s the thing about hunting shadows—sometimes you find the ones standing closest.

Excel sat hunched over in the old music room, the one no one used since Anne died. It smelled like old perfume and dust and something else. Regret maybe. There were cracked picture frames stacked behind the piano. A broken wineglass in the corner. No one cleaned in here. Maybe they thought the dead were still watching.

The papers were everywhere. Spread out in layers like a madman's map. He'd taken them from the archive wing, the locked cabinet Steve never checked. He thought about the elevator. The buzzes. The clue about the left hand. It had been days and it still gnawed at him. He tapped the corner of the folder against his thigh. His knee bounced. He didn’t even notice until his legs cramped.

Victor Hayworth. Left-handed signatures. A forged name. Vitric Holdings.

It was all supposed to lead back to Victor.

And it did.

Sort of.

But the account trail didn’t stop at Victor. It split.

One path to Victor.

One path to someone else.

Sebastian Winchester.

Excel stared at the name until his eyes burned. His lips parted. He didn’t breathe for a second. Maybe two. Then he laughed. Sharp. Ugly. It slipped out before he could stop it. His hands shook. Not just the fingers this time. His whole arm.

Sebastian.

It all made sense now. The too-perfect act. The sideways glances. The smug little smirks like he already knew the punchline. He was in on it. Maybe not the murder—maybe not the trigger. But the deals? The money? The cover-ups?

He stood so fast the chair skidded and slammed into the wall. He didn’t care. He paced. Back and forth. Palms on his head. Eyes wild.

He had to do something.

But this wasn’t the kind of secret you screamed. This was the kind you exposed.

Dinner that night was hosted in the glass room. That was what they called it. Because the walls were glass. Because everyone could see everything. The chandelier was too bright. The wine too expensive. The food too silent.

Excel had been quiet all day. Now he was smiling.

He had chosen a navy blue suit, one that hugged him just enough. His tie was crooked on purpose. His shoes silent on marble. He kissed Sarah’s cheek when he walked in. Said something soft to her. She smiled. Nervously.

Sebastian was already there. Laughing too loud. Talking to Elias and Steve like he owned the room.

"Everyone's here," Excel said, voice light. "Perfect."

Alaric didn’t say a word. He just nodded.

Everyone took their seats. Glasses clinked. Forks moved. The air felt like it was holding its breath.

Excel stood slowly.

He cleared his throat.

"Before dessert, I want to make a toast," he said.

Steve raised a brow. "You been drinking already?"

Laughter.

Excel smiled. "I want to toast to... clarity."

He reached into his blazer. Pulled out a folded sheet. It was crisp. Clean. Heavy.

He unfolded it slowly.

"Sebastian," he said. "You recognize this, right?"

Sebastian blinked. Looked up. "What is it?"

Excel stepped closer.

"A contract. A side deal. Signed last year. Cross-border storage lease with Vitric Holdings. You signed it."

Sebastian froze. Just for a second. Then he laughed. "You’ve been digging through old trash again?"

Excel held up a second sheet.

"Funny. This one has your initials. This one has Victor Hayworth's. This one’s routed through an anonymous ledger. The numbers match a laundering trail flagged by a whistleblower three months ago."

The table went still.

Forks stopped.

Elias’s eyes narrowed.

Sarah looked down.

Steve stood up. "What the hell are you doing, Excel?"

"I’m asking a question," Excel said. His voice was even. Like a blade sliding from a sheath. "Why is the future of Aetherion Dynamics running side deals with Titan Logistics? With the man who tried to bury us?"

Sebastian stood. Hard.

"You don’t know what you’re talking about. Those were dummy accounts. I didn’t know where they led."

"You signed them."

"You forged them."

"The paper has your thumbprint. I tested it."

Gasps. Elias cursed under his breath.

Steve looked at Sebastian. "Tell me he's lying."

Sebastian’s mouth opened. Closed. His fists trembled.

"Tell me he's lying," Steve shouted.

Sebastian turned to Excel.

His eyes burned.

"You think this makes you powerful? You think you can slither into this family and outmaneuver me?"

Excel stepped closer.

"I don’t need to outmaneuver you. I just need to remind them who you are."

Alaric stood.

Everyone froze.

"Enough," he said. Quiet. Deadly.

He looked at Sebastian.

"From this moment, you are removed from board activities until further review."

Sebastian's jaw dropped. "Grandfather—"

Alaric raised a hand. "You will not speak."

Sebastian looked at Excel.

His voice cracked. "You were nothing. You were nothing, and now you're here, tearing this family apart."

Excel’s lips curled.

"No," he said. "I’m just reminding it what it became."

He turned. Walked out.

The door didn’t slam. It whispered shut.

He found Sarah, he hadn't yet practically accepted her as a mother.

She was on the balcony.

Everything still felt strange.

Her eyes were glassy.

"What did you just do?" she whispered.

He lit a cigarette. Didn’t even smoke it. Just held it.

"I started something that should've happened years ago."

She turned away.

"You’re changing."

"Good."

"Too much."

Excel looked at the stars. They looked fake tonight.

"You can only get stepped on so many times before you grow teeth."

Sarah reached for his hand. He let her.

"Just don’t lose your soul in the process."

He didn’t answer.

Because maybe he already had.

Downstairs, Sebastian punched a mirror. Blood spilled down his knuckles. He stared at the cracks. At the fractured face staring back. The pieces didn’t look like him anymore.

He picked up a shard.

And smiled.