Page 119 of Breaking Point

He smirks. “Don’t tell me killing him is whereyoudraw this line.”

“It isn’t,” she hisses as another voice chimes in.

“My daughter is.”

Recognition hits me as a man steps out of the shadows, and we come face to face with Charles Orlova.

Charlotte's father- a man we thought had disappeared forever. I should've known better than to think his wife’s death would be the end of things. Charles stands behind Donatello. Still the same awkward, bumbling man as always, but he’s not cowering behind his wife anymore.

“She is here, isn’t she?” Charles glances around, and after a few moments, he seems unsurprised when Charlotte slithers out from the shadows, gun pointed directly at her father’s head.

“Hi, Papa.”

One moment, everyone’s still, and the next, guns are raised. Charlotte sighs, the sound more tired than anything, but she doesn’t flinch even though the barrel of five guns are pointed directly at her.

“Can we skip this part? I’d really rather not kill everyone just to prove a point.”

“You’re outnumbered,” Charles reasons.

Charlotte grins. “I’m worth at least six of you.”

Charles watches his daughter with unrelenting curiosity. He doesn’t say anything for a long time, but he finally nods to Rema, who motions for his men to lower their weapons.

Charlotte eventually lowers her gun, frowning. “Skar won’t give you shit.”

Charles shrugs with a single shoulder. “It’s all about finding the right leverage. For Skar, it’s you. For you…” he says, looking directly at Liv. At me, at Skar. “Take your pick.”

Charlotte watches him with quiet ferocity. She’s scared. She fucking has to be, and part of me wishes I knew what she’s thinking.

“We’ve been through this before, Papa. It didn’t work then. It won’t work now.”

“The future of our people- of the realm- lies in your hands. You betrayed your family once-”

“Family,” she scoffs. “You get Westos, you get all the money you’ve ever dreamed of. Then what? What does any of it mean when everyone and everything that matters is gone?”

He doesn’t answer. His frown merely deepens. “I thought as such.”

“Your mother’s failure with Hydran was merely the beginning,” Rema says.

I can tell the words have the gears in Charlotte’s head grinding, but I look at Liv whose blue eyes are wide. The fear isclear in her expression. The sight fills me with something dark. Murderous.

“How does this end?” Skar asks, stepping forward so Charlotte is at his back. “You kill me and there will be an uproar. There’s not a person in Westos who will be on your side.”

Rema laughs. “Killing you creates problems- it doesn’t solve them.”

“Controlling you, however,” Charles continues.

Skar lurches forward, grabbing Charles by the collar of his suit and lifting him. Every gun shifts to him while Char holds hers to Rema. “What’s stopping me from killing you right now?”

Liv screams, “Don’t!” My eyes dip to see her shaking her head. “Don’t. They still have Aleks.”

Skar pauses at that, back tensing even as Charles struggles in his arms.

“Why don’t we settle this man to man?” Charles wheezes, face red as the air slowly leaves him. “You keep your brother and your wife. W-we’re all happy. We just want your cooperation.”

If there’s one thing I know about Skar, it’s that he doesn’t like being threatened. That and he’ll do anything for his family. I’m unsurprised when he drops Charles.

“Wise decision,” Rema grins, but Skar sneers.

---