This is a very short Outtake to Two Strangers. I originally placed it in with the chapters, but chose to separate it this time. It is read best after chapter 14 - The Act.
Hope you enjoy!
Outtake One
Charles Swan was a rich and powerful man. He liked it that way; it meant he had control over not only his life but the lives of others. After years of working the system, he'd gone from a criminal lawyer to the assistant district attorney. He was also a popular choice for becoming mayor in the next election. With his fortune and his beautiful wife at his side, winning was practically guaranteed. Unfortunately for him, he'd made a poor choice when he was younger. That choice meant the man he was sharing a cigar and a drink with had control over him. That man was Aro Volturi.
He should've known better than to make a deal with a member of organized crime, but he did. He also should've known that his rebellious daughter would come back to haunt him.
For some reason he still didn't understand, his oldest daughter, Isabella, had rejected the life he'd offered her. Now she had to go get herself kidnapped. He internally grumbled as he looked at the photo of his daughter bound and knelling. Her hair was matted and her eyes filled with tears. She was scared, but he didn't care.
The girl made her choices. She can live with them.
He didn't need Isabella. Volturi knew this, though, using it to his advantage. This meeting wasn't about saving his wayward daughter; it was about demonstrating what would be done if he chose not to play the game.
His other children were making him proud, making him look good, following the path he chose for them. Losing them would affect his chances at the polls. Power and his fortune were all that mattered to him. He would do whatever was necessary to keep it.
Sliding the picture across the table to Volturi, he said, "What do you want me to do?"
Volturi smiled internally, knowing that he now had full control over the future mayor of one of the most important cities to his organization.