Chapter 17 - VICTOR’S CONFESSIONVictor looked terrible.
One eye swollen.
Lip split.
Two ribs bruised.
But alive.
Cole stood at the foot of his hospital bed.
Victor avoided his eyes.
"Congratulations."
Cole said nothing.
Victor laughed weakly.
"Fair."
Maya stood near the window.
Ray remained outside.
Cole asked, "Who took you?"
"Roman's guys."
"Names?"
"Gave them to investigators."
"Did Roman order it?"
Victor hesitated.
"I never heard him."
"Of course."
Victor looked at Cole.
"I deserve whatever you're thinking."
"You don't know what I'm thinking."
"I can guess."
Cole pulled a chair closer.
"Tell me everything about Ethan."
Victor closed his eyes.
"I approached him with Roman's offer."
"I know."
"He accepted."
"I know."
"He changed his mind when he realized Roman was fixing career paths, not just fights."
"I know."
Victor looked surprised.
Cole continued.
"What I don't know is what happened after you gave Roman the safe-deposit box."
Victor's face filled with shame.
"Roman's people emptied it."
"And Ethan?"
"Confronted me."
"Did you tell Roman he still had another copy?"
"No."
Cole studied him.
"Truth."
"I swear."
Victor looked at Maya.
"That's why Roman kept asking Ethan where it was."
Cole's hands tightened.
"How?"
"Threats."
"What kind?"
"Family."
Cole's jaw flexed.
Victor continued.
"Roman threatened Elaine. Threatened you."
Cole stood abruptly.
"You knew?"
"I didn't know until later."
"When?"
"After the fight."
Cole turned away.
Victor's voice trembled.
"There's something else."
Cole looked back.
"The night Ethan fought Velez, Roman didn't tell Velez to hurt him."
Cole frowned.
"Then who did?"
"No one."
Maya stepped forward.
"What are you saying?"
"The fight itself was real."
Cole stared.
Victor continued.
"Ethan was supposed to lose in six. He refused. Velez didn't know about the fix. By nine, Ethan was exhausted and hurt, but he kept fighting because he thought walking away would prove Roman controlled him."
Cole felt sick.
"So Ethan's death—"
"Wasn't an execution."
Victor swallowed.
"Roman threatened him. Manipulated him. Cornered him. But Ethan died because he stayed in a dangerous fight too long."
Cole sat again.
That truth hurt in a different way.
He had spent days wanting one clean villain.
One murderer.
One person responsible.
Reality was uglier.
Roman created the fear.
Victor betrayed Ethan.
Ray made a mistake.
Ethan made a choice.
Boxing supplied the consequences.
No single punch explained everything.
Victor whispered, "I should have stopped him."
Cole answered, "So should a lot of people."
Victor began crying quietly.
Cole felt no satisfaction.
Only exhaustion.
"What happens to you now?"
Victor looked at Maya.
She answered.
"That depends on what he tells investigators and what crimes can be proven."
Victor nodded.
"I'm telling everything."
Cole stood.
"Good."
Victor looked at him.
"Can you ever forgive me?"
Cole paused at the door.
"No."
Victor lowered his eyes.
Cole continued.
May you like
"But maybe someday I won't hate you."
Then he left.
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