Part 18
The extraction from the ruined Wisconsin bunker was swift and silent.
Adrian’s secondary strike team had secured the area, clearing the remaining Volkov forces from the property.
Hector had survived, though he was heavily bandaged, having taken two rounds to the shoulder while defending the elevator shaft.
They were now inside a hidden, luxury safehouse penthouse overlooking the rainy skyline of downtown Milwaukee.
The living room was quiet, lit only by the ambient glow of the city lights below.
Adrian sat at a massive glass desk, a glass of untouched whiskey sitting before him.
In the center of the room, tied to a heavy steel chair, was Marco.
The head of estate security looked broken. His face was swollen, his fingers bent at unnatural angles from the interrogation he had already endured during the drive from Chicago.
Emma stood in the doorway of the kitchen, holding Leo, watching the grim scene unfold. She knew she should look away, but she couldn't. She was part of this now.
"Why, Marco?" Adrian asked, his voice a flat, dead calm that was far more terrifying than any shout. "I gave you everything. You were my brother in all but blood."
Marco spat blood onto the expensive hardwood floor, laughing weakly. "Brother? You don't have brothers, Adrian. You have tools. You became weak the moment Clara died. You became obsessed with a child while the syndicate was ready to expand."
"So you sold my son to Volkov," Adrian stated.
"Volkov offered me half of the city," Marco sneered, his eyes wild. "The ledger... the cipher on the boy’s neck... with that, we could control every politician from here to Washington. You were hoarding the power, Adrian. You were letting the empire rot because of a crying baby."
Adrian stood up slowly, walking around the desk until he was standing directly in front of the traitor.
"You think power is about money, Marco," Adrian said softly. "You think it’s about control."
He reached out, his hand gently grasping Marco’s jaw, forcing him to look up.
"Power is about legacy. It’s about ensuring that when you are gone, your blood remains unbroken. You threatened my legacy. You threatened my soul."
Adrian pulled a silver pocket knife from his vest.
Emma flinched, stepping forward. "Adrian, don't. Not in front of the baby."
Adrian froze.
He looked back at Emma. He saw the genuine plea in her eyes, the innocence she was trying so desperately to preserve for Leo.
He looked down at his son, who was watching him with wide, curious eyes.
Adrian closed the knife with a sharp click.
He looked at Hector, who stood by the door.
"Take him to the lake," Adrian ordered coldly. "Ensure he never sees the sun rise again. Do it quietly."
"Yes, boss," Hector said, dragging the screaming traitor out of the room.
Adrian turned back to the window, his shoulders tense.
Emma walked over to him, standing just a few inches away.
"The ledger Volkov stole," she said quietly. "It’s a trap, Adrian."
May you like
Adrian turned his head sharply. "What do you mean?"
"I looked at the medallion," Emma explained, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the folded piece of paper she had taken from the hidden compartment. "Your wife... Clara. She hid a message inside. The cipher on the back is a fake. The real key to unlock the ledger is the date you met."
