Chapter 16 - The Choice of Mercy or Destruction
Senator Thomas Sterling collapsed back into his leather chair,
staring down at the heavy leather binder resting on his desk as if it were a literal ticking time bomb loaded with his complete political and personal destruction.
You're going to ruin me,
Sterling whispered in a broken,
defeated voice,
tears of genuine terror welling up in his aging eyes.
Why aren't you having me killed right here,
right now,
like you do with all your other enemies in the Chicago underworld.
Because killing you is too quick,
too clean,
and far too merciful for a coward who hides behind a political office to wage war on civilians,
Adrian replied without turning around,
stopping just outside the shattered doorway.
You are going to resign by tomorrow noon citing sudden health reasons,
you are going to surrender every single asset you stole from the public trust,
and you are going to spend the rest of your natural life rotting in a maximum-security federal penitentiary where no amount of political influence can ever save you.
And if I refuse,
Sterling choked out desperately,
clutching the edge of the desk with trembling fingers.
If you refuse,
Adrian stated coldly,
his eyes flashing with a lethal,
frozen fire,
Marcus will release the second binder containing the evidence of your involvement in last night's assault on Audrey Miller directly to the public media networks,
and you won't even make it to a federal prison before the inmates tear you apart limb from limb.
Adrian walked away down the grand hallway,
leaving the disgraced senator alone in his sunlit study with the ghosts of his own catastrophic ambitions.
Marcus fell into step beside his boss as they descended the curved staircase toward the waiting Audi parked in the courtyard.
The threat is neutralized,
Boss,
Marcus reported quietly as they slid into the vehicle.
Senator Sterling has already instructed his chief of staff to draft his formal resignation letter for the morning press conference.
Good,
Adrian murmured,
shifting the car into gear as they rolled away from the estate.
May you like
Let's go home,
Audrey is waiting for us.
