Chapter 10 - The Brother Who Never Died
Dominic demanded all three keys.
Adrian had six hours.
Luca arrived ten minutes later.
When he saw Sophia on the video, every trace of humor vanished.
“He dies tonight.”
“Not if killing him gets them killed first,” Adrian said.
Luca slammed his fist against the table.
“He has my sister.”
“And Emma.”
Clara stood nearby, pale but steady.
Victor placed the three archive components on the table.
“We give him what he wants.”
Adrian looked at him.
“No.”
“Then Sophia and Emma die.”
“No. We make him believe he's getting what he wants.”
They constructed a false archive package.
Luca objected.
“He'll test it.”
“Exactly.”
Adrian had finally understood Richard's safeguard.
The last key is blood.
The archive required Adrian's biometric confirmation.
Dominic could possess every component and still fail.
That made Adrian the bait.
The exchange took place beneath the Marlowe ballroom.
Dominic had known about tunnels built during Prohibition.
Adrian entered alone.
Emma sat beside Sophia.
Both were tied but unharmed.
Dominic smiled.
“My nephew.”
“Let them go.”
“The keys.”
Adrian placed them down.
Dominic inserted each into an old terminal.
Three green lights appeared.
Then:
FINAL AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED.
Dominic laughed.
“Richard always loved drama.”
He looked at Adrian.
“Your hand.”
Adrian approached the scanner.
Sophia shook her head.
“Don't.”
Dominic pressed the gun against Emma.
Adrian placed his palm down.
The machine activated.
ARCHIVE OPEN.
Thousands of files appeared.
Dominic stared.
Twenty years of crimes.
Names.
Payments.
Murders.
Adrian stepped back.
“You have it.”
Dominic smiled.
“Yes.”
“No.”
Victor's voice came from the tunnel.
“You have evidence.”
Dominic turned.
Victor emerged.
“You don't have control.”
Dominic's smile faded.
Luca appeared behind him.
Daniel from another passage.
Dominic realized he was surrounded.
Then he laughed.
“You think I came alone?”
Explosives activated beneath the ballroom.
Red lights blinked along the walls.
Sophia's face drained.
Dominic held up a trigger.
“If I release this, the house comes down.”
Adrian looked at Emma.
She was crying silently.
“Let them leave.”
Dominic shook his head.
“Family stays together.”
“You aren't my family.”
For the first time, Dominic looked hurt.
Then furious.
“I built everything you inherited.”
“No.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“You spent twenty years hiding beneath other men's lives.”
Dominic's thumb tightened.
Victor moved.
A shot rang out.
The trigger fell.
Luca caught it before it struck the floor.
Daniel tackled Dominic.
Adrian freed Sophia.
Clara rushed down and grabbed Emma.
For one glorious second, it seemed finished.
Then Dominic laughed from beneath Daniel.
“You still don't understand.”
Adrian turned.
Dominic looked toward Victor.
“Tell him.”
Victor went pale.
“Tell me what?”
Dominic smiled.
“Tell him who really ordered Richard Marlowe's death.”
Silence.
Adrian looked at Victor.
May you like
Victor could not meet his eyes.
And that was the moment Adrian knew the answer was worse than anything Dominic had done.
