Chapter 7 - A Debt Her Brother Never Owed
Gunther replayed the recording.
Again.
Again.
Victor finally took the phone away.
“That's impossible.”
Gunther said nothing.
His father, Gabriel Woods Sr., had supposedly died after a stroke.
Gunther had seen the body.
Or believed he had.
Anthony examined the recording.
“Could be manipulated.”
Gunther wanted to believe that.
At Pier Fourteen, they found no hostages.
Only a speaker.
Mrs. Gable's voice played through it.
She wanted the ledgers.
Then Gunther's father's voice returned.
“Give Eleanor what belongs to her.”
Gunther shot the speaker.
Kayla didn't flinch.
Back at the estate, Anthony revealed the truth.
Gabriel Sr. had planned his own disappearance.
The body Gunther saw had been switched before the private funeral.
Only a handful of people knew.
Mrs. Gable had helped.
“Why?” Gunther asked.
“Because federal investigators were closing in.”
Anthony explained that Gabriel had intended Gunther to inherit the legitimate businesses while Eleanor continued the criminal network.
But Gunther had taken control of everything.
Eleanor lost millions.
She had spent two years quietly undermining him.
Sam's accident was part of the cleanup.
Kayla's father had been the beginning.
Her mother had been next.
Gunther stared at the ledgers.
“This ends.”
Victor looked at him.
“How?”
Gunther closed the book.
“We give everything to the federal prosecutor.”
Everyone stared.
Gunther Woods had just proposed destroying his own empire.
Kayla understood before anyone else.
“You'd lose everything.”
“Not everything.”
His eyes met hers.
The silence lasted too long.
Victor noticed.
So did Sam.
Gunther looked away first.
That night, Kayla couldn't sleep.
She walked downstairs.
Gunther sat alone in the library.
“No empty rooms tonight?” she asked.
He looked up.
“You should be sleeping.”
“So should you.”
She sat opposite him.
He told her about his childhood.
His father's lessons.
Trust nobody.
Need nobody.
Love nobody enough that their loss can weaken you.
Kayla listened.
Then she said:
“That sounds lonely.”
“It was efficient.”
“Was?”
Gunther looked at her.
She suddenly became aware of how close they were.
He reached toward her face.
Stopped.
Kayla didn't move away.
His fingers gently brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.
The moment was interrupted by breaking glass.
Gunther pulled Kayla down.
A bullet struck the wall.
Security alarms erupted.
Gunther covered her with his body.
Another shot.
Then silence.
Victor ran in.
Gunther stood.
On the floor beside the shattered window was another black envelope.
Inside was a photograph taken minutes earlier.
Gunther touching Kayla's face.
May you like
On the back:
NOW I KNOW WHAT TO TAKE FROM YOU.
