Chapter 14 - THE LEDGER
Margaret walked toward the altar.
“You thought the Black Ledger was your father's creation.”
She laughed.
“It wasn't.”
I stared.
“Then whose?”
“Mine.”
Silence.
Even Vincent looked stunned.
Margaret had been building the network long before my father took control.
She had manipulated him.
She had manipulated Matteo.
She had manipulated governments.
And she had kept Daniel alive because Daniel was the key to everything.
“You don't want money,” I said.
“No.”
“What do you want?”
“Control.”
“Over what?”
“Everything.”
She opened a metal case.
Inside was a small black book.
The original ledger.
Names.
Accounts.
Secrets.
Enough information to destroy governments.
Margaret looked at Daniel.
“Your grandfather understood something.”
“What?”
“People don't obey money.”
She smiled.
“They obey fear.”
I stepped closer.
“And you think you can control me?”
“No.”
She pointed to Daniel.
“I can control you through him.”
Daniel looked terrified.
I moved between them.
“Don't touch my son.”
Margaret smiled.
“That's exactly why you're useful.”
Then Elena stepped forward.
“You forgot something.”
Margaret turned.
“What?”
“The original ledger isn't complete.”
Margaret's expression changed.
Elena pulled a flash drive from her pocket.
“I copied the missing pages.”
Margaret's face went white.
“Where did you get that?”
“Your husband.”
“Thomas is dead.”
“No.”
Elena smiled.
“He's alive.”
The cathedral doors opened.
An older man walked in.
Thomas Hayes.
Margaret stumbled backward.
“Thomas…”
He looked at her.
“You should have stopped when I disappeared.”
She raised her weapon.
Thomas didn't move.
“You can't kill me.”
“Why?”
“Because everything you built is already exposed.”
Screens around the cathedral turned on.
Documents appeared.
Bank accounts.
Names.
Payments.
Video evidence.
The entire Black Ledger was being uploaded.
Margaret screamed.
“Who did this?”
Thomas looked at me.
“Your son.”
I stared.
Daniel?
Thomas explained.
Daniel's medical device had been connected to a hospital network.
Elena had discovered that connection.
Together, they had used it to trace the Ledger's hidden servers.
The six-year-old boy Margaret thought she controlled had unknowingly become the reason her empire was collapsing.
Margaret raised her weapon.
I raised mine.
“It's over.”
She laughed.
“No.”
She grabbed Daniel.
I froze.
“Drop the gun.”
I did.
“Dad!”
Margaret pulled Daniel toward the altar.
Then Matteo appeared behind her.
He pointed a gun at Margaret.
“Let him go.”
She turned.
“You.”
Matteo smiled.
“You were never in control.”
He shot her.
Margaret fell.
Daniel ran toward me.
I caught him.
Then Matteo lowered his weapon.
“I don't want him anymore.”
I stared.
“Why?”
“Because I finally understand.”
He looked at Daniel.
“Our father wanted us to fight over a throne.”
He looked at me.
“But there was never a throne.”
“What do you mean?”
“The money is gone.”
“What?”
Matteo smiled.
“Your father transferred it years ago.”
“To whom?”
He looked at Daniel.
“To the children.”
I felt the room spin.
Then alarms began screaming.
Thomas looked at the screens.
“Someone just breached the system.”
Vincent checked his phone.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“All the Ledger accounts are moving.”
“Where?”
He looked at me.
“Into Daniel's trust.”
Then the cathedral doors exploded open.
And a convoy of black SUVs surrounded the building.
Matteo whispered:
“Those aren't our men.”
I raised my weapon.
“Then whose are they?”
A voice came through the loudspeaker.
“Federal agents.”
May you like
Thomas looked at me.
“It's time.”
