Chapter 8 - Richard Ordered My Death—But the People He Trusted Most Turned on Him Before His Men Could Pull the TriggerRichard left the estate.
Three hours later, the first attack came.
A convoy approached the south gate.
Our security was ready.
The attack lasted four minutes.
Nobody inside the house was hurt.
But the message was clear.
Richard had declared war.
I moved Lily and Elena to a secure location.
Marcus stayed with them.
Adrian stayed with me.
We worked through the ledger.
Names.
Accounts.
Transactions.
Everything Richard had done.
But one entry shocked me.
A payment made twelve years earlier.
To the doctor who declared Marcus dead.
Another payment to the cemetery.
Another to a private investigator.
And another to someone named Elena Russo.
Elena stared at the page.
“That isn't me.”
I checked the account.
Different identification.
Someone had been using her name.
“Who?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Someone who wanted Richard to think Elena was cooperating.”
Then the door opened.
Evelyn entered.
She was carrying a flash drive.
“This is everything.”
“What?”
“Richard's private files.”
She placed it on the desk.
I looked at her.
“Why now?”
“Because my son is dead.”
Silence.
“What?”
“Richard killed him yesterday.”
Her voice was empty.
“He said my son knew too much.”
I closed my eyes.
Evelyn had spent twelve years afraid.
Now she had nothing left to lose.
We opened the files.
Everything was there.
Richard's communications.
Payments.
Orders.
And one recording.
Richard's voice.
“Lily must disappear before Daniel finds the ledger.”
My fists clenched.
Another voice answered.
“Her mother?”
“Make it look like an accident.”
I looked at Elena.
She covered her mouth.
The recording continued.
“And Marcus?”
“Already handled.”
I paused the recording.
“That's enough.”
Adrian looked at me.
“We take this to the authorities.”
I nodded.
“But first, we need one thing.”
“What?”
“Richard himself.”
That night, Richard called.
“You want a meeting?”
“Yes.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Where?”
“The old warehouse.”
I knew exactly which one.
The place where Marcus had supposedly died.
I smiled.
“Fine.”
Richard laughed.
“You're walking into a trap.”
“No.”
May you like
I looked at Marcus.
“We're walking into history.”
Related Stories
