Chapter 6 - The Billionaire's Greatest Weakness
The warehouse was empty.
Too empty.
Victor knew immediately.
“This is a trap.”
Maria looked at him.
“Then why come?”
“Because someone has to spring it.”
They entered.
Rafael's family was nowhere.
Instead, a projector turned on.
A video appeared.
Richard.
“You have what I want.”
Victor stood in front of Maria.
“You don't.”
Richard smiled.
“I already have it.”
The video changed.
A bank document.
Maria's trust had been accessed.
She gasped.
“That's impossible.”
Richard laughed.
“You signed.”
“I never signed anything.”
“Not recently.”
A document appeared.
The same trust agreement she had pretended to sign.
Except this version was different.
It contained her biometric authorization.
Victor understood.
“They recorded your signature.”
“Then forged the rest.”
“Yes.”
Richard had planned the meeting.
He wanted Maria frightened enough to sign.
And he had her face recorded at every angle.
A deepfake could make it appear she consented.
The trap was bigger than either of them realized.
Victor took Maria's hand.
“We leave.”
A gunshot rang out.
The warehouse lights exploded.
Maria screamed.
Victor pushed her behind a steel crate.
Men surrounded them.
Rafael returned fire.
The fight was brief but brutal.
They escaped through a loading tunnel.
At the end of it, Maria collapsed against a wall.
“I can't do this anymore.”
Victor knelt in front of her.
“Yes, you can.”
“Everyone wants something from me.”
“I don't.”
“You want me safe.”
“Yes.”
“That's something.”
He looked at her.
“I want you alive.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Why?”
Because he finally had no reason to lie.
“I love you.”
Silence.
Maria stared at him.
“What?”
“I love you.”
She stepped closer.
“You barely know me.”
“I know enough.”
“I've been sleeping in your bathtub.”
“I know.”
“I spill coffee everywhere.”
“I know.”
“I hate expensive restaurants.”
“I know.”
“I steal your hoodies.”
“I know.”
She laughed through tears.
“You know too much.”
He smiled.
“And I still love you.”
She kissed him.
It was not careful.
It was not planned.
It was the kind of kiss that came from two people who had spent too long pretending they weren't terrified of losing each other.
When they separated, Maria whispered:
“You're an idiot.”
Victor smiled.
“Probably.”
Then Rafael entered.
“Boss.”
They turned.
“We found Elena's location.”
Victor's expression hardened.
“Where?”
“Inside the Torres Grand.”
Maria froze.
“What?”
“Richard has her in the old service tunnels.”
Victor looked toward the hotel skyline.
His hotel.
His company.
His empire.
And suddenly the building he had spent his life controlling had become a maze built to destroy him.
“We're going back.”
The rescue took place at midnight.
Victor entered through the service elevator.
Maria followed.
Rafael led the team.
They found Elena tied inside an old storage room.
She was alive.
Richard stood behind her.
“You finally came.”
Victor raised his weapon.
“Let her go.”
Richard smiled.
“You still don't understand.”
“What?”
“I don't want the money.”
Maria stared.
“What do you want?”
“You.”
She froze.
Richard pointed toward her.
“The trust was only the beginning.”
He turned toward Victor.
“I need you to sign the company transfer.”
“Why?”
“Because your father left a clause.”
Victor's face changed.
“If the surviving heir voluntarily relinquishes control, the company transfers to the legal beneficiary.”
Maria understood.
“Me.”
Richard smiled.
“Exactly.”
He had planned for Victor to give her everything.
Then Richard would take it from her.
But there was a flaw.
The clause required two witnesses.
Elena.
And the current CEO.
Victor.
They had him.
They had Maria.
They had Elena.
May you like
But they didn't have trust.
And trust was the one thing Richard could not force.
