Chapter 5 - THE BETRAYAL INSIDE THE FOUNDry
Dominic had always believed betrayal came from enemies.
He was wrong.
It came from people who knew where you slept.
Marcus Hale had been beside Dominic for fourteen years.
He had taken bullets for him.
Buried bodies for him.
Protected his family.
And now security footage showed Marcus meeting Vincent Moretti three nights earlier.
Sadi watched the recording twice.
“You trust him.”
“I did.”
“What are you going to do?”
Dominic closed the laptop.
“Nothing.”
She frowned.
“Nothing?”
“Not yet.”
“You're letting him walk around?”
“I need to know what Vincent promised him.”
Sadi shook her head.
“You're gambling with your life.”
“So are you.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“No.”
Dominic looked at her.
“But it's the truth.”
That night, Sadi discovered something worse.
The encryption on Caleb's drive contained a second file.
A video.
Caleb appeared on screen.
Older.
Tired.
Terrified.
“Sadi,” he said.
Her heart broke.
“If you're watching this, I'm dead.”
Sadi covered her mouth.
Caleb continued.
“I need you to know one thing.”
He looked directly into the camera.
“I never abandoned you.”
Tears filled Sadi's eyes.
“I pushed your mother away because Vincent had discovered you existed.”
Caleb explained that Vincent believed Sadi was the key to accessing the hidden records.
Not because she knew anything.
But because Caleb had hidden the encryption key inside something she carried every day.
Sadi looked down at her necklace.
Her father's old silver pendant.
She touched it.
Dominic immediately understood.
“The key.”
She removed it.
Inside was a tiny metal strip.
Caleb had hidden the password in the pendant.
Sadi began crying.
“He protected me.”
Dominic placed his hand over hers.
“Yes.”
She looked at him.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then she whispered.
“Thank you.”
Dominic's voice softened.
“I would have done the same.”
“You barely knew me.”
“I know you now.”
The silence between them changed.
Sadi felt it.
So did Dominic.
But before either could speak, the door exploded inward.
Marcus stood there.
Gun raised.
“Give me the drive.”
Dominic stepped between him and Sadi.
“Why?”
“Because Vincent owns half this city.”
“He doesn't own me.”
Marcus's eyes hardened.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand perfectly.”
Marcus fired.
Dominic moved.
The bullet struck his shoulder.
Sadi screamed.
Dominic staggered.
Marcus raised the gun again.
Sadi grabbed a metal lamp and struck his wrist.
The weapon fell.
Dominic tackled him.
They crashed through the table.
Marcus fought desperately.
Then Dominic pinned him.
“Who else?”
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“Everyone.”
Dominic froze.
Marcus whispered.
“Vincent has people inside your house. Inside your business. Inside your security.”
Then he smiled.
“And one of them is standing right outside this door.”
The door slowly opened.
May you like
A familiar face appeared.
Sadi's mother.
