Chapter 8 - THE LAST MERCER
The darkness became chaos.
Sadi dropped to the floor.
Dominic fired toward the doorway.
Men shouted.
Glass shattered.
Then someone grabbed Sadi from behind.
She fought.
The attacker slammed her into the wall.
She recognized the voice.
Vincent.
“You have your father's eyes.”
Sadi drove her elbow backward.
Vincent grunted.
She escaped.
Across the room, Dominic was fighting two men.
Sadi ran toward him.
Vincent raised his gun.
A shot exploded.
Dominic fell.
“Dominic!”
Sadi screamed.
Vincent smiled.
But Dominic wasn't dead.
The bullet had struck his vest.
He rose.
Vincent's smile disappeared.
Sadi grabbed the ledger and ran toward the old ring.
She remembered her father's lessons.
Never fight where your enemy expects.
She pulled a lever beneath the ring.
The floor opened.
A hidden tunnel appeared.
Dominic understood.
“Inside!”
They escaped beneath the building.
Vincent followed.
The tunnel led directly to an abandoned subway platform.
Sadi looked at Dominic.
Blood covered his shirt.
“You're hurt.”
“I'm fine.”
“You're bleeding.”
“I've been worse.”
She touched his face.
“Don't do that.”
“Do what?”
“Pretend you're invincible.”
He looked at her.
“Only around you.”
She smiled despite everything.
Then Dominic kissed her.
It wasn't planned.
It wasn't careful.
It was desperate.
Years of loneliness disappeared for one moment.
When they separated, Sadi whispered.
“We're not dying tonight.”
“No.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Behind them, footsteps echoed.
Vincent had found them.
But he didn't know Sadi had already sent the ledger to every major news organization in the city.
At midnight, the files went public.
Vincent's empire began collapsing.
Judges resigned.
Police commanders were arrested.
Bank accounts were frozen.
Politicians disappeared from public view.
Vincent ran.
But Dominic knew exactly where he'd go.
May you like
The Foundry.
The place where everything began.
