Chapter 6 - The Marriage No One Remembered
The revelation sounded insane.
But the photograph in Thomas's envelope made it worse.
It showed two infants.
A baby girl.
A baby boy.
A handwritten note.
Lia and Adrian.
Two families.
One alliance.
Vivian stared at Adrian.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“You never heard anything?”
“No.”
Thomas explained.
Years ago, Samuel Hayes and Luca DeLuca had tried to create an alliance strong enough to defeat Kane.
They planned to unite their families.
But not through money.
Through marriage.
Vivian and Adrian were supposed to grow up knowing each other.
Instead, Kane destroyed the arrangement.
Vivian was hidden.
Adrian was kept ignorant.
The families splintered.
“You're telling me I was engaged to a man I didn't even know?”
Thomas nodded.
“Technically.”
Vivian looked at Adrian.
He was staring at the photograph.
“That explains my father's obsession with protecting a girl named Lia.”
“You knew about Lia?”
“I thought it was a code name.”
She laughed.
“This is ridiculous.”
Adrian smiled.
“Chicago has always had bad taste in love stories.”
Despite everything, she laughed too.
That was when the power in the room changed.
They were not simply connected by attraction anymore.
They had been connected by history.
Perhaps their entire lives had been moving toward this moment.
But Kane was still waiting.
That night, they entered the mansion.
The house was empty.
Too empty.
Adrian knew immediately it was a trap.
He turned.
“We leave.”
The doors slammed shut.
Gas flooded the room.
Vivian grabbed his hand.
They ran.
They reached a side hallway.
A steel door opened.
Elliot Kane stood waiting.
He was older than Vivian remembered.
Silver hair.
Elegant suit.
Friendly eyes.
That was what made him terrifying.
“Lia.”
She froze.
“Nobody has called me that in years.”
“I thought you might remember.”
Adrian stepped between them.
“You're supposed to be dead.”
Kane smiled.
“Death is useful.”
He looked at Vivian.
“Your mother understood that.”
“Did you kill her?”
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
Vivian's breath caught.
“She fought.”
“What did you expect?”
Kane looked almost offended.
“She knew too much.”
Vivian wanted to attack him.
Adrian caught her arm.
Kane continued.
“Your father was worse.”
“You killed him too.”
“I gave him a chance.”
“A chance to do what?”
“Join me.”
“He refused.”
“Yes.”
Kane sighed.
“Men like Samuel always confuse ideals with strength.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“You're finished.”
Kane laughed.
“No.”
He pressed a button.
Screens illuminated around the room.
Videos.
Photographs.
Financial records.
Secret recordings.
Politicians taking money.
Police accepting orders.
Judges meeting with criminals.
Kane had enough blackmail material to control Chicago for decades.
“You cannot destroy me,” Kane said.
Vivian looked at the screens.
“Maybe not.”
She smiled.
“But I can expose you.”
Kane's expression changed.
He hadn't expected that.
“You don't understand the ledger.”
“I understand enough.”
“The ledger is incomplete.”
Vivian held up the original book.
“I found the missing pages.”
Kane froze.
Adrian looked at her.
The final pages contained names.
Not victims.
Witnesses.
People who could testify.
Kane's entire network.
Vivian understood.
Her mother hadn't hidden the ledger to protect herself.
She had hidden it to protect everyone who could eventually bring Kane down.
Kane raised a gun.
Adrian raised his.
“Do it,” Kane said.
“You want me dead.”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Because if I shoot you, I become you.”
Kane's expression twisted.
“You already are.”
Adrian lowered his weapon.
“That's where you're wrong.”
The police arrived.
Not Kane's police.
Federal agents.
Thomas had called them.
The room erupted in chaos.
Kane fired.
Adrian tackled Vivian.
A bullet shattered the glass behind them.
Kane ran.
Vivian followed.
They reached the roof.
Kane stood at the edge.
“Lia.”
She stopped.
“Come with me.”
“Never.”
“You belong to this world.”
“No.”
She glanced at Adrian.
“I choose my own world.”
Kane's face collapsed.
Then he jumped onto the adjoining building.
Federal agents pursued him.
He escaped.
But not for long.
May you like
Because Vivian had taken the ledger.
And now Kane had nowhere left to hide.
