Chapter 7 - The Man Who Wanted the Trust More Than He Wanted to LivePatrick took Evelyn.
He disappeared before police arrived.
Declan refused to sit still.
He wanted revenge.
Nora stopped him.
“No.”
He looked at her.
“He shot my mother.”
“I know.”
“He took her.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you stopping me?”
“Because that's what he wants.”
Declan stared.
“He wants me angry.”
“Yes.”
“He wants me reckless.”
“Yes.”
“So I walk into his trap.”
“Exactly.”
Declan looked at her.
“You're becoming very good at this.”
She smiled sadly.
“I've had terrible teachers.”
The final location was decoded.
The trust was held beneath an old federal courthouse.
Patrick planned to access it with Evelyn.
He needed Nora's code.
But Nora had one advantage.
The lullaby.
She had memorized the entire sequence.
The trust opened only when the code was spoken by the original bloodline.
Michael Hayes had created it.
Nora was the only living person who could activate it.
They entered the courthouse at midnight.
No guards.
No police.
No visible security.
Too quiet.
They reached the basement.
A steel door opened.
Patrick stood behind it.
Evelyn was tied to a chair.
Lily was beside her.
Nora's heart stopped.
“Mia—”
She corrected herself.
“Lily.”
Her daughter looked at her.
“Mommy.”
Patrick smiled.
“Come closer.”
Declan raised his weapon.
Patrick laughed.
“You can't shoot.”
“Try me.”
“You want your mother alive.”
Declan stopped.
Nora whispered:
“We'll do it.”
She walked forward.
Patrick handed her a microphone.
“Say the song.”
Nora took a breath.
The lullaby began.
One verse.
Two.
Three.
The vault opened.
Inside were servers.
Documents.
Money.
Everything.
Patrick smiled.
“Finally.”
He rushed inside.
Nora looked at Declan.
“Now.”
Declan moved.
The lights went out.
Gunfire.
Patrick's men rushed in.
Ethan appeared from nowhere.
He tackled one.
Marcus tackled another.
Evelyn freed herself.
Lily crawled toward Nora.
Nora grabbed her.
Then the fire alarms started.
Patrick had started a fire.
Smoke filled the basement.
“Move!”
Declan grabbed Nora.
They ran.
But Patrick remained behind.
He was trying to destroy the evidence.
Declan turned.
“I'll go back.”
Nora grabbed him.
“No.”
“He'll destroy everything.”
“You'll die.”
He looked at her.
“Then we'll both die.”
She slapped him.
He stared.
She cried.
“You don't get to do that to me.”
His expression softened.
She shook her head.
“I already lost enough.”
He pulled her against him.
“I’m sorry.”
“I don't want sorry.”
“What do you want?”
“You.”
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Declan stared.
“You have me.”
They kissed.
It lasted only seconds.
Then Marcus shouted:
“Boss!”
The ceiling started collapsing.
They ran.
Patrick emerged behind them.
He had Evelyn at gunpoint.
“Drop the weapons.”
Declan did.
Nora looked at him.
Patrick smiled.
“You really do love them.”
Declan nodded.
“Yes.”
Patrick laughed.
“That will be your weakness.”
“No.”
Declan looked at him.
“It’s yours.”
He stepped forward.
“You think money made you powerful.”
Patrick shook his head.
“I think fear did.”
Declan smiled.
“And you're afraid right now.”
Patrick froze.
Behind him, federal agents appeared.
Marcus had called them.
The entire trust had already been copied.
The evidence was safe.
Patrick looked at Nora.
“You.”
She nodded.
“I.”
He lowered the gun.
The agents moved.
Patrick was arrested.
The fire was extinguished.
The trust remained intact.
For the first time in decades, the money was no longer under criminal control.
The families would receive it.
The victims would receive it.
The children would receive it.
The system would end.
Evelyn looked at Declan.
“I was wrong.”
“About what?”
“I thought protecting you meant controlling you.”
Declan smiled sadly.
“It didn't.”
“No.”
She looked at Nora.
“It meant trusting you.”
Nora approached.
Evelyn reached for her hand.
“I loved you.”
Nora's eyes filled.
May you like
“I know.”
That was enough.
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