Chapter 6 - The Man Behind the Curtain Finally Speaks
The gunfire lasted less than a minute.
When the emergency lights came on, three men were down.
Preston was gone.
Judge Whitmore was gone.
And Genevieve was clutching Elias's sleeve so tightly her knuckles had turned white.
"You hurt?"
"No."
He looked at her anyway.
"You're bleeding."
She glanced at her arm.
A shallow cut.
"I'm fine."
"You're not."
He led her into a side room.
"Sit."
"It's barely anything."
"Sit."
She did.
Elias cleaned the wound himself.
His fingers were gentle.
Genevieve stared at his face.
"You were scared."
"No."
"You were."
He stopped.
Then admitted:
"Yes."
The honesty surprised her.
"Because of me?"
He looked into her eyes.
"Yes."
Something inside her shifted.
Before she could respond, Miriam burst into the room.
"They took Judge Whitmore."
"Preston too?"
"No."
Miriam handed Elias a phone.
"Preston called."
Elias answered.
Preston's voice came through.
"You've been looking in the wrong direction."
Elias remained silent.
"The judge works for me."
Genevieve froze.
Preston continued.
"The Architect works for me."
Elias's eyes turned cold.
"You're lying."
"Am I?"
A laugh.
"Ask yourself why Thomas kept records on my father but never exposed him."
"Where are you?"
"Somewhere your boss can't reach."
Elias's jaw clenched.
"Don't call yourself my boss."
"You're funny."
The line cut.
Genevieve stared.
"He's working for The Architect."
"Apparently."
"Then who is The Architect?"
Elias looked at Miriam.
She whispered:
"Adrian Vale."
Genevieve recognized the name.
"The private equity billionaire?"
Miriam nodded.
"He owns half the transportation companies in the country."
"Why would he need illegal shipping routes?"
"Because illegal cargo is more profitable than legal cargo."
Elias looked at the screen.
"And Adrian has been manipulating the Whitmores to take over Hayes Logistics."
Genevieve suddenly understood.
"This was never about the company."
"No."
Elias looked at her.
"It was about the port."
"My father's port contracts."
"Yes."
"And the routes."
"Exactly."
They had hours to act.
Adrian Vale was hosting a charity gala at the downtown museum that night.
Every important person in Chicago would be there.
Judges.
Lawyers.
Politicians.
Business leaders.
And Adrian.
Elias looked at Genevieve.
"You stay here."
"No."
"Genevieve."
"I'm going."
"This is dangerous."
"So is hiding."
He stared at her.
Then smiled.
"Fine."
She blinked.
"Fine?"
"You've become very difficult."
"I learned from you."
The gala was extravagant.
Crystal chandeliers.
Champagne.
Live orchestra.
Hundreds of guests.
Genevieve wore a black gown.
Elias stayed beside her.
They entered together.
People whispered.
"Romano."
"That's Hayes's daughter."
"Didn't she disappear?"
"Didn't she marry Whitmore?"
Genevieve kept walking.
Adrian Vale approached them.
He was charming.
Silver hair.
Expensive suit.
Perfect smile.
"Mr. Romano."
"Elias."
Adrian looked at Genevieve.
"Miss Hayes."
"Mr. Vale."
"I was sorry to hear about your father's death."
Genevieve watched his eyes.
Not grief.
Calculation.
"Thank you."
Adrian smiled.
"I heard you had a difficult wedding day."
"It wasn't what I expected."
He laughed softly.
"Life rarely is."
Elias's hand rested lightly against Genevieve's back.
Adrian noticed.
Then his smile widened.
"You look protective."
"I am."
Adrian looked at Genevieve.
"Be careful."
"Of what?"
"The people you trust."
Then he walked away.
Genevieve whispered:
"He knows."
"Yes."
Later, while Elias distracted security, Genevieve entered Adrian's private office.
She found a safe.
Inside were documents.
Shipping routes.
Bank transfers.
Photographs.
One photograph made her freeze.
Adrian standing beside Thomas Hayes.
Another showed Elias.
Another showed Preston.
And the final photograph showed Genevieve as a child.
Her stomach dropped.
"They've been watching me my whole life."
Elias entered.
"I know."
She looked at him.
"How long?"
"Longer than either of us knew."
They found a hidden ledger.
It contained names and payments.
At the bottom was a note:
THE HEIR MUST MARRY INTO CONTROL.
Genevieve stared.
"The wedding."
"It was designed years ago."
She looked at Elias.
"Then Preston didn't choose me."
"No."
"He was assigned to me."
Elias nodded.
She felt sick.
Then she found another page.
There was a second name beside hers.
Elias Romano.
Genevieve read it twice.
"Why is your name here?"
Elias took the ledger.
His face changed.
"I don't know."
At that moment, Adrian's voice came through the intercom.
"You do now."
The office door locked.
Smoke began filling the room.
Genevieve coughed.
"Elias."
He grabbed her hand.
"Stay with me."
The windows were sealed.
The exits were locked.
Adrian's voice returned.
"Thomas Hayes knew the truth."
A pause.
"And he trusted the wrong man."
Genevieve looked at Elias.
"What does he mean?"
Elias didn't answer.
Because suddenly he was staring at the ledger.
His own signature appeared on one of the final pages.
May you like
And beneath it were two words.
ASSET PROTECTOR.
