Chapter 4 - The Ledger Revealed Why Richard Wanted Sadie Alive More Than Anyone Else
Richard escaped with half the ledger.
Cormac had the other half.
The pages were useless separately.
Together, they revealed the entire network.
And one name appeared repeatedly.
Eleanor Vale.
Cormac's mother.
He stared.
“No.”
Sadie read it.
“She was involved.”
“Yes.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“She wasn't the mastermind.”
“Then why her name?”
“Because she tried to stop them.”
Cormac looked at his mother.
“What did you do?”
Eleanor answered:
“I signed the papers.”
“For what?”
“The fire.”
Silence.
“You approved it?”
“I thought it would scare Matteo into leaving.”
“But he didn't.”
“No.”
“He died.”
“Yes.”
Cormac's voice broke.
“You let him die.”
Eleanor cried.
“I was afraid.”
He stepped away.
Sadie watched.
This was the same family she had just discovered she belonged to.
A family built on fear.
She understood why her mother had hidden her.
Then Richard sent a message.
Bring the girl.
Cormac refused.
Instead, they created a trap.
They leaked information that Sadie was leaving Chicago.
Richard took the bait.
He sent men.
Cormac followed.
Sadie did too.
At an abandoned train station, Richard appeared.
He smiled.
“You look like your father.”
Sadie said:
“I am not him.”
“You don't have to be.”
“What do you want?”
“The ledger.”
“You have half.”
“I need yours.”
“No.”
Richard laughed.
“You think Cormac will protect you?”
Sadie looked at him.
“He already has.”
“You think he isn't capable of becoming his father?”
“No.”
“You think blood doesn't matter?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Choice matters.”
Richard's expression hardened.
He raised a weapon.
Cormac stepped out.
“Put it down.”
Richard smiled.
“You came.”
Cormac moved forward.
“Let her go.”
“You should have killed her twenty years ago.”
“I didn't know who she was.”
“But you knew she was alive.”
Cormac's face changed.
“What?”
Richard smiled.
“You knew.”
He pulled out an old photograph.
A little girl.
Cormac carrying her from the fire.
He stared.
“I thought she died.”
“You didn't check.”
“I was eighteen.”
“You were weak.”
“I was trying to save my brother.”
Richard laughed.
“And failed.”
Cormac's jaw tightened.
“You caused the fire.”
“Yes.”
“You killed Matteo.”
“Yes.”
“You killed Elena.”
“Yes.”
“And you tried to kill Julian.”
Richard smiled.
“All for the ledger.”
“No.”
Cormac shook his head.
“You want the ledger because it proves you control the entire organization.”
Richard stared.
“You finally understand.”
Sadie stepped forward.
“And that's why you wanted me alive.”
Richard nodded.
“You are the legal heir.”
“The trust.”
“Yes.”
“What trust?”
“A fortune your grandfather placed outside the criminal business.”
The trust contained legitimate assets.
Billions.
Richard could not access them.
Only Matteo's surviving child could.
Sadie.
He wanted her signature.
Cormac stepped forward.
“She will never sign.”
Richard smiled.
“We'll see.”
He signaled.
Men surrounded them.
Cormac raised his weapon.
Sadie took his hand.
He looked at her.
“Trust me.”
She whispered.
“I do.”
Then she stepped toward Richard.
“I'll sign.”
Cormac stared.
“What are you doing?”
She looked at him.
“Trust me.”
Richard smiled.
That was exactly what he wanted.
The transfer documents were prepared.
Sadie signed.
Richard laughed.
But he did not know the document contained a clause Cormac's attorney had inserted.
The transfer would only become valid if Richard's coercion could not be proved.
And his entire confession had been recorded.
Richard realized too late.
The police arrived.
He tried to flee.
Cormac stopped him.
No gunshot.
No revenge.
Just handcuffs.
As Richard was taken away, he looked at Sadie.
“You think this ends with me?”
Sadie shook her head.
“No.”
“It ends with you deciding what your family becomes.”
He disappeared.
Sadie looked at Cormac.
“What now?”
He smiled.
May you like
“Now we rebuild.”
---
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