Chapter 9
Seven Mercer men entered the outer tunnel.
Only three knew the real plan.
The others had been told I was transferring family reserves outside the organization because Sabrina manipulated me.
That was how Marcus built his faction.
Not by saying betray Adrian.
By saying protect Mercer from Sabrina.
Old prejudice dressed as concern.
I met them before they reached the archive chamber.
No weapons raised.
Not yet.
The oldest among them, Gabriel Stone, looked at me.
“Boss.”
“Gabriel.”
He seemed relieved I answered normally.
Good.
“What were you told?”
His eyes moved toward Sabrina.
“That the reserve was being emptied.”
I looked at Vincent.
He shook his head.
Nothing had moved.
I turned back.
“By who?”
Gabriel hesitated.
“Your sister.”
Sabrina stepped beside me.
Not behind.
Gabriel frowned.
Marcus Vale shouted from the archive room.
“Don’t listen to them. She has the card. She has access to everything.”
I almost laughed.
There.
The fear in one sentence.
A woman has access.
As if access itself were theft.
I held up my empty hands.
“The reserve remains untouched.”
Gabriel looked toward Vincent.
Vincent nodded.
“Every dollar.”
The seven men shifted.
Marcus realized the story was collapsing.
He tried another angle.
“She controls the independent loyalty circle.”
Sabrina looked at him.
“No.”
Vincent answered.
“It exists only for extraction during danger.”
Gabriel frowned.
“Extraction of who?”
“Sabrina and her child.”
Silence.
Then one of the younger men spoke.
“That’s what this is about?”
Marcus snapped, “It’s bigger.”
“No,” I said.
I looked at every man.
“It became bigger because men inside my family decided my sister’s ability to leave danger was an insult to their authority.”
Nobody moved.
I continued.
“Ellis threatened her. Vanessa used Noah. Marcus gave them access. Then he called the reserve dangerous because it did exactly what my father built it to do.”
Gabriel looked at Marcus.
“You told us Adrian was giving Chappell six million.”
Marcus said nothing.
There it was.
The final lie.
He had mobilized Mercer men by telling them Ellis was receiving the money.
In reality, Ellis wanted it.
Different story.
Different loyalty.
Gabriel stepped away from the tunnel entrance.
Then another man did.
Then another.
Marcus stared at them.
“You’re choosing her over family.”
I looked at him.
“No.”
I nodded toward Sabrina.
May you like
“She is family.”
That sentence ended the faction faster than any threat could have.
