Chapter 9 - The TrapThe district attorney arrived seven minutes later.

Exactly.

No sirens.

No flashing lights.

Just three black SUVs pulling into the underground entrance.

Sebastián watched from behind the concrete barrier.

Adrián stood beside Vega.

His father sat against the wall, bleeding from the shoulder.

Rebeca was nowhere to be seen.

Valeria held the baby.

Mercer looked uneasy.

"Something is wrong."

Sebastián nodded.

"The message came too easily."

The first SUV stopped.

The district attorney stepped out.

Elias Grant.

Sebastián knew him from the news.

Grant had built his reputation on dismantling powerful financial networks.

He looked toward Vega.

"Mr. Vega."

Vega smiled.

"District Attorney Grant."

Grant looked at the people in the room.

Then at the ledger.

Then at Sebastián.

"You're the one who contacted my office."

Valeria nodded.

Grant approached.

"Are the files intact?"

"Yes."

He held out his hand.

Valeria reached for the drive.

Then stopped.

"Before I give you this, tell me who sent the first message."

Grant's expression changed.

"What message?"

"The one saying the district attorney already had the files."

Grant looked at her.

"I never sent that."

The room froze.

Sebastián looked at Mercer.

Mercer slowly lowered his gun.

"Then who did?"

Grant glanced around.

"Everyone in this room is compromised."

Adrián smiled.

"I warned you."

Suddenly, all three SUVs locked their doors.

The windows tinted black.

The lights went out.

A chemical fog flooded the room.

Sebastián grabbed Valeria.

"Cover your mouth!"

People began collapsing.

Grant fell first.

Mercer staggered.

Vega remained standing.

Sebastián felt his knees weaken.

Valeria pushed the baby toward him.

"Take him."

He grabbed the child.

"Valeria!"

She fell.

Sebastián caught her.

Her eyes fluttered.

"Don't trust..."

Then she went limp.

Sebastián looked up.

Adrián was still standing.

"So you planned this."

Adrián shook his head.

"I planned the first part."

"What does that mean?"

A gunshot rang out.

Vega fell.

Adrián spun.

Someone had shot him.

A woman stepped through the fog.

Rebeca.

She held a smoking pistol.

"Enough."

Adrián stared at her.

"Mother."

Sebastián froze.

"Mother?"

Rebeca walked toward them.

Her expression was broken.

"I should have killed the ledger years ago."

Sebastián stared.

"Why?"

"Because your father made a deal."

"What deal?"

Rebeca looked at Adrián.

"One child would inherit everything."

She looked at Sebastián.

"The other would be erased."

Sebastián whispered:

"Adrián."

Rebeca nodded.

"Your father chose you."

Adrián coughed.

"She is lying."

Rebeca fired again.

Sebastián shouted.

"Stop!"

Adrián collapsed.

Rebeca turned toward Sebastián.

"Now listen to me."

She pointed the gun at the baby.

"Because the contract has changed."

Sebastián stepped back.

"What contract?"

"The child can replace you."

He stared.

"No."

Rebeca whispered:

"That's why they need the baby alive."

The fog began clearing.

Grant slowly stood.

His eyes locked on Rebeca.

"You don't know what you just started."

Rebeca smiled bitterly.

"Oh, I know."

She looked at Sebastián.

"The Red Ledger isn't a record."

She raised her gun.

"It's a death list."

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Then every phone in the room received the same message.

24 HOURS UNTIL ACTIVATION.