Chapter 10 - The Price of Ten Thousand DollarsAdrian stood in the rain with blood running down his face.
He looked at the photograph again.
Emma was alive.
That was what mattered.
The message contained an address.
An abandoned theater.
No police.
No backup.
No Lucas.
Adrian entered alone.
The theater smelled of dust.
A single spotlight illuminated the stage.
A chair sat in the center.
Emma was not there.
Instead, Graham stood beneath the light.
Silver ring.
Perfect suit.
Calm expression.
“You came.”
Adrian raised his weapon.
“Where is Emma?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“You're angry.”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Adrian advanced.
Graham smiled.
“You've finally started thinking like your father.”
“What did you do to him?”
Graham's expression changed.
For the first time, something resembling regret appeared.
“I didn't kill him.”
“Who did?”
“Vincent.”
Adrian's grip tightened.
“Why?”
“Because your father wanted out.”
“Out of what?”
“The network.”
Graham stepped closer.
“Your father believed he had built an empire. Then he discovered the empire belonged to someone else.”
“Who?”
“A consortium.”
“Names.”
“Names don't matter.”
“They matter to me.”
Graham laughed.
“That is why you are dangerous.”
Adrian heard a sound backstage.
A child crying.
He turned.
Graham said softly:
“Wait.”
Two men brought Emma out.
Adrian's heart clenched.
She was unharmed.
Emma saw him.
“Adrian!”
He wanted to run to her.
Instead, Graham raised a hand.
“Not yet.”
Adrian stared.
“What do you want?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why take her?”
“To make you listen.”
Graham looked at Emma.
“She returned ten thousand dollars.”
“Yes.”
“She did what most adults cannot.”
Adrian frowned.
Graham's eyes hardened.
“She exposed a system built on greed.”
“What system?”
“Your payroll.”
Graham pulled out a folder.
“Every month, money disappears.”
Adrian stared.
“We know.”
“No.”
Graham shook his head.
“You think $480,000 is the theft.”
He opened the folder.
“It's the test.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“For what?”
“To identify who is loyal.”
The truth struck him.
“The reimbursements were planted.”
“Yes.”
“By whom?”
Graham looked at Emma.
“The same person who left the envelope.”
Adrian froze.
“The $10,000 was bait.”
“Yes.”
“Then why?”
Graham whispered:
“To see whether you still trusted your own people.”
Adrian looked at him.
“And Emma?”
“She was never supposed to find it.”
Graham's expression darkened.
“But she did.”
He smiled bitterly.
“And when she returned every dollar, someone above us panicked.”
“Who?”
Graham glanced toward the balcony.
A man stepped from the shadows.
Vincent Hale.
He held a gun.
And beside him stood Thomas Carter.
Alive.
Adrian's eyes widened.
May you like
Vincent smiled.
“You've finally arrived at the real beginning.”
