Chapter 10 - BLOOD IN THE CRYPT
Elena screamed.
But she didn’t fall.
Emily did.
Adrian’s world stopped.
Emily collapsed beside the stone wall.
Blood spread across her side.
“Emily!”
Adrian threw himself from his chair.
His body hit the floor hard.
He dragged himself toward her using only his arms.
Victor stared.
Helena looked shocked.
She hadn’t meant to hit Emily.
Marcus fired.
One of Victor’s men fell.
Chaos erupted.
Federal agents poured down the stairs.
Gunfire cracked against stone.
Victor grabbed Helena.
“Move!”
They escaped through a narrow maintenance tunnel.
Marcus started after them.
Adrian shouted.
“Emily first!”
Marcus stopped.
Emily’s eyes fluttered.
Adrian pressed his hand against the wound.
“Stay with me.”
She tried to smile.
“You say that a lot.”
“Because people around me keep getting shot.”
“That should tell you something.”
Even bleeding, she was sarcastic.
Adrian laughed once.
Then his face broke.
“Don’t do this.”
Emily saw the fear in his eyes.
“Adrian.”
“No.”
“Listen.”
“No.”
“You need to—”
“You are not dying.”
His voice cracked.
“Do you understand me?”
She reached up and touched his cheek.
“You really hate being ignored.”
“Yes.”
Her eyes closed.
“Emily!”
Medics rushed down.
They pulled Adrian away.
He fought them.
“Get off me!”
“Sir, we need room.”
Marcus grabbed his shoulders.
“Adrian.”
He looked at Marcus.
For once, the most feared man in New York looked completely helpless.
“She has a son.”
“I know.”
“I promised him.”
Marcus’s voice softened.
“She’s still breathing.”
They took Emily away.
Surgery lasted four hours.
Adrian waited in the hospital corridor.
His mother sat beside him.
Noah arrived with a security escort.
He ran to Adrian.
“Where’s Mom?”
Adrian looked at the boy.
There was no lie he could tell.
“She got hurt.”
Noah’s face crumpled.
“Bad?”
“Yes.”
“Is she gonna die?”
Adrian swallowed.
“No.”
He said it with certainty he didn’t feel.
Noah climbed into his lap without asking.
Adrian froze.
Then slowly wrapped one arm around him.
The boy cried against his chest.
Adrian stared down the corridor.
Something changed in him.
For years, power had meant control.
Money.
Fear.
Loyalty.
Now power meant keeping one small boy from losing his mother.
And Adrian had never felt less powerful.
Dr. Reed finally appeared.
Adrian’s heart stopped.
“She made it.”
Noah started sobbing again.
Adrian closed his eyes.
The bullet had missed major organs.
Emily would recover.
Then Marcus arrived.
“Adrian.”
He looked grim.
“What?”
“Victor and Helena disappeared.”
Adrian’s expression hardened.
Marcus continued.
“And the ledger they stole…”
He paused.
“…is fake.”
Adrian stared.
“What?”
Elena smiled faintly from the chair beside him.
“They took the copy.”
Marcus turned.
Elena opened her purse.
Inside was a second black ledger.
“The real one.”
For the first time that night, Adrian smiled.
Then Marcus’s phone buzzed.
His smile disappeared.
A federal contact had sent one sentence.
Someone inside your security team warned Helena about the raid.
May you like
The traitor wasn’t outside the Moretti family anymore.
They were standing inside Adrian’s house.
