Chapter 12 - THE TOWER
Moretti Tower rose sixty stories above Midtown Manhattan.
By the time Adrian arrived, police had surrounded the block.
Victor controlled the executive floors.
Seven board members were trapped upstairs.
So was Adrian’s chief financial officer.
Victor had one demand.
The real Black Ledger.
Adrian stared at the tower from inside the command vehicle.
“He knows we switched it.”
Marcus nodded.
“How?”
“Helena probably figured it out.”
Emily sat beside Adrian.
“You’re not going in.”
He looked at her.
“You’ve been waiting days to say that.”
“I enjoyed it.”
Marcus almost laughed.
Then the police negotiator approached.
“He wants to speak only to you.”
Adrian took the phone.
Victor’s voice came through.
“You embarrassed me.”
“You tried to kill a child.”
“Details.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“Release the hostages.”
“Bring the ledger.”
“No.”
Victor laughed.
“Then people die.”
A scream sounded in the background.
Adrian’s expression changed.
Victor continued.
“Fifty-ninth floor.”
“Thirty minutes.”
“Come alone.”
The line ended.
Emily shook her head.
“No.”
Adrian turned.
“He’ll kill them.”
“And he’ll kill you.”
“Maybe.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Emily.”
“No.”
Her voice cracked.
“You don’t get to walk into death just because you think nobody will miss you.”
Adrian went still.
She leaned closer.
“Noah will.”
“Your mother will.”
“Marcus will.”
Then quieter.
“I will.”
Adrian looked at her.
For several seconds, the city outside disappeared.
He reached for her hand.
“I have no intention of dying.”
Emily squeezed his fingers.
“You better not.”
The plan was simple.
Which meant Adrian hated it.
He entered the tower alone.
The ledger sat in a bag on his lap.
Elevator to fifty-nine.
Doors opened.
Victor waited.
Three armed men.
Seven hostages on their knees.
Helena stood beside the windows.
She smiled.
“My favorite nephew.”
Adrian rolled forward.
“Release them.”
“Ledger.”
Adrian tossed the bag.
Victor opened it.
The real book.
He smiled.
“Finally.”
Then Adrian pressed a hidden button beneath his armrest.
The fire alarm activated.
Sprinklers exploded.
Lights flashed.
Chaos.
The hostages ran.
Victor fired.
Adrian accelerated.
His chair slammed into Victor’s legs.
Victor crashed down.
Adrian grabbed his gun wrist.
They fought on the floor.
Victor punched him.
Adrian hit back.
Helena ran toward the stairwell.
Emily stepped out.
Helena froze.
“You?”
Emily held a fire extinguisher.
“I told him you’d run.”
Helena raised her gun.
Emily swung.
The extinguisher smashed into Helena’s wrist.
The gun flew.
Marcus and tactical officers flooded the floor.
Victor screamed.
“It’s not over!”
Adrian looked down at him.
“It was over three years ago.”
“You just didn’t know yet.”
Victor was handcuffed.
Helena too.
Then an officer opened the ledger.
His face changed.
“Mr. Moretti.”
Adrian turned.
The officer pointed toward one name.
A powerful federal judge.
Then another.
A senator.
Then a governor.
Emily stared.
Adrian understood instantly.
This wasn’t just a family scandal.
The ledger could bring down people across the country.
Then Marcus leaned close.
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
“The press knows.”
Adrian looked toward the windows.
News helicopters circled the tower.
Marcus continued.
“They know the ledger exists.”
May you like
Adrian’s expression hardened.
By morning, every powerful person named inside it would be trying to destroy him.
