Chapter 12 - FORTY-EIGHT MILLION
Nobody spoke.
Dominic looked at Susan.
“Freeze everything.”
“I’m calling now.”
Daniel laughed.
“Too late.”
Marcus grabbed his shoulder.
“Where is it?”
“Not one place.”
“Crypto?”
“Some.”
“Offshore?”
“Some.”
“Where?”
Daniel looked directly at Dominic.
“You always thought fear made people loyal.”
Dominic said nothing.
“It doesn’t.”
Daniel leaned closer.
“It just makes them patient.”
Those words landed harder than the missing money.
Dominic had spent years building an empire.
He told himself he protected people.
Provided jobs.
Kept dangerous men away from his family.
But somewhere along the way, he had started believing silence meant respect.
Maybe it only meant fear.
Police arrived.
Daniel was taken out in handcuffs.
Before leaving, he turned.
“Oh, one more thing.”
Dominic looked at him.
“The transfer sequence triggers at midnight.”
Marcus checked the clock.
11:18 p.m.
“Forty-two minutes,” Susan said.
Dominic moved fast.
Phones came out.
Banking teams were called.
Cybersecurity staff were dragged from bed.
Federal investigators joined the conference.
Eleven accounts.
Six countries.
Three shell companies.
Every minute mattered.
At 11:43, they froze twelve million.
At 11:51, nine more.
At 11:57, Marcus found a hidden authorization token on Daniel’s corporate profile.
At 11:59:14, they suspended the final transfer.
The room went silent.
Susan looked at the screen.
“Thirty-nine million recovered or frozen.”
Dominic exhaled.
“And the rest?”
“Still moving.”
“Nine million?”
“Approximately.”
Marcus rubbed his face.
“Could be worse.”
Dominic looked at him.
“Could be better.”
Natalie sat near the window.
Emma brought her coffee.
“Thank you.”
Emma smiled.
“You’re welcome.”
Natalie looked at Dominic.
“You know Mom would be yelling at you right now.”
“For what?”
“For thinking this is about money.”
He frowned.
“She’d say you almost lost your family while protecting your empire.”
That hurt because it was true.
Dominic sat beside her.
“I’m sorry.”
Natalie looked surprised.
“For what?”
“For not seeing it.”
“You were in love.”
“I was distracted.”
“You were lonely.”
He looked away.
Natalie touched his arm.
“Those aren’t the same thing.”
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Mercer.”
Silence.
Then Brooke’s voice.
“Dominic.”
He stood.
“How are you calling me?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“You’re in custody.”
“Not anymore.”
His face changed.
Marcus looked up.
Brooke whispered, “Martin made another deal.”
“Where are you?”
“Come to the cemetery.”
Dominic went still.
“What?”
“Your mother’s grave.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s something Catherine never told you.”
Dominic’s heart began pounding.
“What?”
Brooke started crying.
May you like
“It’s about Natalie’s husband.”
Then the call ended.
