Chapter 3 - The Man Who Raised a King
Dominic ordered the building sealed.
Gabriel was detained in a private conference room.
Claire demanded to question him.
“No,” Dominic said.
“He contacted me.”
“He kidnapped your friend.”
“That is why I need to hear him.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“You are not trained for this.”
“I am trained to identify lies.”
“So am I.”
“No. You are trained to punish them.”
The difference stopped him.
They entered together.
Gabriel sat calmly.
“Claire.”
“Where is Jenna?”
“Safe.”
“For how long?”
“That depends on you.”
Dominic placed both hands on the table.
“If she is harmed, nothing protects you.”
Gabriel laughed.
“You still believe fear solves everything.”
“You taught me that.”
“I taught you survival.”
Claire opened the warehouse ledger.
“You used North Bridge to move weapons.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“That is what the numbers suggest.”
“Who owns the operation?”
He glanced at Dominic.
“His father did.”
Dominic’s face became still.
“My father died twelve years ago.”
“His system did not.”
Gabriel explained that Antonio Valenti had hidden weapons routes inside legitimate shipping contracts.
Before his death, he ordered Gabriel to preserve them.
Dominic had believed he was dragging the family into legitimacy.
Gabriel had continued the criminal network beneath him.
“You used my name,” Dominic said.
“I protected your empire.”
“You corrupted it.”
“I financed it.”
Claire asked, “Why kidnap Jenna?”
“She copied the wrong file.”
“What file?”
Gabriel smiled.
“The succession account.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
Gabriel continued.
“Antonio did not leave full control to Dominic.”
“That is impossible.”
“He left forty percent to another heir.”
Dominic said nothing.
Claire asked, “Who?”
“Your sister.”
Dominic stood so quickly the chair struck the wall.
“My sister died as a child.”
“No.”
Gabriel’s expression almost softened.
“She was hidden.”
Dominic stared at him.
“Why?”
“Antonio feared rivals would use her.”
“Where is she?”
Gabriel looked at Claire.
“Jenna Morris.”
Claire stopped breathing.
“No.”
“Her birth records were altered. Her mother raised her under another name.”
Dominic’s voice became rough.
“You knew all these years.”
“I protected her.”
“You used her as a hostage.”
“I protected the inheritance.”
Claire said, “Jenna has no idea.”
“She found the account yesterday.”
“And you took her.”
“To explain before she went to police.”
Dominic grabbed Gabriel by the collar.
“Where is she?”
Gabriel whispered an address.
Caleb led a rescue team to a house outside Chicago.
They found Jenna alive.
But the property had been emptied minutes earlier.
A laptop remained on the kitchen table.
The screen displayed a live video.
Jenna sat tied to a chair in another location.
Beside her stood a woman in a red coat.
Dominic recognized her.
“Isabella Moretti.”
Claire asked, “Who?”
“The daughter of my father’s greatest rival.”
Isabella smiled into the camera.
“Dominic, your adviser told only half the truth.”
Gabriel went pale.
She continued.
“Jenna is your sister. But Gabriel did not hide her to protect her.”
The camera moved.
Behind Jenna stood crates of weapons and ledgers bearing Gabriel’s signature.
“He needed her inheritance rights to control the Valenti voting trust.”
Claire understood.
“If Jenna dies, her shares pass to Gabriel as trustee.”
Isabella nodded.
“And if Dominic is charged with trafficking, Gabriel controls everything.”
Dominic looked at the man who had raised him.
Gabriel’s silence became confession.
The screen went dark.
Claire turned to Dominic.
“You cannot kill him.”
“He deserves it.”
“Then let him live long enough to tell us where Isabella took Jenna.”
Gabriel smiled faintly.
“You still need me.”
May you like
Claire leaned toward him.
“No. We need your fear.”
