Chapter 7 - The Unraveling Snake
By sunrise, the rain had stopped, leaving the grounds of the estate glistening under a cold, crisp morning sun.
The bodies had been cleared, the broken glass swept away, and my fortress was locked down under maximum security protocol. Fifty extra men were stationed around the perimeter, and every electronic device in the mansion was being audited by Luke's cyber team.
I sat in my study, a clean black shirt covering my chest, my wheelchair positioned at the head of the long conference table.
Standing at the other end of the table were the four men who held master keys to my house and my empire:
Arthur Pendelton, my chief financial attorney; Marcus Vance, my cousin and head of shipping logistics; Dr. Edward Hayes, my personal physician; and Luke.
Emma sat in a small armchair in the corner of the room, wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot tea. I had refused to let her leave my side. After what happened last night, the only place I knew she was safe was within my line of sight.
"One of you sold the security codes to Viktor Malikov," I said, my voice echoing coldly off the oak walls.
Arthur Pendelton, an arrogant fifty-year-old man in an expensive bespoke suit, stepped forward, his hands shaking slightly. "Danny... this is absurd! We've been loyal to you for ten years! Why would any of us betray you to the Russians?"
"Because two years ago, someone realized that if I died, my four-billion-dollar trust fund would be liquidated and distributed among the executive board," I said smoothly, tapping my fingers on the armrest of my wheelchair.
I looked at Luke. "Show them."
Luke stepped up to the large wall monitor and pressed a button.
A banking record flashed onto the screen, showing a hidden offshore account in the Cayman Islands. Over the past two years, three million dollars had been wired into the account from a dummy corporation owned by Viktor Malikov.
And the owner of the account was Arthur Pendelton.
Arthur's face went completely white. He took a staggering step backward, his eyes darting frantically toward the heavy double doors of the study.
"It... it's a mistake!" Arthur stammered, his voice squeaking in terror. "I was set up! Danny, you have to believe me!"
"You gave Malikov the coordinates for the sniper two years ago, didn't you, Arthur?" I asked, my tone terrifyingly gentle. "You thought the bullet would kill me. But when I survived in this wheelchair, you realized you had to finish the job yourself."
"You're a monster!" Arthur suddenly screamed, his composure completely collapsing as he pulled a small snub-nosed revolver from his jacket pocket. "You're a useless cripple who sits in this dark house while we do all the work! You don't deserve this empire!"
Arthur raised the gun, pointing it straight at my head.
Before he could pull the trigger, Emma moved.
She didn't hesitate. She threw her heavy ceramic tea mug with surgical precision, striking Arthur flush in the eye.
Arthur shrieked, dropping the gun as he stumbled backward.
In the same second, Luke lunged forward, grabbing Arthur by his throat, slamming him onto the conference table with enough force to crack the wood, pinning his arms behind his back.
"Got him, Boss," Luke growled, pressing his heavy knee into Arthur's spine.
I rolled my wheelchair forward until I was standing inches away from Arthur's bleeding face.
I reached out, grabbed Arthur by his hair, and pulled his head back so he was forced to look into my eyes.
"You called me a cripple, Arthur," I whispered, my eyes burning with a terrifying, apocalyptic fury. "But a cripple didn't destroy your life today. A maid did."
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I looked at Luke. "Take him to the basement. I want the names of every politician, lawyer, and mobster Malikov bought in this city before the sun sets."
"With pleasure, Boss," Luke grinned, dragging the weeping traitor out of the room.
