Chapter 10 - The Traitor Within
Three days had passed since the night in the elevator, yet the silence inside the Gallagher penthouse felt heavier than ever.
Nora sat at the sleek mahogany desk in her new executive office, her fingers flying across the dual monitors as she cross-referenced international shipping manifests with the corporate accounts.
Row 42 was clean. The Cayman accounts were sealed.
Yet a persistent, quiet anomaly nagged at the back of her mind—a tiny discrepancy in the internal security logs from the night of the attack.
The backup generators hadn't just suffered a random power failure. The emergency line had been cut from inside the building's server room on the twelfth floor—an area accessible only to senior executives and the head of corporate security.
The door to her office clicked open.
Victor stepped inside, his expression grim, holding a thick manila folder against his chest.
“Boss wants you in the main conference room immediately, Miss Hayes,” Victor said quietly. “We found who cut the lines.”
Nora stood up instantly, her heart skipping a beat. “Who?”
“Come and see for yourself.”
She followed Victor down the private corridor into the executive boardroom.
Declan stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out over the gray expanse of Lake Michigan with his hands buried deep in his trouser pockets. His tailored black suit fit him immaculately, though his right arm still hung with careful stiffness.
Kneeling on the Persian rug in the center of the room, bound at the wrists with heavy plastic zip-ties, was Julian Vance—Declan's longtime head of corporate security and the senator's nephew.
Julian's face was bruised, his expensive suit wrinkled and stained with sweat and dirt.
“He sold the blueprint of the executive elevator shaft to our primary rival syndicate in the South Side,” Victor reported coldly, dropping the manila folder onto the mahogany table. “Inside are wire transfer receipts originating from a shell account controlled by the Outfit.”
Declan didn't turn around immediately. He stood in silence for three long, agonizing heartbeats, listening to Julian's ragged, panicked breathing.
“Declan—please,” Julian choked out, tears streaming down his bruised face. “I needed the money—my gambling debts—they threatened my family—!”
Declan finally turned around. His face was a mask of cold, terrifying marble.
“You didn't threaten my family, Julian,” Declan said softly, his voice cutting through the room like ice. “You threatened Nora.”
Julian flinched violently at the name, staring up in horror as Declan stepped closer.
“You knew she was working late that night. You knew the exact route we would take to the garage. You wanted us both trapped in that car.”
“It was just business!” Julian shrieked, thrashing against his bonds. “They just wanted you out of the picture so the port contracts could open up!”
Declan raised his hand slightly. Victor stepped forward, drawing a heavy, suppressed pistol from his holster with practiced, silent efficiency.
Nora stood near the doorway, watching the dark reality of the underworld unfold before her eyes.
She didn't look away this time. She didn't flinch.
May you like
She had crossed the threshold, and there was no going back.
“Take him down to the basement logistics facility,” Declan ordered coldly, his dark eyes never leaving the trembling traitor. “And ensure he never works in Chicago again.”
