Chapter 7 - Marc Morel Told Lucian What He Did to Survive

The location was an abandoned customs warehouse.

Kessler chose it carefully.

One entrance.

Few cameras.

Near the river.

Lucian went anyway.

Patrick argued.

Thomas argued louder.

Elena said nothing.

She knew Lucian would go.

Inside.

Marc sat tied to a chair.

Bruised.

Conscious.

Kessler stood behind him.

Sixty-two.

Silver hair.

Gray coat.

Calm expression.

Lucian stopped twenty feet away.

“Robert Kessler.”

Kessler smiled.

“You look like your father.”

Marc laughed weakly.

“He hates that.”

Lucian looked at his uncle.

“You alive?”

“Unfortunately.”

Kessler placed one hand on Marc’s shoulder.

“Your uncle has been disappointing me for years.”

Lucian looked at him.

“Join the club.”

Marc almost smiled.

Kessler held up a small scanner.

“Your hand.”

Lucian stared.

“No.”

Kessler nodded toward Marc.

A man raised a pistol behind him.

Lucian’s face hardened.

Marc said:

“Do not.”

Kessler smiled.

“Touching.”

Lucian asked:

“What happens if I authorize?”

“The Continuity Fund transfers.”

“To whom?”

Kessler laughed.

“To people who understand what money is for.”

Lucian looked at Marc.

“Did you know?”

Marc shook his head.

“Not until three days ago.”

Kessler sighed.

“He is slow.”

Marc looked at Lucian.

“I thought your father betrayed me.”

Lucian stared.

“I know.”

“I spent fourteen years building everything bigger because I thought that was revenge.”

“I know.”

“I watched you because I thought he might contact you.”

Lucian’s jaw tightened.

“I know.”

Marc lowered his eyes.

“I became what he feared.”

Lucian said nothing.

Marc continued.

“But I did not order the explosion.”

“I know.”

“I did not know he was alive.”

“I know.”

“I would have gone to him.”

That made Lucian pause.

Marc’s voice broke.

“I hated him.”

A breath.

“But I would have gone.”

Lucian looked at Kessler.

“You built that hatred.”

Kessler shrugged.

“I redirected it.”

Lucian stared.

“Why my family?”

“Your grandfather built a financial network governments could never fully map.”

“And you wanted it.”

“I wanted control.”

Kessler smiled.

“Your father wanted morality.”

“Marc wanted power.”

“You wanted legitimacy.”

Lucian said:

“And you wanted all three of us fighting.”

“Yes.”

Silence.

Kessler raised the scanner.

“Hand.”

Lucian took one step forward.

Patrick’s voice sounded faintly through an earpiece hidden beneath his collar.

WAIT.

Lucian stopped.

Kessler frowned.

“What?”

Lucian smiled.

“My father left many recordings.”

Kessler’s face changed.

Lucian continued.

“He also left yours.”

Silence.

Kessler stared.

Lucian held up his phone.

A recording began.

Kessler’s voice.

Fourteen years earlier.

“Use Cole’s body.”

Thomas’s voice.

“I will not murder anyone.”

Kessler laughed.

“You do not have to.”

Then.

“His body is already available.”

Kessler’s face emptied.

Lucian continued playing.

Another clip.

Rebecca Vane.

“Morel recognized me.”

Kessler:

“Then increase the dose.”

Thomas appeared at the warehouse entrance.

Armed officers moved behind him.

Kessler turned.

Marc threw himself sideways.

The chair crashed.

The gunman fired.

Missed.

Officers entered.

Noise.

Shouting.

Kessler ran toward the rear door.

Patrick blocked it.

Kessler stopped.

For the first time.

He looked afraid.

Lucian walked toward him.

Kessler smiled weakly.

“You think recordings save families?”

Lucian looked at Marc.

Then at Elena entering behind Thomas.

“No.”

He looked back at Kessler.

“Truth usually destroys them first.”

Officers took Kessler.

Marc remained on the floor.

Lucian walked over.

Untied him.

Marc looked up.

“You believe me now?”

Lucian answered:

“I believe you did not betray my father.”

Marc nodded.

Relief.

Then Lucian continued.

“That does not erase what you became.”

Marc’s face fell.

“I know.”

Lucian helped him stand.

Marc whispered:

“Your father left something for you.”

Lucian frowned.

“What?”

Marc reached into his torn jacket.

A small key.

Different from Patrick’s.

He placed it in Lucian’s hand.

“He gave it to me before the explosion.”

Lucian stared.

“You saw him?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“The night he disappeared.”

Silence.

Marc continued.

“He told me to give it to you if we ever stopped hating each other long enough to listen.”

Lucian looked at the key.

May you like

[COMPLETED] “GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY DRESS! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT AN OLD SEAM...

[COMPLETED] At the Mafia Boss's Engagement Party, I Served His Hungry So...

[COMPLETED] The Mafia Boss’s Fiancée Tried to Dismiss His Father’s Loyal...

Stamped with one word.

HOME.