Chapter 7 - Ten Minutes Became One Choice

Victor chose an old container terminal.

Of course he did.

Luca knew the ground.

That was why Victor chose it.

Emma knew traps.

That was why Victor chose her too.

He wanted both of them thinking they understood the board.

Nathan hated the plan.

Marco hated it more.

Belini said nothing.

Emma checked the magazine in Luca’s spare pistol.

He watched her.

“You are not going.”

She looked up.

“We have done this already.”

“This time he asked for you.”

“He also has my father.”

“Exactly.”

Emma slid the weapon into the back of her waistband.

Luca stepped closer.

“If Victor gets you—”

“If Victor wanted me dead, he had three years.”

“That is not comforting.”

“It is not meant to be.”

Luca looked at her for a long moment.

Then reached into his pocket.

Her waitress name tag.

EMMA.

She stared.

“You took that?”

“It was on the kitchen floor.”

“Why keep it?”

“I keep evidence.”

She smiled.

“Liar.”

He did not deny it.

Then he said:

“Ten minutes.”

Emma understood.

The first deal.

Her apartment.

Trust me for ten minutes.

“Ten minutes,” she agreed.

The terminal was empty except for Victor.

And Daniel.

Emma saw her father before he saw her.

Gray hair.

Thin shoulders.

Hands tied in front.

Alive.

Her chest hurt.

Victor stood beside him.

No shooters visible.

That meant nothing.

Luca stopped twenty feet away.

Emma beside him.

Victor smiled.

“You brought him.”

Daniel looked at Emma.

His face broke.

Only slightly.

“Em.”

She almost ran to him.

Did not.

Victor noticed.

“Still disciplined.”

Emma’s voice was cold.

“What do you want?”

“You.”

“Why?”

Victor looked at Luca.

“Because Vale spent three years believing she was dead. Then Daniel started digging. Then she walked into your restaurant.”

“I did not walk into Luca’s restaurant.”

Victor smiled.

“No. You worked there.”

Emma felt something wrong.

Too confident.

“What?”

Victor looked at her.

“The Sovereign was never random employment.”

Silence.

Emma stared.

“You placed me there.”

“Not me.”

“Vale?”

Victor shook his head.

“Your father.”

Emma looked at Daniel.

Daniel closed his eyes.

“Dad?”

He opened them.

“I needed you somewhere protected.”

“You let me believe you were dead.”

“Yes.”

“You put me near Luca?”

Daniel looked at Luca.

“I put you near the only man Vale would hesitate to attack openly.”

Luca almost laughed.

“He attacked openly tonight.”

Daniel’s expression darkened.

“Because Victor changed the plan.”

Victor’s smile disappeared.

There.

The first crack.

Emma saw it.

“So Vale did not order tonight.”

Victor said nothing.

Luca understood too.

“You did.”

Victor looked at him.

“You were becoming weak.”

“Because I got engaged?”

“Because you started negotiating with people our fathers would have crushed.”

Luca’s eyes went cold.

Victor continued.

“You were shrinking the business.”

“I was making it legitimate.”

“You were surrendering.”

There it was.

Not money.

Not Vale.

Ideology.

Victor believed Luca had betrayed what they built.

Emma looked at Daniel.

“And Vale?”

Daniel answered.

“Victor promised him access to the ports after Luca died.”

Victor’s jaw tightened.

Luca said quietly:

“You sold me for a throne.”

Victor stepped closer.

“I saved what you were destroying.”

Emma heard a metallic click behind the containers.

Shooter.

Maybe two.

Victor was stalling.

She looked at Luca.

He saw it too.

Ten minutes.

Their eyes met.

One choice.

Trust.

Emma dropped her pistol.

Victor blinked.

Luca did not.

“Take me,” Emma said.

Daniel shouted, “No.”

Victor smiled.

Emma raised her hands.

“But let my father go.”

Victor stepped forward.

Exactly what she wanted.

Luca moved at the same instant.

Not toward Victor.

Toward Daniel.

Marco’s team emerged from the far container line.

Nathan’s people closed the rear exit.

Victor turned.

Too late.

His hidden shooters saw too many angles.

Too many witnesses.

Too little certainty.

One lowered his weapon.

The other ran.

Victor stared at Luca.

“You planned this.”

Luca looked at Emma.

“No.”

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She picked up her pistol.

“We did.”