Chapter 6 - Betrayal in the DarkThe system chimed. A loud, mechanical siren echoed through the underground complex.
CRITICAL SYSTEM OVERRIDE ACCEPTED. TRANSFER FROZEN. ALL ASSETS LOCKDOWN IN PROGRESS.
"No!" Victor roared, swinging his weapon toward Emily.
Gabriel charged out from behind the pillar like an apex predator, tackling Victor into the central console. The heavy steel table smashed under their weight. Gabriel disarmed Victor in a single fluid motion, pinning him to the floor with a knee to his chest and pressuring his throat with the barrel of his gun.
"It's over, Victor," Gabriel growled, his breathing heavy.
"Is it?" Victor choked out, a bloody smile spreading across his lips. "Look around you, Gabriel. You spent all night looking for the traitor in your family... but you never asked who hired your brother in the first place."
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Behind them, the soft sound of a pistol cocking filled the quiet room.
Emily froze.
Standing three feet behind Gabriel, holding a silenced pistol aimed directly at the back of Gabriel’s head, was Vance.
"Put the gun down, Boss," Vance said quietly. His voice carried no anger, only an eerie, professional detachment.
Gabriel didn't flinch. He slowly raised his head, his eyes fixing on his most trusted lieutenant in the reflection of the glass screen.
"Ten years, Vance," Gabriel said softly. "I saved your life in Marseille. I gave you a home. I trusted you with my son."
"And that was your mistake, Gabriel," Vance said cold-bloodedly. "You got soft. You started caring about hot chocolate, waitresses, and peace. The syndicate doesn't want peace. They want someone who can run this city without a conscience. Julian was just the distraction. I was the one who gave them the tracker code."
Emily looked between Vance and Gabriel, her mind racing. She was just a waitress, but she wasn't blind. She noticed Vance’s right hand was trembling slightly—a nervous tic she had seen earlier when he checked his earpiece in the park.
"You're making a mistake, Vance," Emily said out loud, her voice remarkably steady.
"Shut up, girl," Vance snapped, keeping his gun trained on Gabriel. "You were just supposed to be the throwaway scapegoat."
"No," Emily said, taking a slow step toward the side control board. "You're shaking because you know what happens when the vault locks down from a manual override."
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Vance’s eyes flicked to her for a fraction of a second. "What are you talking about?"
"When I touched that scanner," Emily said, pointing to the flashing red console, "it didn't just freeze the money. It sealed the blast doors. Oxygen shuts off in two minutes."
