CHAPTER 8 — The Chairman's Greatest Secret
The funeral descended into chaos.
Every crime boss stared at the little girl.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
The Chairman slowly knelt before her.
His hands trembled.
"What... is your name?"
The girl smiled innocently.
"Grace."
"And my mommy said you'd know me."
Emma's heart skipped a beat.
She had never seen The Chairman show emotion.
Until now.
He looked terrified.
Grace reached into her small backpack.
"I brought you something."
She handed him a worn envelope.
His face turned ghostly white the instant he saw the handwriting.
He whispered,
"Elizabeth..."
Adrian suddenly stepped closer to the monitor.
"I know that name."
Vincent turned.
"Who was she?"
Adrian swallowed hard.
"The Chairman's daughter."
Marco frowned.
"I thought he never had children."
"He erased them from history."
The Chairman slowly opened the envelope.
Inside...
A single photograph.
It showed Elizabeth standing beside a young man.
The young man was Adrian.
And between them...
A newborn baby.
The Chairman's voice cracked.
"No..."
"This can't be..."
Adrian stared at the screen in disbelief.
"Elizabeth..."
"You survived."
Emma looked from Adrian to Vincent.
Then everything clicked.
She whispered,
"Oh my God..."
Vincent frowned.
"What?"
Emma pointed at the photograph.
"If Elizabeth was Adrian's wife..."
"And Adrian is your biological father..."
Then she looked at Grace.
"That means..."
Adrian finished the sentence with tears in his eyes.
"Grace isn't just his granddaughter..."
"...she's your niece."
Vincent felt the ground disappear beneath him.
His entire life had been built on stolen bloodlines.
Now another branch of his real family had appeared.
Before anyone could process the revelation—
The Chairman began laughing.
Not softly.
Not nervously.
Loudly.
Like a man who had finally accepted defeat.
He looked around the funeral hall.
"I suppose..."
"...there's no point hiding it anymore."
Every camera in the mansion suddenly switched on.
Huge screens descended from the ceiling.
The Chairman pressed a small remote.
Hundreds of classified files appeared.
Photographs.
Government contracts.
Election results.
Assassination orders.
Bank transfers.
Military operations.
Each document carried one signature.
The Chairman.
Crime bosses stared in horror.
They realized they had never been partners.
Only puppets.
The Chairman calmly addressed the room.
"For fifty years..."
"I ruled nations without becoming president."
"I started wars."
"I ended governments."
"I created heroes."
"I created monsters."
Finally...
He looked directly into the hidden camera Sophia was wearing.
As if he knew Vincent was watching.
"I also created you."
Vincent's fists tightened.
Then The Chairman smiled.
"But every king..."
"...needs an heir."
He slowly pointed at the camera.
"Come home, Vincent."
"The throne belongs to you."
The screen suddenly went black.
At the exact same second—
Every phone inside the underground command center vibrated.
Marco checked his.
His face turned white.
"It's every security camera in the city..."
Emma leaned over.
Every screen displayed the same message.
CHECKMATE.
Then...
The city lights outside went dark.
One district.
Then another.
Then another.
Within thirty seconds...
The entire city was swallowed by darkness.
Only one building remained illuminated.
Torino Manor.
Vincent stared at the glowing mansion on the horizon.
He finally understood.
The funeral...
The files...
Grace...
Everything had been orchestrated.
Not to kill him.
May you like
To lure him home.
END OF CHAPTER 8
