CHAPTER 7 — "Ryan's Last Words Changed Everything."
The gunshot echoed through the warehouse.
Emily dropped to her knees beside Ryan as blood soaked through his white shirt.
"Ryan! Stay with me!"
For a brief moment, the arrogant man she had once hated was gone.
Instead, she saw someone terrified.
Someone carrying years of guilt.
Ryan weakly grabbed her wrist.
"Listen... there's no time."
Emily fought back tears.
"Don't talk. I'll get help."
He slowly shook his head.
"You still don't understand."
Charles Whitmore watched from his wheelchair, smiling as if he were enjoying a stage play.
"Touching," he whispered.
"But useless."
Ryan ignored him.
With trembling hands, he pulled a small metallic capsule from inside his jacket.
It was no bigger than a lipstick tube.
"I've carried this for seven years..."
Emily stared at it.
"What is it?"
Ryan coughed, blood running down his chin.
"It's everything Charles has been searching for."
Emily's eyes widened.
"I thought Sophia had it."
Ryan forced a painful smile.
"That's what I wanted Charles to believe."
The entire warehouse fell silent.
Even Charles's smile disappeared.
Ryan had lied to him.
For seven years.
Charles slammed his fist against the armrest of his wheelchair.
"Kill him!"
The armed men raised their rifles.
But before they could fire, Ryan threw the capsule toward Emily.
She caught it instinctively.
"Protect it..." he whispered.
"It's the only proof that your father was innocent."
Emily looked at the capsule in disbelief.
"What proof?"
Ryan's voice was barely audible.
"Inside is a hard drive..."
"It contains recordings... financial ledgers... and the names of every politician, judge, billionaire, and criminal who worked for Charles."
Emily's heart pounded.
One tiny capsule could destroy an empire.
Charles's empire.
Charles's face twisted with rage.
"Bring me that drive!"
Dozens of armed men charged forward.
Victoria's voice suddenly came through Emily's earpiece.
"Emily!"
"I've traced your location!"
"Federal agents are on their way!"
Charles laughed.
"They'll never arrive in time."
Then...
A deafening roar filled the night sky.
Everyone looked up.
Three military helicopters burst through the storm clouds, shining powerful searchlights onto the warehouse.
Snipers appeared on the surrounding rooftops.
A booming voice thundered from loudspeakers.
"Federal Task Force!"
"Drop your weapons immediately!"
For the first time in decades...
Charles Whitmore looked afraid.
But then...
He smiled.
"You're all too late."
He pressed a hidden button beneath his wheelchair.
Emily heard a sharp metallic click beneath her feet.
Ryan's eyes flew open in horror.
"No..."
He looked at Emily one last time and screamed with the last breath he had left.
"THE BUILDING IS RIGGED WITH EXPLOSIVES!"
A countdown suddenly flashed across every wall of the warehouse.
00:00:30
The exits slammed shut.
Steel doors locked automatically.
Everyone inside...
Federal agents...
Charles's men...
Emily...
And Ryan...
Were trapped together.
As the countdown reached 00:00:25, Charles began to laugh.
"If I can't rule this empire..."
"...then no one leaves here alive."
Emily tightened her grip on the capsule.
Somewhere inside the collapsing warehouse...
She heard a woman's voice cry out.
"Emily!"
She froze.
It was Sophia.
May you like
She wasn't outside.
She had been trapped inside the warehouse all along.
