Chapter 5 - The London Strike
Forty-eight hours later, the private Mercer jet touched down at a private airstrip outside London under a slate-grey English sky. The atmosphere inside the cabin was ice-cold. Dominic sat across from a laptop displaying live financial ledgers, international shipping manifests, and federal intelligence briefs.
In the back holding cell of the jet, Julian Vane and Brooke were tied securely to bolted chairs, bruised, exhausted, and broken of all arrogance. Brooke’s designer clothes were stained with mud, her hair tangled and wild.
"You can't do this, Dominic!" Brooke shrieked, her voice cracking as Marcus hauled her out of the holding cell and shoved her onto the cabin floor in front of Dominic’s boots. "We had a public relationship! The press is going to eat you alive! The corporate board will revolt!"
Dominic didn't look up from his screen. "The corporate board of Vane Maritime Holdings held an emergency vote three hours ago while you were unconscious, Brooke. They unanimously ousted Julian as CEO and transferred all controlling shares of the European port terminals to the Mercer Foundation to settle your debts."
Brooke froze, her breath catching in her throat. "No... that's impossible. That's my family's entire legacy—"
"Your family built their empire on extortion, forgery, and intimidation," Dominic interrupted coldly, finally lifting his head. His dark eyes pierced through her. "You thought you could infiltrate my family, terrorize my sister, steal my mother’s trust, and walk away with an empire. You miscalculated every single variable because you thought power was something you could steal by playing a victim."
Julian Vane groaned, spitting blood onto the cabin carpet as Marcus pulled him up next to his sister. "Mercer... you think taking the company is the end of it? Our associates in Zurich and Moscow won't let you walk away with this territory. They'll hunt you down to Newport and burn your entire family to ash."
Dominic stood up slowly, towering over both of them.
"Let them come," Dominic whispered. "I’ve been looking for an excuse to expand our portfolio internationally anyway."
He gestured to Marcus. "Hand them over to Interpol's international financial crimes division. Ensure they get maximum security. And make sure the press gets the full portfolio of their trust forgery documents and syndicate ties by noon."
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As Marcus dragged the screaming, hysterical siblings out of the aircraft door into the custody of waiting federal authorities, Dominic walked to the window and looked out over the sprawling London skyline.
The storm had finally passed. The board was cleared. And the Mercer empire was stronger than it had ever been.
