Chapter 7 - The Trap ClosesMarcus’s hand emerged from his coat pocket, clutching a small, heavy silver revolver.

Jenna screamed, throwing herself over Daisy to shield the child from the line of fire.
"Don't move!" Marcus shrieked, panic distorting his features. "Both of you, get against the wall! Julian, drop your phone! Toss it here!"
Julian didn't panic. His expression remained terrifyingly calm, the cool demeanor of a man who traded in high-stakes danger every single day. He slowly pulled his smartphone from his pocket, tossed it onto the glass coffee table, and slid it toward Marcus with his foot.
"You're a fool, Marcus," Julian said evenly, taking a deliberate step forward. "The SEC didn't just get an anonymous tip today. I sent the complete unredacted server logs to federal prosecutors at three o'clock this afternoon."
Marcus froze, his eyes widening in sheer terror. "You... you what?"
"I told you, efficiency has no conscience," Julian said, his voice cold as ice. "But a man has limits. And watching you ruin an innocent family just to cover up your offshore accounts crossed mine."
Before Marcus could raise the gun to fire, the heavy oak doors of the dining room swung wide open.
Four armed federal agents, accompanied by Manhattan tactical police, swarmed the room in a blur of tactical gear and drawn weapons.
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"Federal agents! Drop the weapon! Do it now!"
Marcus spun around, panic-stricken, realizing he was completely surrounded. Before he could squeeze the trigger, a tactical officer lunged forward, slamming Marcus onto the polished marble floor and snapping handcuffs onto his wrists.