CHAPTER 21 — THE MAN WHO NEVER LOSES
Daniel’s limousine carried them to an unfinished skyscraper overlooking the city.
“You survived the containment protocol,” Evelyn said.
“I designed it.”
“You allowed Celeste to take the empire.”
“I needed her to expose herself.”
Mara watched him carefully.
“You sacrificed billions to identify one opponent?”
Daniel poured himself a drink.
“Money can be rebuilt.”
“People cannot,” Evelyn said.
“People are replaced every day.”
Nathan stepped toward him.
“My parents?”
Daniel did not look away.
“Useful. Brave. Poorly disciplined.”
Nathan grabbed him by the throat.
Evelyn did not stop him.
Daniel remained calm.
“If you kill me, you will never find the names of the men who escaped Nightingale.”
Nathan released him.
“How many?”
“Seven.”
Daniel activated a screen.
Seven silhouettes appeared.
He called them the Choir.
Unlike the Thornes, the Choir had no public companies or famous names. They controlled systems from the shadows.
Courts.
Military contracts.
Pharmaceutical research.
Private prisons.
Elections.
“Nightingale was created to monitor them,” Daniel said. “The Thorne empire was only one branch.”
Evelyn stared at the screen.
“You built a prison around monsters and became their warden.”
“I became the monster they feared.”
“You expect me to admire that?”
“I expect you to inherit it.”
He placed a black ring on the table.
The Vance family crest was engraved inside.
Evelyn did not touch it.
Daniel leaned closer.
“Celeste believes she controls the empire. Let her. Every account she owns contains a tracking layer.”
“You’re using her to expose the Choir.”
“Yes.”
“And when they gather around her?”
“We destroy them all.”
Mara crossed her arms.
“How many innocent people are inside those systems?”
Daniel looked at her as though the question bored him.
Evelyn picked up the ring.
Her father smiled.
Then she dropped it into his glass.
“I’m not your heir.”
Daniel’s smile faded.
“You have no choice.”
“I’ve heard that from Julian. Beatrice. Celeste. Now you.”
She turned toward the exit.
“Every person who tried to control me eventually ended up bleeding.”
As she reached the elevator, Daniel spoke.
“Celeste has Julian.”
Evelyn stopped.
“She took him from federal custody an hour ago.”
“Why?”
Daniel displayed a live video.
Julian stood inside a glass chamber.
Celeste was beside him.
She held a document bearing Evelyn’s signature.
Daniel said, “Your husband knows the location of the first Choir member.”
The camera moved closer to Julian.
His face was bruised.
Celeste whispered into his ear.
May you like
Then Julian looked at the camera and said:
“Evelyn, do not come for me.”
