Chapter 3: The Enemy Within
Chapter 3: The Enemy Within
By midnight, Marcus had answers.
The threatening calls hadn't come from outside Chicago.
They had originated from a small office less than three miles from Harrison Headquarters.
The building belonged to one of Elias's own logistics companies.
Someone inside his organization was feeding information to an unknown criminal network.
Hours later, security teams quietly detained three employees.
None of them spoke.
Until Elias walked into the room.
He placed a single photograph on the table.
Grace.
"What does she have to do with this?" he asked.
One of the men laughed nervously.
"We were never after your wife."
"We were after you."
"The board refused to approve the warehouse deal."
"So we needed leverage."
Another man lowered his head.
"It was Victor."
"The Chief Financial Officer."
"He planned everything."
Victor had spent fifteen years earning Elias's trust.
He attended family dinners.
He celebrated birthdays.
He even stood beside Elias as a groomsman at his wedding.
Betrayal had never come from an enemy.
It had come from a friend.
Within an hour, Victor attempted to flee the city aboard a private jet.
Federal agents intercepted him before takeoff, acting on evidence of fraud, extortion, money laundering, and conspiracy that Marcus had quietly shared with authorities.
As officers placed Victor in handcuffs, he looked at Elias.
"You chose your family over your empire."
Elias answered without hesitation.
"No."
May you like
"I chose the only thing worth protecting."
For the first time, Victor realized he had already lost.
