Chapter 8 — The Trap
Chapter 8 — The Trap
The phone kept ringing.
No one touched it.
The name on the screen remained unchanged.
ALEXANDER THORNE.
Marcus stared at it as though the dead man were standing inside the room.
“That's impossible,” Detective Ruiz whispered.
Gabriel didn't answer.
He was staring at the phone too.
Finally, Marcus reached for it.
Victor caught his wrist.
“No.”
Marcus looked at him.
“If that's my grandfather—”
“Then he wants you to answer.”
“Exactly.”
Victor shook his head.
“That's the point.”
The phone stopped.
Silence.
Then it started ringing again.
This time, a message appeared.
ANSWER, MARCUS.
Marcus's blood ran cold.
A second message followed.
OR YOUR WIFE PAYS FOR YOUR CURIOSITY.
Khloe looked at him.
“Don't.”
Marcus slowly lowered his hand.
The phone continued ringing.
Then stopped.
A third message appeared.
YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES.
Ten Minutes
Victor immediately locked down the hospital floor.
“No elevators.”
“No exits.”
“No visitors.”
“No exceptions.”
Security officers moved into position.
Detective Ruiz began calling her team.
Marcus stayed beside Khloe.
She looked frightened but determined.
“It's a trap.”
“Yes.”
“And you're going.”
Marcus looked at her.
“No.”
She studied him.
“You're lying.”
“I've spent my whole life chasing answers.”
“And now?”
“Now I have something more important.”
He touched her stomach gently.
“You.”
Khloe took his hand.
“Then don't let them use me to control you.”
Marcus looked at her.
“They already tried.”
“And they failed.”
A nurse suddenly entered.
“Mr. Thorne?”
Marcus turned.
“Yes?”
“There is a patient waiting for you downstairs.”
“Who?”
The nurse handed him a note.
COME ALONE.
Marcus looked at Victor.
“Another trap.”
Victor nodded.
Then the nurse suddenly collapsed.
A tiny needle was visible in her neck.
Security rushed forward.
Marcus stepped back.
Khloe covered her mouth.
Victor checked the nurse's pulse.
“Alive.”
Ruiz crouched beside her.
“She was drugged.”
Marcus stared at the note.
Then noticed something.
There was blood on the paper.
Not the nurse's.
Fresh.
Victor followed his gaze.
“Someone was in this room before she entered.”
Marcus turned toward the ceiling.
“Search everything.”
Behind the ventilation grate, they found a tiny transmitter.
It was still active.
Victor removed it.
The speaker crackled.
A man's voice emerged.
“Good morning, Marcus.”
Marcus froze.
The voice was old.
Calm.
Almost gentle.
“Do you recognize me?”
Marcus stared at Gabriel.
Gabriel whispered:
“Alexander.”
The voice laughed.
“Hello, Gabriel.”
Gabriel's face went pale.
“You're alive.”
“I never died.”
“Why?”
“Because dead men cannot protect their investments.”
Marcus stepped closer to the transmitter.
“What do you want?”
“My grandson.”
“You're going to have to be more specific.”
“Your loyalty.”
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“You murdered my father.”
“I corrected a problem.”
“You poisoned me.”
“I protected the family.”
“You've been watching my wife.”
“I've been protecting my heir.”
Marcus's expression hardened.
“My child isn't yours.”
The voice became cold.
“Everything born under the Thorne name belongs to the Thorne bloodline.”
Khloe stepped forward.
“No.”
The voice went silent.
Then:
“Hello, Khloe.”
She froze.
“You know my name.”
“I've known your name since before you were born.”
Khloe's face went white.
“Why?”
“Because your father made a mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“He loved your mother.”
Silence.
Alexander continued:
“And love made him weak.”
The transmitter went dead.
Marcus looked at Khloe.
She was trembling.
Victor spoke quietly.
“We need to move her.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere they don't know about.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“They know everything.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Then we give them something they don't know.”
Three hours later, the hospital announced an emergency evacuation.
The story was simple.
A gas leak.
Patients were moved.
Families were escorted outside.
Security teams created confusion.
But Khloe never left through the main entrance.
Instead, she was taken through a maintenance tunnel beneath the hospital.
Marcus followed.
Victor led them.
Gabriel came last.
They reached an underground parking area.
A black SUV waited.
Marcus opened the door.
Then stopped.
Something felt wrong.
“Victor.”
“Yes?”
“Where's Ruiz?”
Victor turned.
She wasn't there.
Marcus looked back toward the tunnel.
“Ruiz?”
No answer.
Then the lights went out.
A gunshot.
Victor shoved Marcus down.
Another shot.
Glass shattered.
Khloe screamed.
Marcus crawled toward her.
“Are you hurt?”
“No!”
He pulled her behind the vehicle.
Gabriel was already moving.
He disappeared into the darkness.
“Gabriel!”
No answer.
Then the emergency lights came on.
A man stood at the far end of the garage.
Gray suit.
Silver hair.
A cane in one hand.
Marcus stared.
The man's face was older than the photograph.
But unmistakable.
Alexander Thorne.
His grandfather.
Alive.
He smiled.
“Hello, Marcus.”
Marcus couldn't speak.
Alexander looked at Khloe.
“Come with me.”
“No.”
Alexander's smile faded.
“Don't make this difficult.”
Marcus stepped in front of her.
“You're not taking my wife.”
“I don't want your wife.”
Alexander's eyes moved toward Khloe's stomach.
“I want what she carries.”
Marcus's fists tightened.
“You'll never touch my child.”
Alexander sighed.
“That's unfortunate.”
He lifted his cane.
A red laser appeared on Marcus's chest.
A sniper.
Marcus froze.
Alexander smiled.
“Now you understand the rules.”
Victor raised his weapon.
Alexander shook his head.
“Don't.”
Victor stopped.
“There are six rifles trained on this garage.”
Victor looked around.
He couldn't see them.
But the laser sights told him enough.
Alexander continued.
“Marcus, you have two choices.”
“What?”
“Come with me.”
“And the alternative?”
Alexander looked at Khloe.
“I let someone else make the decision.”
Marcus stared at him.
“You're insane.”
“No.”
Alexander smiled.
“I'm prepared.”
Then Gabriel stepped out of the darkness.
He was holding a gun.
Alexander looked at him.
“Still loyal to the wrong family.”
Gabriel raised his weapon.
“You killed my brother.”
“I killed a traitor.”
“You killed everyone who tried to expose you.”
“I protected the family.”
“You destroyed it.”
Alexander's expression hardened.
“You were always emotional.”
Gabriel fired.
The bullet struck Alexander's shoulder.
Chaos exploded.
The sniper rifles fired.
Victor pulled Marcus and Khloe behind the SUV.
Glass shattered.
Concrete exploded.
People screamed.
Gabriel returned fire.
Alexander disappeared behind a pillar.
Marcus grabbed Khloe.
“Run!”
They sprinted toward the tunnel.
Then Khloe stopped.
“Marcus!”
“What?”
She pointed.
Gabriel was on the ground.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Marcus turned back.
“We can't leave him.”
Victor grabbed him.
“We have to.”
“He saved us.”
“And he'll die if you go back.”
Marcus hesitated.
Then he heard Gabriel shouting:
“GO!”
Marcus pulled Khloe into the tunnel.
They ran for several minutes.
Then the tunnel doors slammed shut behind them.
Marcus stopped.
Victor looked at the controls.
“Locked.”
Khloe stared at him.
“What now?”
Victor checked his weapon.
“We find another exit.”
Marcus looked at the darkness ahead.
Then heard something.
A child's voice.
“Daddy?”
Marcus froze.
Khloe looked at him.
“What?”
The voice came again.
“Daddy?”
Marcus's blood ran cold.
“That's impossible.”
Victor raised his weapon.
They followed the voice.
It led them into an old hospital wing.
Empty.
Abandoned.
At the end of the corridor stood a small room.
Inside was a crib.
Beside it lay a photograph.
Marcus picked it up.
It showed Khloe pregnant.
Taken months earlier.
He turned it over.
A message was written on the back.
YOU WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO KNOW.
Khloe whispered:
“Someone has been following us since the beginning.”
Marcus nodded.
Then the door locked behind them.
A screen appeared on the wall.
Alexander's face filled it.
“You're probably wondering why I brought you here.”
Marcus stepped closer.
“You're not taking my child.”
Alexander smiled.
“That's not the purpose of the trap.”
Marcus frowned.
“Then what is?”
Alexander looked directly into the camera.
“I wanted you to discover the truth yourself.”
“What truth?”
“Your father didn't die because he opposed me.”
Marcus stared.
“Then why?”
“Because he betrayed you.”
Khloe looked at Marcus.
Alexander continued:
“He signed the contract.”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
“He agreed that his first male heir would become the trustee of the family empire.”
“That doesn't explain murder.”
Alexander smiled.
“Your father tried to break the contract.”
“And?”
“He failed.”
“Why?”
“Because the contract contained a second clause.”
Alexander leaned toward the camera.
“If the heir attempts to dissolve the trust, control passes automatically to the nearest surviving blood relative.”
Marcus's face changed.
“You.”
Alexander nodded.
“Exactly.”
Marcus finally understood.
The entire empire had been designed around one condition.
His grandfather didn't need Marcus dead.
He needed Marcus alive.
He needed Marcus to inherit.
He needed Marcus to try to break free.
Because the moment Marcus rejected the trust—
Alexander would legally regain control.
Khloe whispered:
“Then the attacks…”
“Were designed to push you into making a decision,” Alexander said.
Marcus stared at the screen.
“The attack on Khloe.”
“Yes.”
“The poisoning.”
“Yes.”
“Adrian.”
“Yes.”
“Isabella.”
Alexander smiled.
“All pieces.”
Marcus's anger turned cold.
“You destroyed innocent lives for a contract.”
“No.”
Alexander's voice hardened.
“I destroyed obstacles.”
The screen went black.
Then another image appeared.
A hospital room.
Adrian Vale was sitting inside it.
Alive.
Marcus stepped forward.
“Adrian.”
Alexander's voice returned.
“You want him?”
“Yes.”
“Then sign the contract.”
Marcus stared.
“What happens if I refuse?”
Alexander smiled.
“You lose Adrian.”
Khloe grabbed Marcus's hand.
“Don't.”
Marcus looked at her.
Alexander continued.
“You have sixty seconds.”
A timer appeared.
60
59
58
Marcus stared at Adrian's face.
The man looked exhausted.
Broken.
But alive.
45
Khloe whispered:
“Marcus.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“Don't sign.”
“But—”
“Whatever happens, don't become what he wants.”
30
Marcus looked back at the screen.
Alexander waited.
20
Marcus slowly walked toward the table.
Victor stared at him.
“Marcus.”
He picked up the pen.
10
Khloe closed her eyes.
Marcus signed.
The timer stopped.
Silence.
Then Alexander laughed.
“Excellent.”
Marcus looked up.
“You wanted me to sign.”
“Yes.”
“You wanted control.”
“Yes.”
Marcus smiled.
For the first time, Alexander looked uncertain.
Marcus placed the pen down.
“You should read the contract.”
Alexander frowned.
“What?”
Marcus turned the document around.
“I signed.”
“Yes.”
“But I didn't sign as trustee.”
Alexander's face changed.
Marcus pointed to the final page.
“I signed as beneficiary.”
Silence.
Victor suddenly smiled.
The contract had two signature lines.
One for the trustee.
One for the beneficiary.
Marcus had signed the second.
And beside it, Gabriel had already signed the first.
GABRIEL VALE — TRUSTEE
Alexander's face became furious.
“You think that changes anything?”
Marcus looked directly into the camera.
“No.”
He smiled.
“It changes everything.”
The door behind them opened.
Detective Ruiz entered with armed officers.
Alexander's voice vanished.
The screen went black.
Marcus turned toward Victor.
“How?”
Victor smiled.
“Ruiz wasn't missing.”
“She was?”
“She was following Alexander.”
Marcus looked at Khloe.
She smiled weakly.
Then Marcus heard a voice from the doorway.
“Marcus.”
He turned.
A man stood there.
Older.
Thin.
Scarred.
Alive.
Adrian Vale.
Marcus couldn't move.
Adrian smiled.
“Sorry I'm late.”
Marcus stared at him.
Then walked forward.
For six years, he had believed he was dead.
For six years, he had blamed himself.
Now Adrian was standing in front of him.
Alive.
And behind him, Gabriel was being carried into the corridor on a stretcher.
Marcus looked between them.
The trap had failed.
But the contract remained.
Alexander was still out there.
And now he knew something Marcus didn't.
May you like
The contract had never been the final trap.
It was only the beginning.
