Chapter 5 - The Unseen Strings
By afternoon, the story of what had happened in the foyer of the Mercer estate had spread through the private networks of Chicago’s high society like wildfire.
Inside a penthouse suite overlooking Michigan Avenue, Julian Thorne sat behind an antique desk, staring at Victor Glass. Victor’s neck was covered in dark, purplish bruises, his voice hoarse and broken.
"He slammed you against the door?" Julian asked, his voice deceptively smooth as he polished his gold cufflinks.
"He almost broke my neck, Julian!" Victor croaked out, pouring himself a glass of whiskey with shaking hands. "Mercer isn't just protecting her as a maid. He knows who she is. He knows she's Arthur Vance's daughter."
Julian leaned back in his leather chair, swirling a cigar between his fingers. He was fifty years old, immaculate, with silvering hair and sharp, predatory eyes that had driven dozens of competitors into bankruptcy.
"Arthur Vance died holding the keys to fifty million dollars in numbered accounts in Zurich," Julian murmured, his eyes narrowing. "I spent three years squeezing that stupid girl, waiting for her to break and give up the access codes. And now Adrian Mercer wants to step in and claim the prize for himself?"
"Mercer said if you want the debt, you have to go through him," Victor warned. "The man is crazy, Julian. He has half the police force on his payroll, and his security team is made up of former special forces. We can't fight him in the open."
Julian scoffed, blowing a thick plume of smoke toward the ceiling. "We don't need to fight him in the open, Victor. Adrian Mercer built his reputation on being untouchable, but every man has a weakness. He just brought Arthur Vance's daughter into his house. Do you know what the press will do with that?"
Victor frowned. "The press?"
"Arthur Vance embezzled money from prominent civic charities before he died," Julian explained, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "If the city finds out that Adrian Mercer is harbouring the daughter of a disgraced criminal—a woman who has been hiding under a fake identity—his corporate credibility drops to zero. His board of directors will demand his resignation from Mercer Global."
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Julian stood up, walking toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the skyline.
"Call our contacts at the Chicago Sun," Julian ordered coldly. "Tell them I have a story about Adrian Mercer’s secret life. And hire two private investigators to keep eyes on that kid of hers. If we can't touch Elena inside the house, we take the girl when she steps outside."
