Chapter 13 - THE FINAL LOOSE END
The glowing screen of the burner phone cast an eerie blue light across the dark bedroom.
Daisy stared at the cryptic message for three long seconds.
*“The crown always has a heavy price.”*
She didn't panic. She didn't wake Evander.
Instead, she walked quietly over to her laptop on the oak desk.
She plugged in the mirrored server drive she had saved from the lighthouse.
Her fingers danced across the keyboard, tracing the encrypted IP address of the sender.
A location pinged on her digital map.
Not a remote island. Not a hidden bunker abroad.
Upper Manhattan. Just three miles from the Cole estate.
Daisy grabbed her sidearm from the bedside table and checked the magazine.
She slipped it into her jacket pocket with quiet determination.
She left a handwritten note on Evander's pillow:
*“Gone to settle the last account. Don't wait up.”*
Stepping out into the cool night air, she unlocked her personal car.
She drove through the quiet New York streets toward the upper East Side brownstone.
The GPS led her to a narrow, cobblestone alleyway behind an art gallery.
A single black town car was parked near the rear entrance.
Daisy stepped out of her vehicle, her footsteps silent on the wet pavement.
She drew her sidearm, holding it close to her chest.
The heavy metal back door of the gallery was propped open with a brick.
She slipped inside into the scent of fresh oil paint and turpentine.
A lone figure stood in the center of the exhibition room, admiring a large abstract canvas.
It was Elena Vance, Marceline's former personal assistant.
Elena turned around slowly, holding a glass of red wine.
"I wondered how long it would take you to find me, nurse Sutton," Elena smiled.
"You sent the text," Daisy stated, keeping her weapon steady.
"Of course," Elena shrugged, taking a sip of wine.
"Someone had to remind you that empires don't run themselves."
"Marceline is in federal custody," Daisy said. "Jonathan is finished."
"Who is left to fight?"
Elena set her wine glass down on a wooden pedestal.
"You think Jonathan was the head of the snake?" she laughed softly.
"Jonathan was just the public face."
"The syndicate was founded by twelve families fifty years ago."
"And my family never forgets a debt."
Daisy didn't flinch. She stepped closer, her finger resting lightly on the trigger.
"Your family's war ended tonight, Elena."
"Surrender now, or you'll join Marceline behind bars."
May you like
Elena smiled, reaching slowly inside her tailored jacket pocket.
[CLIFFHANGER: Elena pulled out a heavy detonator switch instead of a weapon, pressing it down hard as she whispered: "Too bad you're a second too late."]
