Chapter 9 - THE UNCLE WHO BUILT THE EMPIRE
Sebastian Castile had spent thirty years convincing everyone he was harmless.
That was his greatest talent.
He lived quietly in Lake Forest.
He donated to hospitals.
He attended church.
He gave children enormous Christmas gifts and pretended not to understand modern phones.
Dominic had trusted him completely.
Until the ledgers proved Sebastian had controlled the Castile empire from the shadows for decades.
Norah spread the books across Dominic’s desk.
Payments to judges.
Police captains.
Union officials.
Doctors.
And one repeated code name.
SABLE.
“Who’s Sable?” Norah asked.
Dominic shook his head.
Mateo frowned.
“I’ve heard it.”
“Where?”
“Your father used the name when I first started working for him.”
“What did it mean?”
“I thought it was an account.”
Julian entered the study.
“It’s a person.”
Everyone turned.
“How do you know?” Dominic asked.
“Pierce mentioned Sable.”
“When?”
“Before I hired him.”
“What did he say?”
“That Sable had protected the Castiles longer than anyone.”
Norah flipped through the ledger.
One payment stood out.
SABLE — HASTINGS INCIDENT.
Dated three days before her father died.
Her stomach dropped.
Dominic saw it.
“We’re finding out who Sable is.”
Norah closed the book.
“I already know one thing.”
“What?”
“Sable killed my father.”
Dominic’s eyes turned cold.
“If that’s true—”
“No.”
She touched his arm.
“No war.”
“He murdered your father.”
“Then we prove it.”
Dominic stared at her.
“You keep asking very unreasonable things from me.”
“I know.”
“And I keep agreeing.”
“I’ve noticed.”
His thumb brushed across her wrist.
The moment lingered.
Julian cleared his throat.
“I’m still here.”
Dominic looked at him.
“You can leave.”
“See? This is why I have abandonment issues.”
Norah laughed.
Dominic almost did.
For the first time, father and son looked less like enemies.
Then Mateo’s phone rang.
He answered.
His face went pale.
“What?”
He listened.
Then lowered the phone.
“Elena’s been taken.”
Dominic stood.
“From where?”
“The safe house.”
“By Sebastian?”
“We don’t know.”
Julian grabbed his coat.
“I’m coming.”
Dominic nodded.
No argument.
They traced the security cameras.
Elena’s car appeared heading north.
Then disappeared near an abandoned rail depot.
Dominic’s team arrived twenty minutes later.
The building was empty.
Except for a chair.
A phone sat on it.
It rang.
Dominic answered.
Sebastian’s voice filled the room.
“Hello, nephew.”
Dominic’s face turned to ice.
“Where is Elena?”
“Safe.”
“If you hurt her—”
“You always were emotional about women.”
Norah stepped closer.
Sebastian laughed softly.
“Is Norah there?”
Dominic said nothing.
“Of course she is.”
“What do you want?”
“The ledgers.”
“No.”
“Then Elena dies.”
Julian grabbed Dominic’s arm.
“Don’t.”
Sebastian continued.
“And bring Norah.”
Dominic’s expression changed.
“Why?”
“Because Thomas Hastings hid something I need.”
“What?”
Sebastian laughed.
“Something only his daughter can open.”
The line disconnected.
Norah looked at Dominic.
“What does he mean?”
Dominic stared at the ledgers.
Then Mateo found a final page glued inside the back cover.
A bank address.
A vault number.
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And one handwritten note:
ACCESS REQUIRES NORAH HASTINGS’ BIOMETRIC SIGNATURE.
