Chapter 9 - The Fall of Julian MercerAt 6:04 the next morning, federal agents entered Mercer Holdings.
She was therefore deeply suspicious when Julian voluntarily walked into her office carrying evidence.
“This is either Christmas,” she said, “or I've suffered a head injury.”
Julian placed the files on her desk.
“Vincent Mercer conspired to murder Anthony Mercer seventeen years ago, attempted to cause Claire Mercer's death last week, and arranged an armed attack on Northwestern Memorial.”
Ramirez stared at him.
“And you're giving me this because?”
“Because I want him arrested.”
“Not buried beneath a parking structure?”
Nora coughed.
Julian glanced at her.
“I'm attempting personal growth.”
Ramirez's eyebrows rose.
“Is she responsible?”
“Yes,” Marco said.
“Traitor,” Julian muttered.
For the first time in days, Nora laughed.
The detective reviewed the evidence.
Security footage.
Financial records.
The trust.
Margaret's recording.
Hospital attack images.
Gerald's connection.
It was substantial.
Not enough.
“We need Vincent speaking,” Ramirez said.
Julian's expression hardened.
“No.”
Nora knew immediately what the detective meant.
“You want someone wired.”
Ramirez nodded.
“Gerald is the weak link.”
“He knows me,” Nora said.
Julian stood.
“No.”
Ramirez ignored him.
“He's already contacted you twice since you were fired.”
Nora looked surprised.
“How do you know?”
“We pulled phone records.”
“What calls?”
“Unknown numbers.”
Her phone had received them.
She hadn't answered.
Ramirez continued.
“If Gerald believes you're frightened and willing to trade information for protection—”
“No,” Julian repeated.
Nora turned.
“Stop.”
“Nora—”
“You don't get to decide.”
“It is unnecessarily dangerous.”
“So was entering Claire's hospital room. They did that anyway.”
Julian approached.
“I won't use you as bait.”
“Good. Because I am volunteering.”
His jaw clenched.
“Absolutely not.”
Ramirez leaned toward Marco.
“Are they always like this?”
“Yes.”
Nora stared Julian down.
“You trusted me when Claire collapsed.”
“That was different.”
“You trusted me when we went to the lake house.”
“Also different.”
“You listened when I told you to involve police.”
“I'm reconsidering that decision.”
Ramirez smiled.
Nora stepped closer.
“Vincent thinks I'm weak.”
“He thinks you're useful.”
“He thinks being broke makes me desperate.”
Julian's expression softened.
“He's wrong.”
“Then let me prove it.”
They argued for twenty minutes.
Nora won.
Again.
The setup took forty-eight hours.
Nora returned to her apartment.
Alone, apparently.
Police occupied the unit across the hall.
Marco's team monitored the alley.
Julian hated every second.
Gerald called at 9:11 p.m.
Nora answered.
“Hello?”
“Nora.”
She forced fear into her voice.
“Gerald?”
“You should've listened to me.”
“What do you want?”
“To help you.”
“You fired me.”
“I was protecting you.”
Nora nearly laughed.
Instead she whispered, “From who?”
Silence.
Then:
“You know.”
“No, I don't.”
“Mercer.”
Nora looked toward the hidden camera.
“What about him?”
“He's using you.”
“How?”
“He doesn't care about you. You're a witness.”
Nora let her breathing become shaky.
“What am I supposed to do?”
Gerald took the bait.
“Meet me.”
“Where?”
He gave her an address.
Ramirez shook her head.
Nora spoke.
“No. Public place.”
“Nora—”
“Public, or nothing.”
Gerald finally agreed to a twenty-four-hour diner near the river.
Julian listened through the surveillance channel.
His voice came over Nora's earpiece before she entered.
“You can still walk away.”
“Stop asking.”
“If he makes one unexpected move—”
“I know.”
“Nora.”
She paused.
“What?”
“Come back.”
Two words.
Not an order.
A plea.
Nora swallowed.
“I will.”
Gerald sat in the last booth.
He looked older.
Sweaty.
Nervous.
Nora sat opposite him.
“You look terrible,” she said.
“You ruined everything.”
“By calling an ambulance?”
“By noticing.”
There it was.
Nora leaned forward.
“What was I supposed to ignore?”
Gerald stared.
“The girl was supposed to collapse later.”
Nora's pulse jumped.
In the surveillance van, Ramirez raised a fist.
A confession.
“Who told you?”
Gerald's eyes darted.
“You don't want names.”
“I already know Vincent.”
His face changed.
Nora knew she'd pushed too fast.
He stood.
“I shouldn't have come.”
She grabbed his sleeve.
“Wait.”
Gerald looked toward the window.
A black SUV stopped outside.
Not police.
Nora's stomach dropped.
Julian's voice exploded in her ear.
“GET OUT.”
Gerald's face drained.
“Oh God.”
“What?”
“He found us.”
The diner doors opened.
Two men entered.
Gerald ran toward the kitchen.
One man followed.
The other headed straight for Nora.
She jumped from the booth.
“Police!”
Everything erupted.
Customers screamed.
Ramirez's officers rushed from vehicles outside.
The man grabbed Nora.
She drove her elbow backward.
He cursed.
Julian burst through the side entrance.
Nora had never seen him move that fast.
He hit the man once.
Hard.
The attacker went down.
Julian grabbed Nora's shoulders.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Anywhere?”
“No!”
His hands were shaking.
Behind them, police arrested Gerald near the kitchen exit.
The second attacker escaped through an alley.
Ramirez walked over.
“We have Gerald.”
Julian still didn't release Nora.
She touched his wrist.
“I'm okay.”
His eyes met hers.
Something raw lived there.
Fear.
Anger.
Relief.
“Nora.”
“I came back.”
He laughed once, breathlessly.
Then, without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him.
Julian froze.
Only for a heartbeat.
Then he held her.
The diner disappeared.
Sirens.
Shouting.
Broken glass.
Nothing mattered.
Nora felt his cheek against her hair.
“You scared ten years off my life.”
“You don't look old enough to spare them.”
“Not funny.”
“A little funny.”
He pulled back.
Their faces were inches apart.
Nora's breath caught.
So did his.
For one suspended second, she thought he might kiss her.
She wasn't sure whether she wanted him to.
That was a lie.
She knew exactly what she wanted.
Then Ramirez cleared her throat.
“Before this turns into a streaming drama, Gerald is talking.”
They stepped apart.
Gerald talked a lot.
Vincent had paid him to disable cameras.
To allow Ethan inside.
To ensure Claire used the private corridor.
But Gerald insisted Ethan had been told only to create a minor injury.
A neck strain.
Something that would force Claire to cancel an upcoming board vote.
The artery dissection had been an unintended consequence.
Vincent hadn't planned a stroke.
He had simply accepted the possibility of harm.
Then Claire survived.
And everything spiraled.
“Board vote?” Julian asked.
Gerald nodded.
“What vote?”
Gerald laughed nervously.
“You really don't know.”
Julian grabbed the table edge.
“Know what?”
“Claire was going to remove Vincent from every Mercer company.”
Nora stared.
“Why?”
Gerald swallowed.
“Because she found the offshore accounts.”
Julian went still.
“What offshore accounts?”
Gerald looked at him.
“The ones Vincent opened in your name.”
Silence.
Ramirez's expression changed.
Julian whispered:
“He framed me.”
Gerald nodded.
“For everything.”
And just like that, the fight was no longer about inheritance.
May you like
Vincent wasn't merely trying to take Julian's empire.
He was preparing to send him to prison first.
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