Tell him it can wait. I'll call him in the morning."
"That's the thing, boss. It can't wait," Jenny said, voice tight. "Robert sent back all the money we gave him to be cleaned."
"What?!"
Derrick stood up so fast his chair nearly tipped over. "Wait there."
He covered the phone and turned to Mavis. "I need to take this somewhere private. I'm sorry, honey. I'll make it up to you."
"Oh, you will," Mavis said, arms crossed, not even trying to hide the disappointment in her tone. "You definitely will."
Derrick stepped outside and brought the phone to his ear. "I'm free now. What's going on?"
Jenny paused, then began reading:
"He said—'I've blackened my soul enough. What you're doing isn't morally right, and helping you so you and your boss can destroy families, kids… that's not right. I have kids, and knowing I'm helping criminals in our city, I can't sleep at night knowing I'm part of that. So I've sent all the money back, and I'm out. I appreciate all the help — that's something I'll never forget. But I can't have this on my conscience anymore.'
Derrick clenched his jaw, his face tightening as he squeezed the phone. His entire upper body tensed, chest rising and falling with barely restrained fury.
"Should I tell... the boss?" Jenny asked carefully.
"No. If you tell him, we'll all be on the chopping block. So cease fire on that. I'll handle it."
"Okay, boss," she said, and hung up.
Derrick stared at his phone, the dark screen casting a faint reflection of his face. For the first time in a long time, he saw himself clearly—the devil of New York City. And the truth hit hard: he wasn't just playing the villain anymore. He was the villain.
But it was too late to turn back. He'd gone too far down the rabbit hole. This life—the lies, the blood, the power—was a part of his makeup now. There was no escape.
He lifted his phone again and made the call.
"Round up the men and pick me up," Derrick said through gritted teeth, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.
"Yes, boss," the man on the other end replied.
"And make sure you're all armed."
"What's going on, boss? You in trouble?"
"No," Derrick said coldly, eyes narrowed. "But the person I'm about to press just jumped off his shiny yacht and straight into an ocean full of sharks. Let's see how well he navigates treacherous waters when he's the prey."
Derrick ended the call, his jaw clenched tight. The air around him felt heavier now, charged with violence and inevitability.
He slipped the phone into his trouser pocket and took one final breath before stepping back inside.
Mavis was still seated at the table, absently swirling the last of her wine. Her eyes flickered toward the candle's flame, as if it might offer a glimpse of the future—or a reason to stay.
"Sorry, honey. Work calls," Derrick said.
"Do you really have to?" Her voice cracked slightly. "I finally get you all to myself, and yet again, work gets in the way. Eventually, Derrick, you're going to have to start putting us first."
Tears welled in her eyes.
Derrick hesitated. For a split second, something in him almost softened. Almost. But not tonight. Not after what Robert had just done.
He hated seeing her like this. But this was the life he chose. There was no off-switch, no pause button. And even if he wanted a break, he couldn't—he'd buried himself too deep in this life to have a break.
"I do," he said gently. "A foreign partner's threatening to stop doing business with us. I could lose a lot of money."
"I thought so," Mavis said, wiping under her eyes. "That's gonna be two diamond earrings."
She tried to smirk, to hide the pain—to play it off like she always did. Like jewelry could patch the cracks. But deep down, she knew: no amount of diamonds could ever fill the distance between them.
"Of course, honey," Derrick said, kissing her forehead before turning and walking out.
Outside, he stood on the sidewalk under the cold New York night. Derrick's eyes told the story—there was nothing on his mind other than vengeance as he stood there like a soldier awaiting war.
Five minutes passed. Then, like shadows materialising from fog, three unmarked black SUVs turned the corner and pulled up to the curb. The engine of the lead vehicle idled low.
The passenger door swung open.
"Boss," the man inside nodded. "We're going to Robert's."
****
Robert stood in the living room, adjusting his tie while calling out, "You guys ready?"
"Nearly!" Gabriel shouted back from upstairs.
"I'll be down in a minute!" Daniel added.
Upstairs, Gabriel held his phone to his ear.
"Jai, I've gotta go."
"You still haven't answered my question, Gabe," Jai-Lee said. "When are we sneaking into your dad's lab?"
Gabriel sighed. "Tonight would've been perfect, but he's dragging us to some celebration dinner with his science buddies. We definitely have to be there. You don't know what he's like when he gets disappointed."
For weeks now, Gabriel and Jai-Lee had been trying to find the perfect time to break into the lab. He'd already copied the keys, memorized his father's habits, and followed him closely enough to learn the entry required both a key and a password. He was close. So close.
On the other end of the call, Jai-Lee groaned.
"I got dressed up in my stealthiest black clothes for nothing?"
"Not for nothing," he said. "I'm sure you'll find someone else to sneak up on."
"Oh, you've got jokes," she said flatly. "Well, enjoy your fancy dinner. And when you grow a spine, give me a call. Bye."
She hung up. Gabriel shook his head and chuckled to himself before tossing his phone on the bed and continuing to get ready.
As the boys came downstairs, Robert stood waiting in the living room. Outside, the sound of three black SUVs pulling up was unmistakable. He glanced through the blinds. There they were. No lights, no movement—just sitting outside his house like shadows waiting to pounce.
His heart slammed against his ribs as his feet locked to the floor. Every instinct screamed at him.
Derrick.
It had to be.
But the engines turned on and the cars began to drive down the road. Robert released the blinds, tilted his head back and exhaled a deep breath before moving into the hallway.
"Boys!" Robert called out quickly, forcing cheer into his voice. "You're taking your sweet time. At this rate, they'll be on dessert before we even sit down."
"Sorry, Dad," the boys chorused.
But Robert didn't see the way Daniel's fists clenched at his sides. The quiet resentment bubbling up. He hadn't forgotten the broken birthday promise. The empty apologies. The long nights waiting. Or the hypocrisy.
As Daniel made his way downstairs, he watched his father closely, jaw tight.
in the cars, Derrick's men waited patiently.
"What's the play, boss?" asked one of Derrick's men.
"I'm going to bring him out here," Derrick said, eyes forward. "Then we're going for a drive. If you catch my drift."
"I get you, boss."
Everyone stood by the front door, ready to leave. Robert reached and opened it—
And there he was. Derrick. Fist raised mid-knock.
Derrick lowered his hand slowly.
"Derrick?" Robert said, forcing a smile. "Didn't know you were coming by tonight. How's Mavis?"
"She's fine. I'm sorry to steal him away," Derrick said, glancing toward Nicole. "But it's a work emergency."
Nicole frowned. "I'm sure it can wait, surely?"
"It can't, Nic. I wouldn't be here if it could. I need Robert to come to my office to sign off on some papers. It can't wait."
"I didn't know you were working with Robert," she said with a curious look.
Daniel, standing just a few feet away, felt something twist in his chest as he stared Derrick in the eyes.
There's a lot you don't know about Dad, Mom, Daniel thought.But she will see you eventually, Dad. Every deal that gets done in the dark is revealed in the light.Malakie told me everything — all the under-the-table deals, the late-night meetings, the envelopes passed behind closed doors.I see him now. I truly see him.And it's not the man you think you're married to.
His gaze darted to his father, who stood there smiling, calm, composed — like he wasn't hiding a thousand secrets beneath that suit.
But I see through it all.
"Come on, Nic. Who isn't working with Robert these days?" Derrick smirked. "Your husband's a hot commodity."
"Tell me about it," Nicole said with a laugh, though her eyes lingered on the SUVs.
Robert gave a tight nod.
"Oh… right. How could I forget?" he said. "She did contact me. Must've slipped my mind. I'll go sort this out quickly."
As he stepped outside and climbed into the SUV beside Derrick, the tone shifted.
The second the door closed, the walls started to close in.
Derrick leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and stared straight ahead. His fingers laced tightly. Jaw clenched.
The silence grew deafening—like a spring ready to explode.
Robert cleared his throat. "Derrick, listen—"
"Don't talk," Derrick said. "Drive."