David Cross stepped closer, his gun pointed directly at Sophia's chest.
"Put the box down, Mr. Blackwood. Nice and slow."
Alexander hesitated, clutching the metal box tighter.
"You killed Isabella."
"My father killed Isabella. I was just finishing what he started."
Cross motioned to his men, who spread out to surround them completely.
"You see, this little treasure hunt of yours has caused quite a stir among certain powerful people. People who thought this matter was buried twenty years ago."
"What people?" Sophia demanded.
Cross smiled coldly.
"The Four Great Families, of course. Sterling, Blackwood, Whitmore, and Ashford. Though I suppose you wouldn't know about that, being raised in an orphanage."
"I don't understand."
"Of course you don't. Let me educate you."
Cross leaned against one of the cars, keeping his gun trained on them.
"For over a century, four families have controlled the real power in this country. Not the politicians you see on TV. Not the celebrities in magazines. Us."
Alexander spoke through gritted teeth.
"The Blackwoods never worked with criminals."
"Oh, but they did. Your grandfather started it all back in the 1920s. Prohibition created opportunities for men with vision."
Cross's eyes gleamed in the moonlight.
"The Sterlings controlled the ports. The Whitmores owned the judges and police. The Ashfords managed the money. And the Blackwoods provided the muscle."
"You're lying."
"Am I? How do you think your family got so rich so fast? Your great-grandfather wasn't a businessman, Mr. Blackwood. He was an enforcer."
Cross began walking in a circle around them, like a predator studying its prey.
"Thomas Blackwood was my great-grandfather's right-hand man. When the government tried to stop alcohol, the four families saw opportunity. We built an empire."
"That was a hundred years ago. Things changed."
"Did they? Let me tell you about the Sterling family first."
Cross stopped pacing and pulled out his phone, showing them a photograph of a woman in an expensive business suit.
"Victoria Sterling. Fifty-five years old. Officially, she runs Sterling Maritime, one of the largest shipping companies in the world."
He swiped to another photo showing massive cargo ships.
"Unofficially, thirty percent of everything that moves through American ports belongs to her. Drugs, weapons, stolen art, human trafficking. If it's illegal and profitable, Victoria Sterling has her fingers in it."
Sophia felt sick listening to this.
"The Sterling family learned early that legitimate business is the perfect cover for illegal activities. They own shipping lanes from South America to Europe to Asia."
"What does this have to do with my mother?"
"Patience, dear. I'm getting to that."
Cross swiped to a new set of photos showing courtrooms and government buildings.
"The Whitmore family took a different approach. Instead of moving goods, they moved laws."
The photos showed various judges, prosecutors, and police officials.
"Judge Harold Whitmore is currently sitting on the state supreme court. His brother runs the prosecutor's office in three counties. His nephew is police chief in the capital."
Alexander was staring at the photos with growing horror.
"They control the entire legal system."
"Not the entire system. But enough to make problems disappear when necessary."
Cross showed them a photo of an older man in judicial robes.
"Harold Whitmore has dismissed over two hundred cases in the past ten years. Cases involving drugs, money laundering, murder. All involving people connected to the four families."
"And when dismissal isn't possible?"
"Then evidence disappears. Witnesses change their testimony. Sometimes witnesses disappear entirely."
Cross put away his phone and continued his lecture.
"The Whitmore family believes that controlling the law is more valuable than breaking it. They've been doing this for three generations."
"What about the Ashfords?"
"Ah, the Ashfords. Your mother's family."
Cross's expression became more serious.
"The Ashfords were always the bankers of our little organization. They managed the money for all four families. Laundering, investing, hiding assets from the government."
He pulled out another photo, this one showing a grand mansion.
"Ashford Manor wasn't just a house. It was the financial headquarters for a criminal empire worth billions of dollars."
Sophia stared at the photo. This was where her mother had grown up.
"Isabella's father, Jonathan Ashford, was a genius with numbers. He created a system of shell companies and offshore accounts that made our money completely untraceable."
"But he died young."
"Car accident when Isabella was sixteen. Very convenient timing for certain people who wanted to take control of the Ashford financial network."
Alexander looked at Cross suspiciously.
"Your father arranged that accident."
"My father was very good at removing obstacles."
Cross began pacing again.
"After Jonathan died, Isabella inherited everything. But she was just a teenager. My father saw an opportunity."
"He planned to control her."
"He planned to marry her to someone he could control. Originally, that was supposed to be me."
Sophia felt a chill run through her.
"But Isabella had other ideas. She fell in love with Marcus Kane, who was supposed to be working for us."
"Then she agreed to marry my father instead."
"Only because my father threatened to kill Marcus if she didn't. But Isabella was smarter than we gave her credit for."
Cross stopped pacing and looked directly at them.
"She spent months copying every financial record, every transaction, every secret account. She was building evidence to destroy all four families."
"That's what's on the flash drive."
"Exactly. Twenty years of crimes, documented in perfect detail."
Cross motioned to his men, who stepped closer with their weapons ready.
"Which brings us to the current situation. The balance of power among the four families."
He pulled out a tablet and showed them a complex organizational chart.
"The Sterling family is stronger than ever. Victoria Sterling has expanded into new markets. Human trafficking, organ harvesting, cryptocurrency fraud."
The chart showed connections across multiple countries.
"She controls operations in fifteen countries now. The Sterling family makes more money in a month than most corporations make in a year."
"And the Whitmores?"
"Still controlling the legal system. But they've expanded too."
Cross swiped to a new screen showing government buildings.
"Judge Whitmore's son is now a federal prosecutor. His daughter works for the FBI. They have people in the Department of Justice, the Treasury Department, even the CIA."
Alexander shook his head in disbelief.
"How is this possible?"
"Money and time, Mr. Blackwood. The Whitmore family has been placing their people in key positions for decades."
Cross showed them photos of various officials.
"When you control the people who enforce the law, you effectively control the law itself."
"What about my mother's family? The Ashfords?"
Cross's expression became sad, though Sophia doubted his sincerity.
"The Ashford family is nearly extinct. After Isabella died, only her uncle Robert remained."
He showed them a photo of a frail old man in a hospital bed.
"Robert Ashford is seventy-eight years old and dying of cancer. When he dies, the Ashford bloodline ends forever."
"Unless..."
"Unless what?"
Cross looked at Sophia with calculating eyes.
"Unless Isabella had a child who survived."
The implication hung in the air between them.
"You're thinking about keeping me alive."
"The thought had occurred to me. An Ashford heir could be useful, under the right circumstances."
"What circumstances?"
"Complete loyalty to the new power structure I'm building."
Cross put away the tablet and sat down on the hood of one of the cars.
"You see, the old system of four independent families is outdated. Too much competition, too many conflicts of interest."
"So you want to take control of everything."
"I want to modernize our operations. Create a more efficient structure."
He gestured toward his men.
"The Cross family has been working toward this goal for twenty years. We've been acquiring assets, building relationships, eliminating competition."
"By murdering people."
"By removing obstacles to progress."
Cross's voice was matter-of-fact, as if discussing a business merger.
"My father eliminated the older generation of leaders. Isabella, Marcus, your father Richard. People who were too attached to the old ways."
Alexander's fists were clenched with rage.
"You killed my father because he wanted to go legitimate."
"Your father was a threat to stability. He knew too much and was becoming unreliable."
Cross stood up and began walking toward the warehouse.
"But I'm not my father. I prefer negotiation to violence."
"What kind of negotiation?"
"The Blackwood family still has valuable assets. Your father's legitimate businesses are worth hundreds of millions. Your family name still opens doors."
Cross stopped and turned back to them.
"Work with me, and the Blackwood family can reclaim its place among the four families."
"Under your control."
"Under unified leadership. The four families working together instead of against each other."
"And if I refuse?"
Cross shrugged.
"Then the Blackwood bloodline joins the Ashfords in extinction."
One of Cross's men spoke up.
"Sir, we should move inside. This location isn't secure for extended conversations."
"You're right."
Cross motioned for them to follow him toward the warehouse.
"Let's continue this discussion somewhere more comfortable."
As they walked, Sophia managed to whisper to Alexander.
"The flash drive. I hid it in my shoe."
"Good. Don't let them find it."
Inside the warehouse was a sophisticated office space that looked completely out of place in the industrial building. Expensive furniture, multiple computer workstations, and a conference table surrounded by leather chairs.
"Welcome to the real headquarters of the Cross family empire."
Cross sat down at the head of the conference table.
"This is where we plan the future of organized crime in America."
The walls were covered with maps, charts, and photographs showing the scope of their operations.
"Impressive, isn't it? My father built all of this from nothing."
Alexander was forced to sit across from Sophia at the table.
"Now, let's discuss your decision. The Blackwood family can either join the new order or be destroyed by it."
"What exactly are you offering?"
"Partnership. You would maintain control of your legitimate businesses. In exchange, you would provide certain services when requested."
"What kind of services?"
Cross leaned forward.
"The Blackwood family has always been the muscle of our organization. That tradition would continue."
"You want me to be your enforcer."
"I want you to be my partner. But yes, sometimes partnership requires enforcing agreements."
Cross pulled out a thick folder and placed it on the table.
"This contains details of our current operations. Study it. You'll see that we're talking about billions of dollars in annual revenue."
Sophia spoke up.
"What about me? What's my role in this partnership?"
"You, my dear, are the key to everything."
Cross smiled at her.
"As the last surviving Ashford, you have legal claim to all of Isabella's assets. Assets that have been growing in value for twenty years."
"I don't want any part of this."
"Unfortunately, wanting is irrelevant. You are Isabella Ashford's daughter. That makes you one of the most valuable people in this room."
Cross opened the folder and showed them financial documents.
"The Ashford family trust is currently worth over three billion dollars. When Robert Ashford dies, you become the sole heir."
The numbers on the papers were staggering.
"Three billion dollars buys a lot of influence, Miss Kane. Influence that I intend to use."
"Through me."
"With your cooperation. Or without it, if necessary."
The threat was clear. Cross would use her inheritance whether she agreed or not.
"But cooperation would be much more pleasant for everyone involved."
Alexander leaned forward.
"What guarantee do we have that you won't kill us once you get what you want?"
"None. But you have my word that cooperation will be rewarded."
"Your word isn't worth much, considering your family's history."
Cross's expression hardened.
"My family has survived and prospered for a century by keeping our promises to allies and eliminating our enemies completely."
He stood up and walked to one of the maps on the wall.
"The question you need to ask yourselves is: which category do you want to be in?"
**End of Chapter**