CHAPTER 71
Carlos sat in silence long after the door closed, the echo of Kate's footsteps fading down the hall. His fingers tapped against the desk steadily, his expression unreadable.
He knew something was off at how Kate behaved but he couldn't figure it out.
She had played her part well — too well. The tremble in her voice, the wounded act, the way she had shielded her stomach like a woman protecting more than a child. It was convincing.
He was never going to give in completely. He believed she planned all of that. Whatever game she's playing, he's ready to play along with her. He will just kill two birds with one stone — have William crushed down and get rid of Kate.
Perfect planning.
He let out a loud laugh, echoing round the room.
Either way, he would win.
___
Donovan moved across the room, settling into the leather chair across from the massive oak desk where the SE sat wreathed in cigar smoke.
"We're running out of time," Donovan said, his voice cutting through the haze. "William's moving faster than we anticipated. His tech guy is already tracing the document forgeries, and if he connects them back to us..."
The SE took a long drag from his cigar. When he exhaled, smoke curled from his nostrils like a dragon's breath. "Patience, Donovan. Panic is the enemy of precision."
"This isn't panic—it's realism." Donovan leaned forward. "Carlos is becoming a liability. Ever since Clark had been caught, he's been sloppy. Desperate. That kind of desperation makes men do stupid things."
A cold smile played at the corners of the SE's mouth. "Carlos has always been a means to an end. A useful tool, nothing more." He set the cigar in a crystal ashtray, the smoke continuing to rise between them. "The fool thinks we're partners, but he's merely been clearing the path for what I really want."
"Which is?"
"Everything." The SE's voice dropped to barely above a whisper, but the word carried the weight of absolute conviction. "William's empire, Carlos's network, the Jones family legacy—all of it consolidated under one roof. My roof."
"And Carlos?" Donovan asked quietly.
"Will have outlived his usefulness the moment we have what we need." The SE picked up his cigar again, examining the burning tip with detached interest. "Loose ends have a way of unraveling entire operations, don't they?"
The implication hung in the air like the cigar smoke, poisonous and inescapable.
"That's why we need to act now," Donovan said. "Every day we wait gives William more time to build his case, gives Carlos more opportunities to make mistakes that could expose us. We have the resources, the connections—why wait for Howard's cooperation when we can proceed without him?"
The SE's laugh was soft, almost musical, but there was nothing warm about it. "Because Howard isn't just any lawyer. He was Jones's confidant, his keeper of secrets. The man knows where everybody is buried, figuratively and perhaps literally."
"So we make him talk."
"We will. But Howard is... particular about his loyalties. He's spent years protecting the Jones family legacy out of some misguided sense of honor. Breaking that kind of devotion requires the right leverage, applied with surgical precision."
Donovan's patience was wearing thin. "While you're delaying things, William could be dismantling everything we've built. The man has resources, connections of his own. If he manages to clear his name—"
"He won't." The SE's voice carried absolute certainty. "Because by the time he realizes the true scope of what he's facing, it will be far too late. Howard will give us what we need, Carlos will play his part until he's no longer useful, and William..." He smiled, the expression never reaching his eyes. "William will discover that sometimes the house always wins, no matter how good you think your hand is."
The room fell silent except for the soft hiss of burning tobacco. Donovan wanted to argue further, wanted to push for immediate action, but he recognized the SE's voice. The decision had been made, and the SE was not a man who reconsidered his strategies lightly.
"How long?" Donovan asked finally.
"Soon." The SE leaned back in his chair, cigar smoke creating a barrier between them. "Very soon. Howard's resistance is already weakening—our mutual friend Kate has seen to that. Once he realizes his precious Jones family legacy is in immediate danger, he'll have no choice but to cooperate."
"And if he doesn't?"
The SE's smile widened, but his eyes remained cold as winter. "Then we'll simply have to be more... persuasive."
___
Liam hurried into the cafe scanning through it until his eyes landed on Tina who sat by the window.
"Sorry I'm late," he said, sitting on the chair across from her. "The traffic was crazy."
Tina flashed him a smile. "You don't have to apologize. I just came in five minutes ago ."
"Your message sounded urgent. What's going on?"
Tina leaned forward. "It's Kate." She whispered like there was someone else with them. "She's planning something that could get her killed, and I don't think she fully understands the danger she's putting herself in."
"Kate?" Liam's voice sharpened with immediate concern. "What is she up to?"
"She went to meet her uncle and convinced him that she's willing to betray William, to work with him to bring down William's empire." Tina's words came out in a rush, as if she'd been holding them back for too long.
Liam's eyes widened. "What! Tina! She wants to betray William?"
"No…. That's not it…. She isn't betraying him." Tina groaned, rubbing her temples. "She only made that up so she can get on his good side. Kate will never betray William, that I'm sure of."
"That is too risky….. not just risky—that's potentially suicidal. Carlos isn't someone she can manipulate even if he is her uncle."
"But she's convinced it's the only way to get inside their operation, to find out who Carlos is really working with and what their endgame is."
"Like a double agent," Liam said slowly, processing the plot.
"Exactly. She figures if she can make Carlos believe she's genuinely turned against William—especially with everything that's happening with the media attacks—he might trust her enough to reveal information about his partners. About who's really pulling the strings."
Liam leaned back in his chair, his mind racing through what Tina had said . "It's actually brilliant, in a terrifying sort of way. Carlos would be tempted by the opportunity to have someone inside William's inner circle. But Tina..." He fixed her with a serious look. "If Carlos suspects for even a moment that she's playing him, he won't hesitate to eliminate her — that man is heartless."
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." Tina's voice cracked slightly. "Kate's been through so much already—losing her parents, discovering all these lies about her family's company, the pregnancy, William's current crisis. I think she's operating on pure adrenaline and determination right now, but she's not thinking clearly about the consequences."
"Is William aware about this plan?"
Tina shook her head. "That's the problem. Kate doesn't want to tell him because she's afraid he'll try to stop her. She thinks he's already dealing with enough pressure from the board and the media scandal."
"But he needs to know," Liam insisted. "This affects him directly. If Kate's going to be feeding Carlos false information about William's business, William has to be prepared. They need to coordinate their stories, anticipate Carlos's questions, and plan for the battle coming up."
"Battle you say." Tina chuckled.
"Of course it is."
"I agree completely. That's why I called you." Tina met his eyes. "We have to convince Kate to carry Willam along if she wants things to go as planned."
"You are up for this. Talk to Kate yourself, you are her friend, she will definitely listen to you. Let her see reasons she should carry William along. After that, we will know what to do next."
"Okay. I'll do just that." Tina sipped from her coffee.
There was a long silence between them
"You should be careful too." Liam suddenly broke the silence.
"Huh…. What for?"
"Those people will come for us that are close to Kate and William. They will use us as bait to get them."
"Hmm….. that's true."
"Change your routines, stay in public places when possible, let people know where you're going. Don't take any unnecessary risks."
"I know Liam. You too — you should be careful."
"I'm already taking precautions. I have always been up for this—you're not. Promise me you'll be smart about your safety."
Tina squeezed his hand. "I promise. Thanks for caring."
"My pleasure Tina." He smiled.
__
William was still bent over the stack of files when the door creaked open. He didn't bother looking up—only one person would dare walk into his study without knocking.
"I thought you'd gone to bed hours ago," he said without looking up, his voice warm despite the weariness.
Kate stepped into the study, closing the door with care. When William finally glanced up, he was struck by the tension in her posture—she stood with her back against the door as if bracing for impact.
"Not yet. We need to talk about something important."
Something in her tone made William set down his pen and give her his full attention. "What's wrong? Is it the baby? Are you feeling—"
"I'm going to work with Uncle Carlos."
William stared at her, certain he'd misheard. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"
"You heard me correctly." Kate moved further into the study, sitting on the sofa in the center of the study.
William rose slowly from his chair, his mind struggling to process what she'd just announced. "Kate, do you understand what you're suggesting? This is the man who destroyed your parents, who's currently trying to destroy me, who—"
"Who's about to trust me enough to let me into his inner circle," Kate interrupted, her voice steady and resolute. "William, you're not letting me explain—"
"Because there's nothing to explain!" William's voice rose sharper than he'd intended, the stress of the past few days finally breaking through his controlled exterior. "Your uncle is a criminal, Kate. He's dangerous. The idea of you anywhere near him, especially now when you're pregnant—"
"Don't." Kate's voice cut him off. "Don't use my pregnancy as a reason to sideline me from this fight. We've been over this."
William ran his hands through his hair, trying to regain his composure.
"Alright," he said, forcing his voice to remain calm. "Explain it to me. Help me understand why you think getting involved with Carlos is anything other than suicide."
Kate relaxed slightly at his change in tone. She moved to the leather armchair across from his desk, settling herself in it.
"Because he already trusts me," she began, her voice taking on the measured cadence of someone who'd thought this through extensively. "Yesterday, I went to see him. I told him I'd overheard you planning to abandon me and the baby, that I wanted revenge."
"You what?" The words came out strangled.
"William, listen to me."
"No. You've got to be kidding me." He chuckled. "How could you say such a thing? Why would I abandon you and our baby —"
"William!!" She shouted. "Let me die before you bury me please."
You won't die Kate. Be careful of what you're saying."
"Then listen to me at least." She paused and studied him before she continued. "Uncle Carlos believed it. Completely. All that animosity between us over the years, all those arguments about my parents' company—it's given me credibility. He thinks I've finally seen you for what he believes you are."
William sank back into his chair, his mind reeling. "Kate, the risks—"
"Are manageable if we're smart about it." Kate leaned forward, her eyes sparking with determination. "Think about it, William. We've been fighting this war from the outside, trying to piece together evidence, always one step behind. But if I can get inside his operation, if I can make him trust me enough to reveal his plans, his associates, his methods..."
"We could have everything we need to destroy them all," William finished quietly, beginning to see the strategic brilliance of her plan even as every protective instinct rebelled against it.
"Exactly. But it only works if you're willing to play along. If you're willing to let me feed him information that makes him think his plan is working."
William was quiet for a long moment, studying his wife's face. In the lamplight, she looked both vulnerable and fierce—the woman who'd captured his heart and the strategist who could match wits with the most dangerous men in the city.
"What kind of information?" he asked finally.
Kate's smile was sharp as a blade. "That's where your gambling problem comes in."
"What?"
"Yes."
"C'mon Kate. There's no way I'm going with that. Gambling…. No no no."
"We have no choice William. It's not like you are really into it. All we have to do is fake everything. We provide fake evidence that will seem real and make him believe."
"Okay. So what's the plan?"
"Liam has to be involved in this also. Let's meet tomorrow at your office so we can come up with a solid plan. We need to act fast."
"This is really going to be tough."
"I promise it will be worth it."
"I trust your instincts dear wife." He said and pulled her into his arms, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat promising strength where words could not. For now, that was enough.