The Mafia's Undoing-Chapter 113: The Choice

The explosion knocked us fifteen feet.

I lie on the pavement, my ears ringing. Tony shields me with his body as debris falls and smoke fills the air.

"Katherine!" His voice is muffled. "Are you hurt?"

"I’m okay." I push at him. "Get up. We need to-"

I looked at Marcus, who’s still on his knees in the middle of the street, staring at his burning building and operations.

All of it was destroyed by whoever was using him.

Luca’s team secures the area, his men rounding up Marcus’s people. Most surrender immediately; they’re scared and confused, not hardened criminals.

Timothy’s on the phone with the FBI. "We need fire and rescue. Multiple casualties possible, and we have suspects in custody."

Bella helps me to stand. "You okay?"

"Fine. You?"

"Been worse." She looks at the burning building. "Whoever did this - they’re professional. It’s military-grade explosives and was timed perfectly."

Marcus was still on his knees - broken.

Tony approaches him. "Who contacted you three months ago? Who gave you the resources?"

Marcus looks up. His face was streaked with soot and tears. "I don’t know. I never met them in person. Everything was through encrypted messages, burner phones, and anonymous cash drops."

"But you have records," I say. "Communications. Something."

"I kept backups in case they tried to double-cross me." Marcus laughs bitterly. "Guess I was right to be paranoid."

"Where?" Tony demands.

"Storage unit in Brooklyn. I’ll give you the address, the code - everything." Marcus looks at us. "I thought - I thought I was getting revenge. For my daughter and for everything I lost, but they were just using me."

"Your daughter," I repeat. "You said the college fund was gone and that Premier Financial’s collapse took her future."

Marcus nods. "Emily. She’s fourteen now, brilliant kid. Was going to MIT - full scholarship potential. I had everything set up. College fund, her future secured."

His voice breaks. "When the firm went bankrupt, I lost everything. The fund was tied to Premier stock. It became worthless overnight. Then the divorce came, and my wife got custody. Said I couldn’t provide stability."

"I see her twice a month now, court-supervised. She asks me about college, about her future, and I have nothing to tell her." Marcus looks at me. "Do you know what it’s like? Watching your daughter’s dreams die because you can’t give her what she needs?"

My heart aches despite everything. "Marcus, I’m so sorry."

"Are you?" His eyes meet mine. "You took the account that should have been mine. The account that would have kept me employed, kept my income, kept my family together, and kept Emily’s future secure."

"Richard chose me, not Katherine," Tony says. "And Richard was working for Angelo Torrino. This was always bigger than one account."

"I know." Marcus sounds exhausted. "I know that now, but for two years, all I could think about was revenge. Getting you two to feel what I felt, watching your futures crumble as mine did. And then they contacted me, offered me everything I needed, they made it so easy."

"Until they decided you were expendable," Bella adds.

"Yeah." Marcus looks at the burning building again. "Until then."

FBI arrives with Agent Chen leading the team.

"Marcus Davidson?" Chen shows his badge. "FBI. You’re under arrest for conspiracy, attempted murder, terrorism-"

"I’ll cooperate," Marcus interrupts. "Full cooperation, I’d tell you everything, but first-" He looks at me. "I’m sorry. For your brother, the threats. For all of it, I let grief turn me into a monster." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"I understand grief," I say quietly. "I’ve lost people too, but Marcus, this isn’t the way."

"I know that now."

Chen’s people take him away, and he goes without resistance.

We regroup at Susan’s estate. It’s 3 AM and we’re exhausted, but the distorted voice said we had until dawn.

Three hours.

Everyone’s gathered in Susan’s dining room. Tony, me, Bella, Susan, Elliot on video-call, Luca, Timothy, Lisa, Chen.

"We need to identify who’s really behind this," Tony says. "Marcus was a pawn. Who was playing him?"

"We’re going to his storage unit now," Chen says. "Retrieving whatever communications he saved, but that takes time."

"We don’t have time," I point out. "Dawn is in three hours."

Lisa’s already typing. "I’m analyzing the distorted voice from both calls. Looking for patterns, similarities-"

"It’s the same person," Elliot says from the screen. "I already ran a comparative analysis. Same distortion software and same vocal patterns underneath. It’s one person making both calls."

"So Marcus’s handler is the same person threatening us now," Bella says.

"Which means they’ve been orchestrating this entire thing," Timothy adds. "Using Marcus as a distraction while they - what? What’s the endgame?"

Tony’s pacing. "They wanted Katherine separated from me and vulnerable. That’s why they gave Marcus resources for his revenge plot. But also why they threatened to kill everyone if she didn’t leave."

"Two parallel plans," I realize. "Marcus was attacking us directly, and the threats were forcing me to leave. Either way, I’m gone."

"Why?" Susan asks. "Why specifically target Katherine?"

"Because she makes me stronger," Tony says simply. "We’re more dangerous together. Whoever this is knows that."

Luca’s phone buzzes. He checks it, and his face goes pale.

"What?" Tony asks.

"It’s my people at Marvin Industries, they said the fire’s out, and they found something."

He shows us a photo. It’s a message spray-painted on the wall of Tony’s burned building.

THE EMPIRE FALLS. THE KING FALLS WITH IT. -V.C.

"V.C.," Bella reads. "Initials?"

"Or a signature," Timothy says.

Lisa’s already searching. "V.C. Cross-referencing with anyone connected to the Commission, to Charles Sterling, to Morrison-"

"Wait," I say. "Vivian. Vivian Cross."

Everyone turns to look at me.

"Tony’s business partner, the hotel deal. She’s been working closely with him for months."

Tony’s face shows realization. "The deal I walked away from. When I chose you over the business."

"She was angry," I remember. "Really angry when you backed out."

"Angry enough to do this?" Bella asks.

"Lisa, pull up everything on Vivian Cross," Tony orders.

Lisa’s fingers fly. "I’m looking, but - this is strange. Her background checks out, from references, employment history, education - everything’s legitimate."

"Too legitimate?" Timothy suggests.

"Maybe." Lisa digs deeper. "Actually, her digital footprint only goes back five years; before that, nothing. No social media, no records. Like she didn’t exist."

"Fake identity," Chen says. "Professional level. That’s serious resources and planning."

"Who is she really?" I ask.

Elliot speaks up. "I’m running facial recognition. Give me a minute."

We wait. The room was silent except for typing.

Then Elliot’s face changes. "Found her. Real name: Victoria Bridges."

Tony goes white. "Victoria?"