The Mafia's Undoing-Chapter 132: A New Kind of Threat

Morning comes, and I still haven’t slept.

Elliot appears at my door, quite early, with his face serious.

"Katherine’s leaving."

"What?"

"She booked a flight to San Francisco. It’s a one-way ticket, and she’s leaving today at 2 PM."

San Francisco. The job offer she turned down two months ago. The escape she almost took before Diane attacked.

My blood runs cold. "She’s running."

"Yes, and if you don’t stop her, she won’t come back." Elliot’s voice was analytical but concerned. "Statistically, people who run from trauma don’t return. They relocate permanently, avoidance becomes the new normal."

"How long have you known?"

"She called me last night. After you went to the guest room and asked me to water her plants."

"And you didn’t tell me?"

"I’m telling you now. You have-" he checks his watch, "four hours and seventeen minutes."

I was already moving.

I reached our room, and she was there, ready with her suitcase packed. She had a carry-on ready and was already calling a car service.

"You were going to leave without saying goodbye?"

She jumped because she didn’t hear me come in.

"I left a note." She said without meeting my eyes.

"A note?" I can’t believe this. "Katherine, we’ve been through hell together, fought side by side and nearly died for each other... and you were going to leave me a note?" I ran my hand through my hair, already feeling frustrated.

"I can’t do this, Tony." Her voice breaks. "This life - watching people die, living in constant fear, and carrying guilt I can’t escape. I just can’t."

"So you’re running? Like you almost did before when Victoria was attacking us?"

"Yes, I’m running! Because staying is killing me, can’t you see that?"

"I see that you’re traumatized and that you need help, but running to San Francisco won’t fix that."

"Maybe not, but at least I won’t be responsible for more deaths."

"You’re not responsible-"

"SEVENTEEN PEOPLE ARE DEAD!" She’s shouting now. "Seventeen! Because Diane targeted them to hurt me! How is that not my responsibility?"

I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay calm.

"Then I’ll come with you. We’ll leave together and start over in San Francisco."

She stares at me. "What?"

"You heard me, I’ll come. We’ll build a new life... away from this."

"Tony, you have Marvin Industries, Bella, your father... your entire life here."

"You’re my life. Without you, none of that matters."

"You can’t just abandon everything for me-"

"Watch me." And I meant every word. "I’ll sell the company, give it to Bella, and walk away completely. We’ll go to San Francisco, Paris, or Antarctica. I don’t care where, as long as we’re together."

She’s crying now. "You’d really do that?"

"In a heartbeat, but Katherine-" I moved closer, "-running won’t fix this. The trauma comes with you, the guilt, and the nightmares. Location doesn’t heal wounds."

"Then what does?"

"Time does... help, therapy, support, and me being beside you through all of it."

She stayed silent for a long time; I can see her weighing it.

Stay and face the trauma with me, or run and face it alone.

"I don’t know how to live with this," she whispers. "How to keep going when seventeen people died because of me?"

"You learn. One day at a time with help, therapy, and me beside you every step."

"What if I can’t? What if I’m broken beyond repair?"

"Then we figure it out together, but you don’t run. You don’t leave, okay? We face this, just like we faced everything."

She’s standing at the precipice, trying to decide.

Her phone rings, and it’s from an unknown number.

She almost doesn’t answer, but something makes her do.

"Hello?"

Her face goes white, and she puts it on speaker.

It was a distorted voice, seeming like the same old familiar pattern. The same tech Diane used.

"Hello, Katherine, and congratulations on surviving Diane. I’m actually impressed. Most people don’t walk away from her."

"Who is this?"

"Someone who’s been watching, waiting, and learning from all of Charles Sterling’s students’ mistakes."

I felt my blood run cold. "Another one."

"The last one, or you could refer to as the best one... and unlike Diane, I’m not interested in psychological warfare or elaborate revenge. I’m interested in complete annihilation."

"What do you want?" Katherine’s voice shakes.

"Everything. Your life, Tony’s empire, your futures... all of it. And this time, you won’t see me coming. You won’t know who I am. You won’t know when I’ll strike. You’ll just wake up one day, and everything you love will be gone."

"Why are you telling us this?"

"Because I want you to be afraid. I want you to live every day knowing I’m out there. Watching, planning, and coming for you. Fear is its own kind of death."

The line goes dead.

Katherine and I stare at each other.

She was about to leave and run to San Francisco.

But now there’s a new threat worse than Diane, more competent than Victoria, and more patient than anyone we’ve faced.

And this time, we have no idea who the enemy is.

Katherine sets down her suitcase slowly.

"I guess I’m staying."

"Because of the threat?"

"Because running won’t save me." She turned to look at me. "You were right, the still danger follows, and the trauma, location doesn’t fix anything."

"So what do we do?"

"We face it. We get me help, and we figure this out. Together."

"Together."

She stepped into my arms, finally. The first time this week.

"I’m sorry for shutting you out. For trying to run and for-"

"Sshh... don’t. You’re traumatized, and you’re still processing. That’s not something to apologize for."

"But I almost left you."

"Almost, but you didn’t. You’re here, and that’s what matters."

We’re holding each other when her phone buzzes again, and it’s a text from the same unknown number.

Good choice, Katherine. Running would have been boring. Stay, fight, and lose. This will be so much more entertaining. -The Shadow

The Shadow.

Huh?... that’s what they’re calling themselves now.

Another ghost from Charles Sterling’s past.

Another war we have to fight.

But this time, Katherine’s not running... we face it together like we always do.

Even when we’re broken.

Even when we’re terrified.

Together.