The Mafia's Undoing-Chapter 112: Stratagem

"Hello, Katherine."

We spin around and saw....

Marcus Davidson stepping out of the darkness.

He looked different. The polished banker was gone, and now, this man is gaunt, hollow-eyed, and dangerous with a gun in hand, trained on us.

"You came. Good, I wanted you to see this."

"Marcus," I say carefully. "This doesn’t have to end badly."

"Doesn’t it?" He laughs bitterly like a broken man. "It already ended badly, almost two years ago. When you destroyed everything."

"We destroyed Angelo Torrino’s criminal empire," Tony says. "You were part of that. You knew what you were doing."

"I was surviving! Making money and living!" Marcus’s voice cracks. "Then you two played hero. Taking down Angelo, Richard, and the entire network. And people like me? We lost everything."

"You were profiting from crime," I say. "Helping Angelo launder money. Corrupt-"

"Don’t lecture me about corruption!" He’s screaming now. "You think you’re better? You fell in love with a mafia boss! You married into that world!"

"Former mafia boss," Tony corrects coldly. "I walked away and built something legitimate."

"While I lost everything! My house, my wife, and my daughter’s future. All gone because of you!"

The lights suddenly blaze on, and we’re surrounded by a dozen men. All armed and moving into position.

I recognize some faces. Former Premier Financial employees, including those who worked with Richard and Angelo. They were all blaming us.

"You took Richard from us," Marcus says. "Our jobs, our income, and our futures. Now we take everything from you."

He pressed a button on a device in his hand, and screens around the room came to life, showing live feeds.

Thomas in his hospital bed - sleeping and vulnerable.

Elliot at his dorm - studying and unaware.

Susan at her estate - talking on the phone.

My blood runs cold.

"I have teams positioned at each location," Marcus says calmly. "Armed and waiting for my signal. One button press and they all die. Tony’s father, your brother, and your best friend."

His finger hovers over the trigger.

"You have sixty seconds to convince me not to give that signal. Sixty seconds to explain why you deserve to live when we lost everything."

"Starting now."

Tony steps forward immediately. "You want someone to blame? Blame me and let Katherine go. Keep me. Kill me if you want, but let everyone else go."

"Noble." Marcus’s smile is cruel. "But no. This is about her and about the choice Richard made. Giving Katherine the account that should have been mine. She needs to understand what it costs."

"Then I’m sorry," I say. "Truly sorry. I didn’t know Richard was corrupt when I started working for him. Didn’t know he was using me. I was manipulated, too."

"But you survived!" Marcus is shaking now. "You thrived! You’re standing here in love, together, building a life while I lost everything."

"Thirty seconds," he adds.

Bella’s moving slowly, trying to flank him. Timothy’s signaling something to Luca’s team outside.

Tony’s calculating. Can he reach Marcus before the trigger is pressed?

I know words won’t work, and nothing I say will change his mind.

"Ten seconds."

I make my choice.

"Wait!" I shout. "You’re right about everything. It should have been you. Richard should have given you the Marvin account. Should have trusted you, and I’m sorry he didn’t."

Marcus pauses. "What?"

"I’m sorry. For taking what should have been yours, for being Richard’s choice, and for everything that happened after." I step forward. "So take me and let everyone else go. You want revenge? Take it, but leave them alone."

"Katherine, no-" Tony starts.

"This is my fault," I tell Marcus. "Richard chose me, and you knew Angelo’s plan involved me. Everything that destroyed your life traced back to me. So I’ll pay the price. Just... please. Leave everyone else alone."

Marcus is staring at me, his gun wavering.

"You’d trade your life for theirs?"

"Yes. Without hesitation."

"Katherine-" Tony’s voice is desperate.

But I ignore him and keep my eyes on Marcus.

"Do we have a deal?"

Marcus’s finger hovers over the trigger. Thirty seconds have long passed.

He could kill everyone right now.

Instead, he lowers the device slightly.

"You really would die for them."

"Yes."

"That’s..." He looks confused. "That’s what Richard saw in you. That loyalty, that willingness to sacrifice."

"Marcus, please-"

The building shook, and an explosion sounded from outside. It was not here but somewhere else.

Marcus’s face goes white, and he looks at a different screen.

Marvin Industries, Tony’s building.

Burning.

"No," Marcus whispers. "That wasn’t supposed to - that’s not-"

"What did you do?" Tony demands.

"I didn’t!" Marcus is panicking now. "That’s not me! That’s not my team!"

Another screen lights up in a different location.

Katherine’s old office building is also on fire.

"I didn’t do that!" Marcus screams. "Someone else-"

His phone rings, and he answers on speaker.

It was a distorted voice. The same one from my threat.

"Hello, Marcus. Enjoying the show?"

"Who is this? What have you done?"

"Finished your work. You were taking too long and getting sentimental. So I’m accelerating the timeline."

Marcus’s face shows horror. "You weren’t supposed to... we had a plan-"

"Your plan was weak; my plan is better. Goodbye, Marcus. You’ve served your purpose."

The line goes dead.

Marcus looks at us, at his men, and at the screens showing burning buildings.

"I didn’t-" he starts.

Then the building shakes again.

Not outside this time.

Here.

Someone else planted explosives in this building while Marcus was focused on us.

"Run!" Timothy screams.

We’re all running - Marcus’s men, us - everyone fleeing for the exits.

Marcus stands there - frozen and staring at the screens.

Tony grabs him. "Move!"

"I was supposed to... this was supposed to-"

"Move now or die!"

We drag Marcus toward the exit. Luca’s team was providing cover while evacuating everyone.

We burst onto the street thirty seconds before the building explodes.

The blast throws us forward, and I hit the pavement hard. Tony’s on top of me, protecting me with his body - debris raining down with fire, smoke, and chaos.

When my ears stop ringing, Tony’s checking me over. "Are you hurt?"

"I’m okay. You?"

"Fine."

Marcus is on his knees, crying. "They used me. Whoever that was, they used me."

"Who?" Tony demands. "Who else is involved?"

"I don’t know! They contacted me three months ago. Said they wanted revenge too and offered resources - money, equipment." Marcus looks up. "I thought they were just funding my operation, but they were using me as a distraction while they-"

My phone rings, and it’s the same altered voice.

"Hello, Katherine. Enjoying the show? Marcus was just a warm-up. The real game starts now. You have until dawn. Leave New York, or everyone dies. And this time - there’s no stopping it."

The line goes dead.

Tony and I exchange looks.

Marcus wasn’t the real threat.

He was only a pawn.

And we just wasted six hours on the wrong enemy.