Chapter 12 - The Seventeen Million Dollar Choice
Viktor Saran disappeared for six days.
Chicago newspapers reported the Pier 19 violence as an "ongoing federal operation involving financial crimes."
Roman's name appeared repeatedly.
So did Derek's.
Harper's did not.
Agent Hale kept her out of official reporting as long as legally possible.
For the first time in a week, Harper slept.
Not well.
But enough.
She stayed at Roman's lake house with her mother.
Roman occupied the opposite wing.
It was an unnecessarily large house.
Harper told him so.
"You could house thirty people here."
"Twelve."
"That doesn't improve it."
Roman sipped coffee.
"It has excellent insulation."
Harper stared.
"That's your defense?"
"Yes."
Their relationship existed in an undefined space.
They had kissed twice.
He had saved her life.
She had saved his.
They had shared grief.
But Harper was technically less than a week removed from ending a three-year engagement.
Neither rushed.
Roman never entered her room without knocking.
Never touched her without checking her reaction.
Never commented on what she ate.
The first morning Harper took a croissant, instinct made her look toward him.
Roman noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Harper."
She hesitated.
"Derek used to make comments."
Roman's eyes dropped to the pastry.
Then back.
"Eat two."
She laughed.
"I'm serious."
"That's not healthier."
"I don't care."
Something in Harper relaxed.
She ate the croissant.
Not because Roman permitted it.
Because she wanted it.
Small rebellion.
Massive victory.
On the sixth day, Agent Hale called.
"We found activity."
Roman put the phone on speaker.
"Where?"
"Signature key was used."
Harper's chest tightened.
"The accounts?"
"Yes."
"The seventeen million?"
"Still there."
Roman frowned.
"Then what did they access?"
Hale paused.
"Files."
"What files?"
"Daniel's identity map."
Harper looked at Roman.
The corruption list.
Hale continued.
"Viktor now knows every compromised official Daniel identified."
"That's bad," Harper said.
"Worse. He's contacting them."
Roman's jaw tightened.
"Cleaning up."
"Exactly."
People could disappear.
Evidence destroyed.
Witnesses threatened.
Harper asked, "Can we access the same information?"
"If we had the key."
Roman looked toward her.
Harper's eyes narrowed.
"You made a copy."
"No."
"Roman."
He almost smiled.
"I made several."
Hale went silent.
"You told me there was one key."
"I told Viktor there was one."
Harper stared.
"Where are the copies?"
Roman's expression became faintly smug.
"Secure."
Harper shook her head.
"Terrible man."
"Useful terrible man."
Agent Hale exhaled.
"Can I have one?"
Roman looked at Harper.
"Your father's data."
The choice belonged to her.
Harper understood what he was doing.
Trust.
Not controlling.
She nodded.
"Give it to Hale."
Roman opened a concealed safe.
Harper laughed.
"What?"
"You actually have hidden safes everywhere."
"Occupational requirement."
Within hours, federal prosecutors began moving.
Arrest warrants prepared.
Accounts frozen.
Compromised officials monitored.
Then the seventeen million changed.
Harper sat beside Hale watching numbers move across a screen.
"Where's it going?"
Hale frowned.
"Multiple charities."
Roman leaned closer.
"What?"
Transfers spread across dozens of organizations.
Shelters.
Youth programs.
Medical funds.
Domestic violence services.
Harper stared.
"Viktor is donating stolen money?"
Roman shook his head.
"No."
"Then who?"
Hale traced the authorization.
Her eyebrows lifted.
"Derek."
Harper's pulse jumped.
Derek was in federal custody.
"How?"
"Scheduled transfer."
Roman looked impressed despite himself.
"Dead-man switch."
Hale nodded.
"If Derek didn't cancel it, the money automatically distributed."
Harper stared.
Derek had stolen seventeen million from Viktor.
Then arranged to give it away if captured.
Why?
Hale received a message.
"Derek wants to speak to Harper."
Roman frowned.
Harper looked at him.
He corrected himself.
"Your choice."
She smiled faintly.
"Learning quickly."
The federal detention room smelled like disinfectant.
Derek sat behind reinforced glass.
No expensive watch.
No tailored jacket.
He looked younger.
And smaller.
Harper picked up the phone.
Derek did too.
"You saw the transfers."
"Yes."
"Viktor won't get the money."
"Why charities?"
Derek looked away.
"I knew eventually I'd lose."
"That's not an answer."
He sighed.
"Because I wanted one thing I did to matter."
Harper studied him.
"You could have started by not stealing it."
"Probably."
"Why those organizations?"
Derek hesitated.
"Some were yours."
Harper frowned.
"My what?"
"Charities you donated to."
Her throat tightened.
Derek remembered.
She hated that.
"I watched you spend three years trying to be good enough for me."
His eyes filled.
"The whole time, you were better than me."
Harper looked away.
"Derek."
"I know."
His voice cracked.
"I don't deserve forgiveness."
"No."
He nodded.
"I know."
Harper looked back.
"Then why ask to see me?"
Derek leaned closer.
"Because Viktor has someone close to Roman."
"Marcus."
"No."
Harper's stomach dropped.
"Someone else."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Derek."
"I really don't."
He lowered his voice.
"Before they took me, I heard Viktor say he still had a person at Roman's table."
Harper thought of Elias.
Security.
House staff.
Business partners.
"How close?"
Derek looked frightened.
"Close enough to know about the duplicate keys."
Harper froze.
Only a few people knew.
Roman.
Harper.
Elias.
Hale.
Samantha.
Her mother.
Maybe security specialists.
Derek continued.
"Viktor wants Roman alive."
"Why?"
"He doesn't."
Harper frowned.
"You just said—"
"He wants Roman emotionally alive."
Cold spread through her.
"What does that mean?"
Derek's voice lowered.
"He wants to destroy everything Roman cares about before killing him."
Harper thought of Julian.
His father.
And now...
Her.
Derek whispered, "Harper, leave Chicago."
She stared.
"For once in your life, don't stay because a man asks you to."
Harper almost laughed at the irony.
Then Derek said:
"And don't tell Roman where you're going."
The line clicked.
Meeting over.
Harper walked outside.
Roman waited in the hallway.
"What did he say?"
Harper hesitated.
Transparency.
Trust.
She told him everything.
Roman listened without interruption.
When she finished, his face was unreadable.
"You should leave."
Harper blinked.
"What?"
"If Viktor is targeting people close to me, you and your mother should leave Chicago."
"That's exactly what Derek said."
"Then for once he had a competent thought."
Harper crossed her arms.
"You want me gone?"
Roman looked at her.
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
Harper's heart tightened.
Roman stepped closer.
"I want you somewhere Viktor cannot reach."
"That's different."
"Very."
"Where would that be?"
"I have places."
"Of course you do."
"Harper."
She looked at him.
Roman's voice softened.
"You don't owe me participation in my war."
"I know."
"Daniel died because of it."
"I know."
"Julian died because of it."
"I know."
"I won't ask you to stay."
Harper swallowed.
"What if I choose to?"
Roman's expression changed.
"I would still tell you to leave."
"Why?"
His eyes held hers.
"Because I'm falling in love with you."
Everything stopped.
No dramatic speech.
No clever line.
Just truth.
Harper couldn't breathe.
Roman looked almost angry with himself.
"I didn't intend to say that."
"Obviously."
"You don't need to answer."
"Good."
"I mean it."
"I know."
Roman stepped back.
Harper grabbed his hand.
He stopped.
She wasn't ready to say love.
Not yet.
But she knew she didn't want distance.
"Don't decide for me."
Roman looked down at their hands.
Then nodded.
"Your choice."
"My choice."
That night Harper packed one bag.
Roman assumed she had decided to leave.
She carried it downstairs.
He stood by the front door.
"Car is ready."
Harper handed him the bag.
"Great."
"Where are you going?"
"With you."
"Harper."
"You said my choice."
His jaw tightened.
She smiled.
"Careful with promises."
Roman stared at her.
Then a slow, unwilling smile appeared.
"Fine."
They stepped outside.
The driveway was empty.
Roman frowned.
"Where's Elias?"
Security guard approached.
"Mr. Vale, Elias left twenty minutes ago."
Roman froze.
"Left where?"
"He said you ordered him to retrieve the backup key."
Roman's face changed.
"I gave no such order."
Harper's blood went cold.
Roman pulled out his phone.
No answer.
Then Harper received a photograph.
Elias tied to a chair.
Blood on his temple.
Behind him stood Samantha Reed.
Harper's trusted attorney.
Her father's old family friend.
Holding Daniel Quinn's duplicate signature key.
Below the photo:
You were looking for the traitor at Roman's table. You should have looked at your own.
Harper stared.
"Samantha."
Roman went very still.
And suddenly the one person Harper had meant to call at the beginning of all this had become the person she should have feared most.
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Continue to Chapter 13…
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