Chapter 67 - Sins of the Silver Gate
"You were the architect of my destruction," Harlan spat, stepping entirely into the salon doorway, keeping Emma pinned against his hip as a human shield. "You convinced my father that I was selling the company assets to foreign shell firms. You had the board vote me out, had the federal prosecutors raid my home, and then you quietly transferred the entire Silver Gate patent portfolio into your private trust."
Evelyn dropped her head, unable to meet his gaze. "You were going to bankrupt the family, Victor! You were gambling millions on unproven maritime salvage projects. I had to protect my children!"
"By stealing what wasn't yours?" Harlan yelled, his composure slipping for a fraction of a second, revealing the manic rage boiling underneath. "And then, forty years later, you tried to play the same games with your own son. You kept Emma in the cold, didn't you? Treated her like dirt on your shoe because she reminded you of the guilt you couldn't bury."
Emma looked from Harlan to her grandmother, a strange, quiet understanding passing through her eyes despite her fear. She wasn't just a victim; she was the centerpiece of a feud she had never asked to inherit.
"The key is in the cipher, Harlan," I interrupted, taking a cautious half-step forward on the slick deck. "You have the cipher. You have Evelyn. Take what you need and let Emma walk to our boat. You win. The war is over."
May you like
Harlan looked down at Emma, then back at me. His predatory grin returned, wider and more terrifying than before.
"The war doesn't end with a surrender, David," Harlan whispered. "It ends with total annihilation. You see, the cipher doesn't unlock the accounts from the outside. It requires a dead man's authorization. Someone has to go down with the ship to trigger the release protocol."
