C437 The Mayor

At the Border, Hanna looked refreshed, after days of resting. The anger in her had not settled down. Her team being killed by Alicia was what made her upset the most. Hanna finally felt ready for her plan on attacking Alicia to start. She had spent most of her time planning attack. The whole week she did not join her army at war she stayed in her tent, while her mind remained occupied with one thing, Alicia Mooney. Who had taken Gold and Diamond that she grew up believing it was destined to be hers and that she was the rightful future leader of Gupta family. Then Alicia came and took it away from her. Hanna had never accepted that loss. Now she was ready to take it back. Hanna gathered her team inside one of the secure tents at the border base. Cintia, Stacy, Bloom, Ignacio, Destroyer, and Cloud stood before her in silence.

Everyone could see that their boss had changed. She became more ruthless. Hanna looked at each of them before speaking. “As you all know, Gold and Diamond belongs to me.” Nobody interrupted her. “Alicia took it from me. She stole what was mine, and I allowed her to believe she could keep it.” Her expression hardened. “Now I must take it back.” Cintia exchanged a brief glance with Stacy, while Bloom remained focused on Hanna. “But before we do anything,” Hanna continued, “I need to know everything about Alicia and her team.” She turned toward the three women. “Cintia, Stacy, and Bloom, I want complete information on everyone connected to her. Find out where their families live, who they care about, and where they are vulnerable.” The three women nodded immediately. “Yes, Boss.” Hanna's eyes remained cold. “I want their locations and weaknesses. I want to know what they would be willing to sacrifice to protect their families. Do not come back to me with incomplete information.” “We understand,” Cintia replied.

Hanna then turned toward Ignacio, Destroyer, and Cloud. “I need something else prepared.” Destroyer stepped forward slightly. “What do you need, Boss?” Hanna smiled faintly. “I want something valuable enough to exchange for Gold and Diamond.” The three men looked at one another. Destroyer frowned. “Boss, what exactly do you want us to do?” For a moment, Hanna said nothing. Then she looked directly at him. “I want her child.” The room immediately fell silent. Nobody moved. Even the people who had worked with Hanna for years were surprised by the request. Destroyer's expression changed. “You mean Alicia's child?” Hanna nodded. “If you can take the child from her, she will have no choice but to negotiate with us.” Ignacio remained silent, but Cloud looked visibly uncomfortable. Hanna noticed their reactions. “What is the problem?” Nobody answered. She slowly walked around the room. “I cannot do this myself. Grandpa still believes Alicia is family, and he will not allow me to act openly against her.”

She stopped in front of the group. “That is why I am relying on all of you.” Her voice became colder. “You will find a way to take their child away from them.” The team lowered their heads. “Yes, Boss,” they said together. Hanna smiled. “Good. Then start working.” Everyone immediately began carrying out their assignments. Cintia, Stacy, and Bloom moved toward the intelligence room, while Ignacio, Destroyer, and Cloud began discussing how they would carry out Hanna's orders. Hanna remained behind for a moment, staring at the closed door. Her expression slowly changed into one of determination. “Alicia,” she whispered, “now you will finally see how ruthless I am.” At the Mayor's Office Mark slowly made his way to the Mayor's office. Although he had dealt with difficult political situations before, this meeting felt different. He knew the Mayor had not called him there for an ordinary discussion.

The moment Mark entered the office, he greeted him politely. “Good morning, Mayor.” The Mayor looked up from his desk. “Mr. Mooney.” His tone was serious. Mark sat down across from him. For a few seconds, neither man spoke. Then the Mayor placed his hands together. “Let me get this straight. Last time we spoke, you told me that Lucia Goods was preparing its employees to fight back against Willy Harris. You said the training would help us solve many of the cases connected to him.” Mark nodded slowly. “Yes, Mayor.” The Mayor leaned back in his chair. “Then your daughter was kidnapped.” “Willy attacked Lucia Goods soon after the kidnapping.” He paused. “And today, I woke up to the news that Willy Harris had been killed.” Mark remained silent. The Mayor continued. “When I put everything together, I only get one conclusion.”

His eyes remained fixed on Mark. “The employees of Lucia Goods received training because they fought back when they were attacked. That means your information about the training was correct.” Mark listened carefully. “But your daughter disappeared before Willy attacked Lucia Goods. The police investigated the incident, and the directors of Lucia Goods told us that there was no attack and that the employees had only been doing their normal training.” The Mayor shook his head. “But we both know that was not the whole story.” Mark lowered his eyes briefly. The Mayor continued. “And now Willy Harris is dead.” “A boat was spotted near the scene.” Mark looked down. The Mayor continued. “The boat was recovered, and we traced the company that owns it.” Mark's heart sank. The Mayor reached for a file on his desk. “Surprisingly, the boat was hired by you, Mr. Mooney.” Mark said nothing. “It was collected early in the morninh by a woman who identified herself as your daughter.” The Mayor paused deliberately. “The same daughter who disappeared months ago.” The Mayor leaned forward. “And shortly after that, Willy Harris was killed by a sniper spotted on the Boat.”

For a moment, Mark could not find the words to answer. The Mayor's voice became firmer. “Tell me exactly where I am wrong.” Mark remained silent. “Where is your daughter now?” the Mayor asked. “Did she kill Willy Harris?” The silence continued. Mark knew there was no point trying to deny it anymore. The evidence was already in front of the Mayor. The boat, the timing, Alicia's identity, and Willy's death were too closely connected. Finally, Mark spoke. “Mr. Mayor, everything you have analysed is correct.” The Mayor watched him carefully. Mark continued. “My daughter is alive. She returned home.” The Mayor did not interrupt. “I told her not to kill Willy. I wanted him arrested. I wanted him brought before the law, and I wanted to handle the case myself.” Mark paused, his voice becoming quieter. “But she disobeyed me.” The Mayor's expression remained serious. Mark looked down at his hands. “I failed to stop her.” His voice carried the weight of a father rather than a government official. “Mr. Mayor, I am asking you for a favour.” The Mayor waited. “Please do not involve my daughter in this matter.” Mark took a breath. “If someone must be punished, then punish me.”

The Mayor's eyebrows moved slightly. Mark continued. “I allowed her to train. I knew what she was capable of, and I still failed to control the situation. I should have stopped her before things went this far.” He looked directly at the Mayor. “She killed Willy because she wanted revenge.” The Mayor remained silent. Mark swallowed hard. “Willy Harris was responsible for my wife's death. He took her life, and my daughter never forgot it.” His voice cracked slightly. “She believed that arresting him would not be enough. She believed that men like Willy always found a way to escape punishment.” Mark looked away. “I tried to convince her otherwise, but she had already made her decision.” The Mayor sat quietly behind his desk. For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock on the wall. Mark waited nervously. He had come to the office afraid of what the Mayor will do. Finally, the Mayor looked up. “Mr. Mooney,” he said quietly. Mark straightened in his chair. The Mayor paused before continuing. “I have already made a decision.”