C542 They Betrayed Us

Hanna turned towards Alicia. “As I said, I need my team. You'll have to allow Stacy, Cintia, and Bloom to join me.” Alicia nodded. “That's fine. Let's go to the border. Once we arrive, everyone will see us together, and we can work on uniting the two armies. After that, you can take whichever members of your crew you want.” She paused, remembering Miller's request. “We also need to meet Grandpa Miller, just as he asked." Hanna considered the suggestion before nodding. “Fine. Let's go.” She stepped forward and untied Alicia's hands. Alicia rubbed her wrists, which were sore from being bound for so long, before getting to her feet. “There is one more thing we need to discuss,” Alicia said. Hanna glanced at her. “What is it?” “The leadership structure at the border. I know I've claimed Gold and Diamond, but I can't lead the entire army alone. I have my own life and family to take care of, and I can't spend every moment dealing with the Gupta family's affairs.” Hanna nodded thoughtfully. “I understand. When the time is right, we'll discuss how to divide the responsibilities. For now, let's focus on getting to the border and meeting Miller.” Alicia agreed, and the two women left the room together. Charlie watched them go, her expression troubled. She wasn't happy about Alicia being released. After all, Alicia had killed her uncle, and Charlie still wanted revenge. However, the information she had uncovered was far more disturbing than the thought of letting Alicia walk away. The Mayor had always appeared harmless, at least on the surface. He had publicly supported Charlie and seemed willing to help her rebuild the Harris Cartel. But now, she couldn't help questioning his motives.

Had the Mayor deliberately withheld information from Willy Harris because he wanted the Cartel for himself? Had he helped arrange Willy's downfall so that he could take control of the organisation? The possibility made Charlie's stomach tighten. Then there was Frank Potter. Frank had claimed that his actions were personal and that he wanted to take over the Harris Cartel to avenge his family. But Charlie couldn't remember any Potter family that had been an enemy of her uncle. Who was Frank Potter, really? And what had her family done to make him seek revenge? Charlie remained standing in the room long after Hanna and Alicia had left. For the first time, she realised that she might have been trusting the wrong people. Hanna drove through the night, heading towards the Gupta family residence with Alicia beside her. Neither woman spoke much during the journey. They had reached a fragile understanding, but there were still too many unanswered questions between them. Alicia had offered peace, and Hanna had agreed to consider it. Yet neither could be certain how the rest of their families would react when they learned what had happened. And the sacrifice Alicia took to let Hanna continue using their border. But for now, their destination was clear. They needed to reach the border, bring the divided Gupta armies together, and meet Miller. Only then could they begin to determine whether their agreement had any chance of succeeding. At the Mooney Family Residence, Chris was resting on our bed, but I couldn't sleep.

I sat in a chair beside the desk, staring at the computer screen as I continued searching through the available footage and information. Every few minutes, I returned to the recording from Alicia's earpiece, hoping I might notice something that could help us find her. Nothing. The earpiece we had recovered from the ground was the one Alicia had been wearing. The recording had clearly shown her being abducted, but it hadn't revealed where Hanna's men had taken her. I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my tired eyes. There had to be something we were missing. I searched through the footage again, examining the vehicles, the men involved, and the direction in which they had driven away. But every possible lead ended in the same place: uncertainty. Hours passed. Eventually, exhaustion began to overpower my determination. I tried to keep my eyes open, telling myself that I would rest once I found something useful. But my body had other plans. Before I realised what was happening, I had dozed off in the chair. On the other side, Amanda couldn't rest either. After leaving the Mooney residence, she had gone to the Tryon family home, hoping Laura might have decided to visit someone there. But when she arrived, she discovered that no one was living at the residence. Another dead end. She returned home disappointed, with no answers and no idea where Laura might have gone. The more she thought about their last conversation, the more worried she became. Laura had confessed feelings she had kept hidden, kissed her, and thanked her before disappearing. Amanda couldn't stop wondering whether those words had been Laura's way of saying goodbye.

She tried to lie down, hoping that a few hours of sleep might help her think more clearly. Instead, she tossed and turned, unable to settle her mind. Where was Laura? And why had she left without telling anyone? Amanda eventually sat up, staring into the darkness. She had already searched the hospital, questioned the Gomez family, and checked the Tryon residence. None of those places had given her a clue. Laura had vanished completely. Amanda pulled her knees towards her chest, fighting back another wave of tears. She couldn't shake the feeling that Laura was in trouble. And until she found her, she knew she wouldn't be able to rest. At The Mayor's Residence, The Mayor had been waiting for Frank's call for hours. He paced around the living room, checking his phone repeatedly, growing more impatient with every passing minute. Frank had promised to report back after the meeting with Ann Smith, yet there had been no message, no call, and no explanation. Something was wrong. Finally, the main door opened. Frank Potter stumbled inside. His clothes were dirty, his face glistened with sweat, and he looked as though he had been running for his life. The Mayor immediately stopped pacing. “Frank? My grandson, what happened to you?” he demanded. “Why didn't you call me? Did Ann Smith reveal her contacts?” Frank didn't answer immediately. He went straight to a nearby table, grabbed a glass of water, and poured himself a drink. He swallowed it in one long gulp before filling the glass again. Only after he had finished did he turn towards his grandfather. “Grandpa, things didn't go as planned.” The Mayor frowned. “What do you mean?”

Frank ran a hand through his hair, trying to gather his thoughts. “Things are bad, Grandpa. Very bad.” “Then tell me what happened!” Frank took a deep breath. “I had her team killed, just as we planned. Everything was going according to the arrangement. We were preparing to leave when the snipers started taking out my men.” The Mayor's expression darkened. “Snipers?” Frank nodded. “They killed my entire team. Every man I brought with me was taken out. I barely managed to escape.” He paused, his voice becoming more urgent. “But that's not the worst part, Grandpa. Only you and I knew about the arrangement. I believe the team you sent betrayed us.” The Mayor stared at him. “Explain.” “Your team turned against us. They killed my men and allowed Ann Smith to escape.” For a moment, the Mayor couldn't speak. He had expected Frank to return with Ann Smith alive, ready to reveal her contacts and give them access to the Harris Cartel's suppliers. Instead, Frank had returned alone, and the woman they had been trying to capture was free. The Mayor slowly shook his head. “Do you understand what you've done?” Frank frowned. “Grandpa, I didn't...” “Letting her escape could ruin everything!” the Mayor snapped. “If she starts connecting the pieces, she'll realise what we've been doing. She could expose the entire operation!” Frank lowered his head, but the Mayor wasn't finished. “Do the Lions know who she really is? Why would they save her? Were they working for her all along?”

Frank looked up helplessly. “I don't know, Grandpa. I swear I don't.” The Mayor turned away, his mind racing. If the snipers had deliberately targeted Frank's men and helped Ann Smith escape, then someone had known what was happening inside that warehouse. Someone had betrayed them. And whoever it was might already know more than they should. The Mayor stopped beside his desk and gripped its edge. “Find out what the Lions know,” he ordered. “I want to know why they did not kill Ann, Are they connected to the Harris Family, and why they interfered with our operation.” Frank nodded. “But, Grandpa, what if Ann already knows about us?” The Mayor slowly turned towards him. He looked genuinely afraid. “Then we have a much bigger problem than I thought.”