Vincent’s massive asNextlt on the shipping docks was a complete, overwhelming slaughter that sent shockwaves through the criminal underworld.

Julian’s extraction team was entirely neutralized in less than an hour, their illegal weapons seized and their escape vessels sunk into the harbor.

However, back at the heavily fortified estate, Norah could not shake the terrible feeling that something was still fundamentally wrong.

She sat at the antique desk in the master study, pulling up the encrypted financial files on her secure laptop.

Julian had been siphoning millions of dollars from their legitimate shipping company for months, but he couldn't have done it alone.

A West Coast boss would need an insider with high-level access to the corporate accounts to bypass her strict security protocols.

Norah cross-referenced the dates of the missing funds with the employee access logs for the downtown headquarters.

She isolated a single, recurring digital footprint, a secure login code that belonged to Marcus, their chief financial officer.

Marcus had been hand-picked by Vincent three years ago, considered entirely loyal and generously compensated.

Norah’s blood ran cold as she realized Marcus was the rat, the insider who had fed Julian the exact security schedules for the boardroom ambush.

She picked up her phone, dialing the secure line to the tactical command center where Enzo’s second-in-command was monitoring the estate.

"Bring Marcus to the corporate headquarters immediately, tell him I need him to authorize an emergency fund transfer," Norah ordered.

She did not wait for Vincent to return from the bloodbath at the docks, she was the Queen, and she had to protect their empire.

Norah dressed in a sharp, tailored black suit, hiding the subtle curves of her body beneath absolute, undeniable authority.

She rode to the corporate office with a heavy security detail, arriving just before Marcus was escorted into the building.

She sat in the exact same boardroom where Julian had tried to kill her, waiting calmly in the dim light.

Marcus walked into the room holding a briefcase, looking nervous and sweating heavily under the collar of his expensive shirt.

"You asked to see me, Mrs. Rossy?" Marcus stammered, avoiding direct eye contact as he stood near the door.

Norah did not raise her voice, she simply turned her laptop around so he could see the isolated transaction logs.

"I know you helped Julian, Marcus, and I know exactly how you hid the money in the Seattle shell accounts," Norah stated coldly.

Marcus turned deathly pale, dropping his briefcase as he realized he was trapped in a room with a woman who commanded an army.

He scrambled for the door handle, but it was already locked from the outside.

"I didn't have a choice, Norah, Julian threatened my family," Marcus pleaded, tears of pure terror spilling down his face.

Norah stared at him with absolute, icy indifference, channeling the exact same ruthless energy her husband used to rule the city.

"You always have a choice, Marcus, but now I am the one making them for you."