Chapter 7 - THE MAN INSIDE DOMINIC’S OWN EMPIREThe financial trail eventually led to someone Dominic never expected.
Vincent Mercer.
His cousin.
His childhood friend.
His second-in-command.
Vincent had managed portions of family finance for years.
Dominic had trusted him completely.
That was the problem.
Vincent had partnered with Elliot.
Together, they began siphoning Catherine’s trust.
Brooke discovered the operation after dating Dominic.
Instead of exposing it, she joined.
Her plan was simple.
Marry Dominic.
Gain legal standing.
Force Natalie out.
Secure the cottage.
Expand access to the trust.
Then make the earlier theft almost impossible to untangle.
Dominic summoned Vincent to a private warehouse office.
Vincent arrived smiling.
Then saw the documents.
The smile disappeared.
“You stole from my mother.”
Vincent said nothing.
“You stole from Natalie.”
Silence.
“You threatened Noah through Brooke.”
“I never touched the kid.”
“That isn’t what I said.”
Vincent looked away.
Dominic stepped closer.
“And Ethan?”
Vincent’s face changed.
That was enough.
“What happened to him?”
“It was supposed to scare him.”
Dominic went still.
“What happened?”
“He found Elliot’s transfers.”
“Then?”
“Elliot paid someone to damage the boat.”
Natalie’s husband had not died in a random accident.
The plan had been sabotage.
A warning.
It became a death.
Vincent whispered:
“I didn’t know he would die.”
Dominic’s voice became quiet.
“You knew enough.”
For years, Dominic’s reputation had been built around violence.
But in that moment, he did not touch Vincent.
He called the authorities.
Because killing Vincent would be easy.
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Making him answer publicly for what he had done would be harder.
And Catherine had not raised Dominic to protect family by becoming worse than the people who hurt them.
