Chapter 11 - The Negotiation
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"Everything has a price, Thorne!" Richard Caldwell shouted, the panic finally breaking through his stoic billionaire facade. "Ten million dollars. Cash. Untraceable. Transferred to any offshore account you want. Just give me my people back and leave my son alone!"
Lily held her breath, staring at Gabriel. Ten million dollars was an incomprehensible amount of money. It was enough to buy a new life, a new identity, a private island.
Gabriel didn't even blink. He picked up a heavy silver pen from his desk, turning it casually between his fingers.
"You misunderstand the situation, Richard," Gabriel said, his voice dropping to a terrifyingly calm register. "I don't want your money. I want your son's life."
"You can't do this!" Richard roared. "If you touch Ryan, I will go to the FBI! I will unleash every federal contact I have on your syndicate!"
Gabriel chuckled. It was a dark, humorless sound that chilled the air in the penthouse.
"Go ahead," Gabriel challenged. "Call the FBI. Tell them why the Thorne Syndicate is currently targeting your heir. Tell them about Suite 1407. Tell them about the shredded security tapes, the hush money paid to the catering supervisor, and the bloody uniform currently sitting in an evidence bag in my possession. Let's see how the SEC and your shareholders react to the heir of the Caldwell Group being exposed as a violent, serial predator."
Silence fell over the line. Heavy, suffocating silence. Richard Caldwell was trapped, and he knew it.
"What do you want, Gabriel?" Richard finally whispered, his voice broken and defeated.
"I want you to bring him to me," Gabriel commanded. "Tomorrow night. Midnight. The abandoned rail yard on the South Side. You deliver Ryan to my men, and I will let the rest of your pathetic empire survive."
"He is my son!" Richard cried.
"He is a liability," Gabriel corrected coldly. "Midnight, Richard. If he isn't there, I will start mailing you pieces of your PR team."
Gabriel slammed the phone down, ending the call.
He looked up at Lily. She was staring at him, her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and awe.
"Will he do it?" Lily asked, her voice trembling. "Will a father turn over his own son?"
"Richard Caldwell loves his money more than he loves his blood," Gabriel stated flatly. "He will try to find a way out, but ultimately, he will sacrifice Ryan to save his company."
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Gabriel stood up and walked around the desk, stopping in front of her.
"The question is," Gabriel murmured, looking deeply into her eyes, "what do you want to do with him when he gets here?"
