His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 196

Chapter 196

Chapter 196

Dominic’s POV

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The tension in the room had been building for the past hour. It sat heavy in the air, thick and suffocating, like something waiting to snap. Eduardo stood across from me, a file open in his hands, his expression tight, controlled, but I could see the underlying frustration and confusion clearly.

The same thing that had been eating at me for days now.

“It’s clean,” he said finally.

I didn’t respond, didn’t move. I just stared at the table in front of me, my jaw locked so tight it almost hurt.

“We ran it exactly the same way,” he continued, more firmly this time. “Different information. Different men. Same structure.”

Still nothing.

“No leaks. Again,” he finished.

My hands curled slowly into fists at my sides. There were no leaks this time just like the last time.

Nothing. No pattern. No mistake. No slip. Nothing to grab onto.

I let out a slow breath, dragging a hand through my hair as I paced once across the room before stopping again.

“This doesn’t make sense,” I muttered.

“It doesn’t,” Eduardo agreed.

I turned to look at him then, my gaze sharp. “This means one of two things.”

He didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. We were already thinking the same thing.

“Either the mole knows what we’re doing,” I said slowly, each word deliberate, “and they’re being careful….”

Eduardo’s expression darkened.

“Or,” I continued, my voice dropping slightly, “they’re not in the inner circle at all.”

And that was worse, much worse.

Because we had already gone through most of the lower ranks, and it hadn’t been them. And now, if the leak wasn’t coming from the people closest to me either, then where the hell was it coming from?

“How is that even possible?” Eduardo asked, frustration creeping into his tone now. “We’ve already been through all the lower ranks with enough information that the previous leaks could’ve happened and it wasn’t them. So who is it?” he continued, voicing out my thoughts and frustrations.

I didn’t say anything. For a moment, just a moment, my thoughts went to Eduardo himself. But no. I’d checked him. thoroughly myself. And had been keeping tabs on him so far, too. It wasn’t him.

But that meant something was seriously wrong within my organisation. Somewhere deeper than we had thought.

I exhaled sharply, running a hand over my face as the weight of it pressed in

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Chapter 196

“And if they’re not acting now,” Eduardo added, more quietly this time, “then how long do we wait?”

That question was the one that had been circling my mind for days.

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How long? How long before the next move? How long before something slipped through again? How long before somethin bigger was hit?

The more I tried to push this forward, the slower it moved. Like the harder I chased it, the further it slipped away.

Nothing was working.

Nothing.

I stopped pacing, my gaze dropping to the table again, my thoughts racing through every possibility.

Think.

Think.

What are you missing?

The silence stretched, long and tense.

Then, something clicked.

“Maybe it’s too small,” I said.

Eduardo frowned. “What?”

“The bait,” I said, my voice sharper now as I looked up at him. “Maybe it’s too small.”

He stared at me, trying to follow.

“The shipments,” I continued. “They weren’t significant enough.”

Understanding flickered across his face.

“You think the mole didn’t report them because they weren’t worth it?”

“Yes.”

Because why would they?

If they were playing this carefully, if they were thinking ahead, they wouldn’t risk exposure for something minor

“They’re waiting for something bigger,” Eduardo said.

Exactly.

I nodded once, my jaw tightening again. Which meant we had been playing too safe. And in doing so, we had given thein nothing worth taking.

Eduardo straightened slightly, already anticipating where this was going

“No,” he said immediately.

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Chapter 196

I didn’t even need to speak.

“No,” he repeated, firmer this time. “That’s too risky.”

“Risk is the only thing we have left,” I snapped.

“If it leaks, we lose something valuable,” he shot back. “Not just money. Information. Position. Power.”

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“And if we don’t?” I stepped closer, my voice rising now, the frustration finally breaking through. “We sit here and wait while someone inside our network feeds information out whenever they feel like it?”

“That’s not what I’m saying-”

“Then what are you saying?” I cut him off sharply. “Do you have a better idea?”

Silence. That was answer enough. Because he didn’t. Neither of us did.

‘That’s what I thought,” I said, my tone colder now.

The room went quiet again, the atmosphere tense.

Then, the door suddenly opened and Alessia walked in. “What’s going on?” she asked, her gaze moving between us, sharp, ind observant.

She had clearly heard enough, or maybe too much.

‘It’s nothing.” I said.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she stepped inside. “That didn’t sound like nothing.”

It’s work,” I replied, my tone controlled again. “You don’t need to worry about it.”

She stopped a few steps away, her eyes settling on me.

I’ve been by your side for years when it comes to work,” she said, her voice softer now, but firm. “I know how things >perate.”

A pause.

I know you had reduced my workload when I was pregnant but I’m not anymore,” she added. “I’m back. I can help.

Something in my chest tightened slightly, not because of what she said. But because of what her words felt like now. Before, her involvement in work was insightful, something that helped. But now it just felt like control, access. Involvement

And it wasn’t something I wanted from her. Not more than what was strictly necessary.

You have the wedding to focus on,” I said instead.

Her expression didn’t change.

‘I’ll handle work,” I continued. “You focus on that.”

For a second, it looked like she might push back. But then, she smiled, soft and agreeable.

“Alright,” she said. “After the wedding, then.”

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Not a question but a decision already made, like she had the right to. She didn’t.

I didn’t respond.

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She lingered for a moment longer, her gaze flickering between me and Eduardo before she finally turned and walked out.

I stood there for a long moment, staring at nothing.

And then, my thoughts shifted. Back to Isa. Her words. This isn’t the life I want.

My jaw tightened.

Because the truth was, it wasn’t the life I wanted either, not anymore. I didn’t want this constant tension, this constant calculation, this endless cycle of control and risk. There was a time when I’d actually thrived on it. But that was when I didn’t have anyone. No wife. No kids.

But now? Now, all I wanted was her. Mateo. This baby. Something simpler. Something real. Something that didn’t feel like it could collapse at any moment.

But wanting it, and having it were two very different things.

Because this life wasn’t something I could just walk away from. Not like that. Not without consequences.

Lives depended on me. My men. Their families.

Everything I had built, everything I was responsible for, it didn’t just disappear because I decided I was done.

And my enemies wouldn’t stop either. Leaving wouldn’t make me safe. It would make me vulnerable. It would make them vulnerable too.

My hand curled into a fist at my side as I exhaled slowly.

There had to be a way. Not reckless. Not impulsive. Strategic. Controlled. A way out.

I moved towards the desk, pulling out my phone, but I didn’t unlock it, didn’t do anything with it. Because my thoughts had already moved somewhere else.

Somewhere dangerous. Necessary.

If I was going to build a way out of this, if I was going to give Isa the life she wanted, then I couldn’t just think about leaving alone. I had to think about what came after.

Who came after.

My gaze shifted slightly. To Eduardo.

What if he took over after me? The thought came to my mind, the idea taking root quickly. Why not? He knew the organisation in and out just as well as me, if not more. People listened to him. Respected him. He was born into this life just like I was, too. He was the perfect candidate.

“Eduardo?”

He looked up, caught off guard. “What?”

I held his gaze for a moment, measuring, calculating.

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“Have you ever thought about being the boss?”

Silence. Complete. Absolute.

Eduardo didn’t move. Didn’t blink.

For a second, it looked like he hadn’t even processed the question.

“What?” he repeated, quieter this time, like he wasn’t sure he had heard me right.

I didn’t explain. Didn’t soften it. Didn’t take it back. Because I meant it.

And for the first time, that possibility felt real.

Eduardo stared at me now, his expression shifting from confusion to something else entirely. Something sharper. Something almost unsettled.

“You’re serious.”

It wasn’t a question.

I didn’t answer. Didn’t need to.

Because the silence said enough.

And just like that, the ground between us shifted.

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