She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 848

Lucian didn't repeat himself. He just stood there, his gaze fixed steadily on Nathan. There wasn't a trace of humor in his eyes.

"Are you out of your mind?" Nathan finally choked out, genuinely stunned. "Do you think Stellar Trust is some mom-and-pop shop? You think you can just snap your fingers and hand it over?"

"Do you want it, or not?"

Nathan stared at him, realizing the man was dead serious. "Why?"

"Because I already have a wife."

The pieces clicked together in Nathan's brain. He took a step back, shell-shocked. "You and Sigrid... the whole thing was an act? You just did it to push me over the edge?"

"And it worked, didn't it?" Lucian replied smoothly. "Being stripped of your power isn't exactly a fun experience, is it?"

The humiliating ban at the club. The doctors suddenly refusing his mother. His sister's tuition. The property taxes on his condo. In the span of a few days, Nathan had experienced a catastrophic free-fall. Every closed door was a glaring reminder that without Stellar Trust, he was nobody. He was going to spend the rest of his life drowning in debt and mediocrity.

Did he want to live like that?

Nathan looked down at his shaking hands. He had nothing left to lose. He couldn't afford to play the moral high ground.

He took a slow, deep breath to steady his racing heart. "What do you need me to do?"

"I may have poached your major accounts, but you still have the master directory for the core clients, don't you?" Lucian's tone was incredibly casual, as if they were discussing the weather. "You've been sitting in that director's chair for eight years. You've handled every transaction, vetted every client, pushed through every piece of dirty money. You kept backups."

Nathan's pupils dilated.

He didn't say a word, but the sudden rigidity of his posture told Lucian everything he needed to know.

Lucian smiled—a thin, razor-sharp smile that sent a shiver down Nathan's spine.

"Smart man," Lucian said. "Always good to have an insurance policy."

Nathan swallowed hard, his voice gravelly. "What exactly are you planning?"

"It's not about what I'm planning." Lucian leaned in slightly, locking eyes with him. "It's about what you're planning."

He let the silence hang for a second before continuing, his voice dropping low.

"Look at that client list. How many foreign dignitaries are on it? How many billionaire CEOs? How many untouchable, self-righteous elites use Stellar Trust to launder their cash and hide their offshore assets?"

Nathan's breathing hitched. "I don't have access to the identities behind the shell accounts. If I did, Sigrid would have never treated me like garbage."

"You're a veteran. You know exactly where those files are kept," Lucian said softly, each word hitting Nathan like a hammer. "If those files go public, what do you think those clients are going to do to Horace?"

The realization slammed into Nathan.

Lucian was going to use the cartel to kill the boss.

The sound was sharp and unnerving against the backdrop of the storm. He reached out and clapped a hand on Nathan's shoulder. The grip was light, but it made Nathan flinch.

Lucian leaned in close. "An empire that massive leaves a lot of wreckage behind. Someone highly capable is going to have to step in and clean it up. If Horace dies, a new Horace has to take his place. Right?"

Nathan violently jolted.

He snapped his head up, staring wide-eyed at Lucian.

"You..." Nathan stammered. "I know you saved Horace's life. He practically worships you. You were about to inherit the whole damn thing. You could have been the undisputed king. Why are you burning it down?"

Lucian's face went completely blank. "Because I used to serve my country. Now..."

He didn't finish the sentence. An image of Loyce gently holding his hand against her stomach flashed in his mind.

Now, his absolute bottom line was his wife.

Nathan wasn't stupid. He knew exactly who Lucian had left out of that sentence. "The encrypted master file you want is on Sigrid. The ring she wears is the physical key to the mainframe. The only people with clearance are her and her father."

"I'll create the opening," Lucian replied smoothly.

He casually adjusted his wet cuffs, turned around, and walked back to the idling sedan.

"Wait," Nathan called out. "I know they wired your brain. I don't get it. You've clearly betrayed her. Why aren't you dead?"