The silence that followed Samuel’s call was deafening. Grey stared at the phone in his hands, his face pale as ash.
He felt pity Mia who just listened to her father order her death like he was ordering for coffee.
Mia looked at Grey, seeing the exact moment when his loyalty finally cracked. The man who had kidnapped her, threatened her, delivered devastating news about her mother’s murder, now sat broken on a concrete step, staring at his phone like it might explode.
“I’m sorry” Grey whispered.
“You don’t have to.” Mia’s voice was surprisingly gentle. “We need change the situation, that’s what’s important.”
Grey looked up at her, confusion replacing the despair in his eyes. “We?”
Mia pulled out her phone and scrolled to her contacts. “Tell me, Grey, in all the years you’ve worked for my father, has he ever kept a promise that didn’t benefit him directly?”
“I…” Grey thought for a moment. “No. Never.”
“Emma’s treatment could have been successful two years ago. The medication she needed was available, but Samuel made sure the doctors never prescribed it.” Mia showed him her phone screen displaying medical research. “He needed you desperate. Desperate men do desperate things.’
The weight of that revelation hit Grey like a physical blow. All this time…”
“All this time, you’ve been his puppet. Just like I was supposed to be.” Mia dialed a number and put the phone on speaker. It rang once before someone answered.
“Detective Sarah Martinez, Seattle PD.”
“Detective Martinez, this is Mia Meyer. Are you in position?”
“We’ve been waiting for your signal, Mrs. Meyer. Do you have what we need?”
Grey’s eyes widened as he stared at Mia. “Police?”
Mia nodded at him. “Detective, I have a recording of Samuel Meyer ordering my murder and the murder of my aunt. I also have a witness who can testify to multiple crimes including the murder of Cassandra Wells and Chris Chen.”
“Excellent. We’re ready to move on your word.”
“Give us twenty minutes to secure my aunt, then arrest Samuel Meyer.”
“Copy that. Twenty minutes.”
Mia ended the call and looked at Grey, who sat there with his mouth hanging open.
“You’ve been working with the police this whole time?”
“For weeks now” Mia confirmed. “Ever since I found evidence that my father killed my mom. Stefan and I went to the FBI first, but they needed more proof. Detective Martinez specializes in organized crime. She’s been helping us build the case.”
“But the gun, the threats about Emma…”
“Emma is at Seattle Children’s Hospital right now, getting the real treatment she needs. Not because I threatened you, but because Stefan arranged for her transfer yesterday Mia’s voice softened. “We’ve been watching you for weeks, Grey. We already knew you were working for my dad But we also found out you’re just a father trying to save his daughter.”
Grey pulled out his phone with shaking hands and called the hospital. After speaking with a nurse, he hung up, tears streaming down his face.
“They said she’s responding to treatment. That her condition has improved more in the last day than it has in months.”
“Because she’s finally getting the medication Samuel prevented her from having.”
“Why?” Grey’s voice cracked. “Why help her when I was supposed to kill you?”
“Because Emma is innocent. I want her to have a long life.” Mia sat down beside him on the step. “Stefan has been tracking your movements. You’ve had dozens of opportunities to carry this out for days, but you kept finding excuses to delay.”
Grey wiped his eyes. “I couldn’t leave her. She was in serious condition, didn’t want Emma asking where daddy was.”
“That’s what makes you different from Samuel. You still have a conscience.” Mia checked her phone. “Detective Martinez has teams surrounding the warehouse where Aun Mira is being held. The moment we give the signal, they’ll move in.”
“Your aunt is really there?”
“Yes, but she volunteered for this. She wanted to help catch the man who killed her sister.” Mia’s expression hardened. “Mira’s been working with us from the beginning.”
“That depends on you. Detective Martinez needs your testimony to make sure Samuel stays locked up forever. If you cooperate fully, testify truthfully, and help us understand the full scope of his criminal organization…” Mia paused. “The district attorney might be willing to offer you immunity in exchange for your cooperation.”
“And Emma?”
“Emma gets the best medical care available, paid for by the proceeds from Samuel’s frozen assets. When his accounts are seized, there will be more than enough to cover her treatment and your family’s future.”
Grey stared at her for a long moment. “Why are you doing this for me? After everything I’ve done?”
“Because Emma deserves a father who’s a hero, not a killer’ Mia pulled out a small recording device. “This conversation, the phone call with Samuel, everything we’ve discussed today has been recorded. It’s going to help convict a murderer and save an innocent child.”
“You really are his daughter,” Grey said quietly.
“The strategic parts, yes. But unlike Samuel Meyer, I use those skills to protect people instead of destroying them.
Mia checked her watch. “Are you ready to finish this?”
Grey nodded, pocketing the recording device she handed him. “What do you need me to do?”
“Go to the warehouse. Act like everything is normal. When Samuel arrives, get him to talk about my mother’s murder, about his plans for Aunt Mira. The wire you’re wearing will record everything.”
“And if something goes wrong?”
“Detective Martinez has twenty officers surrounding that building. The moment you’re in danger, they’ll move in. “Mia’s expression was deadly serious. “Samuel Meyer will never hurt another innocent person again.”
As Grey walked toward his car, Mia felt her phone buzz with a message from Stefan: I’m proud of you. Am waiting outside.
She smiled, the first genuine expression she’d worn all day. In less than an hour, her father would be in handcuffs, Aunt Mira would be safe, and Emma Chen would have a future.
Justice was about to be
She walked outside with to go meet her man who was waiting for her.

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