Chapter 7 - The Master Manipulator
I feel like the ground has completely opened up beneath my feet. Every moment of kindness, every pep talk, every shared lunch was a calculated, paid transaction.
Daniel steps in front of me, aiming his weapon directly at Tyler. "Hand over the envelope, son," Daniel commands.
Tyler simply smirks and tosses the thick packet onto the coffee table. "Go ahead and look at it, Mr. Pierce," Tyler taunts.
Daniel keeps his gun trained on them while I slowly walk forward and open the envelope. Inside is a stack of printed emails and bank transfer receipts. They are detailed communications between Daniel Pierce and my father.
"I do not understand," I whisper, reading the dates. These emails go back ten years.
"Daniel didn't start investigating Dad a year ago," Tyler laughs. "Daniel is Dad's silent partner in the syndicate, and he has been funding our entire operation from the shadows."
I drop the papers and back away from Daniel in absolute horror.
Daniel lowers his gun, his expression turning cold and completely unreadable. "It is true, Emma," Daniel says softly. "Your father and I built an empire together, but his greed recently became a massive liability." "The video you posted was the perfect excuse for me to publicly sever ties and throw your father to the federal wolves."
Mrs. Alvarez crosses her arms and glares at Daniel. "But Richard knew you would betray him, Daniel," she says. "That is why he had me gather all the evidence of your involvement."
Tyler pulls out his phone and hits a single button. "I just sent all those documents to the local news stations," Tyler announces proudly. "We are all going down together."
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Daniel's calm facade finally shatters as he realizes his billionaire empire is crumbling. He raises his gun again, but this time, he points it directly at me.
"I am sorry, Emma, but I cannot let a viral teenager destroy my legacy," Daniel says coldly.
