CHAPTER 16 — The Real Chairman
CHAPTER 16 — The Real Chairman
The underground vault fell into absolute silence.
No one moved.
No one even seemed to breathe.
Margaret Collins stood calmly with the pistol pressed against the back of Mariana's head.
The encrypted drive rested in Mariana's trembling hand.
Arthur Blackwood looked at Margaret.
For the first time since anyone had met him...
He looked genuinely shocked.
"What did you just say?"
Margaret smiled.
"I said..."
She slowly pulled back the hammer of the pistol.
"...you were never the Chairman."
Andrew stared at his mother.
His voice cracked.
"Mom..."
Margaret didn't even look at him.
"I told you not to call me that when business is involved."
Andrew felt as if the floor had disappeared beneath him.
Business.
She had reduced her own son to a business inconvenience.
Arthur's face hardened.
"This wasn't our agreement."
Margaret laughed softly.
"Our agreement?"
"My dear Arthur..."
"You always confused partnership with loyalty."
She took a slow step forward, never lowering the gun.
"You built the organization."
"You recruited the people."
"You laundered the money."
"You eliminated Richard."
She smiled.
"And then..."
"I eliminated your authority."
Daniel Mercer stared at her in disbelief.
"You've been using all of us?"
Margaret looked at him with pity.
"I've been using everyone."
Victor quietly edged closer to Marcus.
Marcus gave the smallest possible nod.
Not yet.
Wait.
Mariana remained perfectly still.
Her voice was calm despite the gun against her head.
"So everything..."
"The necklace."
"The affair."
"The companies."
"The murders."
"You orchestrated all of it?"
Margaret nodded.
"Almost."
Alejandro took one step forward.
"You destroyed your own family."
Margaret finally looked at him.
"No."
"I created one."
Alejandro frowned.
"What?"
Margaret smiled.
"You think blood creates family?"
She slowly shook her head.
"No."
"Power does."
Andrew whispered,
"Why?"
Margaret turned toward her son.
For the first time...
There was emotion in her eyes.
Disappointment.
"When your father built Collins Group..."
"He was satisfied."
"He wanted enough."
"I wanted everything."
Richard had stood in her way.
So had Mariana.
So had Alejandro.
Anyone who couldn't be controlled...
Had to disappear.
Emily's tears streamed down her face.
"You killed Dad."
Margaret didn't deny it.
"He was weak."
"He would have given everything away."
Emily covered her mouth to stop herself from crying.
Arthur slowly stepped forward.
"You lied to me."
Margaret smiled.
"I inspired you."
"You promised we'd build an empire together."
"I promised you what you wanted to hear."
Arthur clenched his fists.
"You manipulated thirty years of my life."
Margaret shrugged.
"It worked."
The vault echoed with silence.
Even Marcus couldn't hide his disbelief.
One woman.
Decades of deception.
Two powerful families destroyed.
Thousands of lives manipulated.
Then...
Margaret looked at Mariana.
"Your greatest mistake..."
"...was believing this was about money."
Mariana narrowed her eyes.
"Then what is it about?"
Margaret smiled.
"Legacy."
She glanced toward Alejandro.
"Your father inherited influence."
"Richard inherited respect."
"Arthur inherited ambition."
"I inherited..."
She laughed quietly.
"...nothing."
"So I decided to inherit everything."
Victor slowly moved another step.
Margaret immediately noticed.
"Don't."
The pistol pressed harder against Mariana's temple.
Victor froze.
Andrew looked directly at his mother.
"Let her go."
Margaret smiled.
"Why?"
"You never protected her before."
The words struck Andrew like a knife.
She was right.
He hadn't.
Mariana looked at Andrew.
She saw the guilt.
The regret.
The man Richard had believed still existed somewhere beneath the arrogance.
She spoke quietly.
"Andrew."
He looked at her.
"No matter what happens..."
"Protect Emily."
Andrew's eyes filled with tears.
"No."
"We're leaving together."
Margaret laughed.
"How touching."
She looked toward Daniel.
"Kill Arthur."
The room froze.
Arthur's eyes widened.
"What?"
Daniel didn't move.
Margaret sighed.
"You've become useless."
Arthur took one slow step backward.
"You said we were partners."
Margaret answered coldly.
"We were."
"Until five minutes ago."
Arthur suddenly understood.
He had never been the mastermind.
He had only been the face.
The shield.
The expendable one.
Without warning—
Arthur lunged toward Margaret.
"If I'm dying..."
"...you're coming with me!"
A gunshot exploded through the vault.
Then another.
Chaos erupted.
Marcus tackled Mariana to the ground.
Victor grabbed Emily.
Andrew threw himself between Margaret and Arthur.
The encrypted drive slid across the floor again.
Arthur collapsed first.
Blood spread across his chest.
He looked down in disbelief.
Margaret had shot him.
Twice.
Arthur fell against the vault door.
Slowly sliding to the floor.
He looked at Mariana one last time.
"I..."
Blood filled his mouth.
"I really..."
"...did love your mother..."
Mariana froze.
"What?"
Arthur weakly smiled.
"I never wanted..."
"...to hurt..."
His voice faded.
Arthur Blackwood died with his eyes fixed on Mariana.
Margaret calmly lowered the smoking pistol.
"As I said..."
"No loose ends."
She turned the gun toward Mariana again.
This time...
There was no hesitation.
No speech.
No smile.
Only murder.
She squeezed the trigger—
Click.
Nothing.
The chamber was empty.
Margaret blinked.
For the first time...
She looked surprised.
Andrew stood only a few feet away.
Holding the magazine he had quietly removed during the struggle.
He had noticed when Margaret's hand brushed against him.
Years of handling firearms during corporate security training had finally mattered.
Margaret stared at him.
"You..."
Andrew slowly dropped the magazine onto the floor.
"No."
He stepped between Mariana and his mother.
"Not again."
The words echoed through the vault.
He hadn't protected Mariana when she needed him most.
He wouldn't fail twice.
Sirens suddenly roared through the underground corridors.
Heavy footsteps echoed from every direction.
Marcus smiled for the first time all night.
"My backup."
The vault doors burst open.
Federal agents flooded inside.
Weapons raised.
"Federal Bureau of Investigation!"
"Drop your weapons!"
Margaret looked around calmly.
She smiled.
Then...
She began applauding.
Slow.
Steady.
Almost mocking.
"Very impressive."
The agents surrounded her from every side.
She didn't resist.
Instead...
She looked directly at Mariana.
"You think you've won?"
Mariana said nothing.
Margaret's smile widened.
"You've only arrested..."
"...one Chairman."
A long silence followed.
Then she whispered five words that made Victor's blood run cold.
"There are twelve more."
The room froze.
Victor slowly looked toward Alejandro.
Alejandro's face had turned pale.
He knew exactly what she meant.
And if Margaret was telling the truth...
Everything they had uncovered so far...
May you like
Was only the first layer of a conspiracy far larger than anyone had imagined.
End of Chapter 16
