Shadows Of Deceipt

Chapter 19

Tom sat in his office, the weight of the night’s events hanging heavily on his shoulders. With Tonny captured, he felt a strange mix of relief and wariness. He knew he couldn’t trust anyone completely, least of all Richard. The alliance had served its purpose, but Tom was no fool. He expected that Richard would come for him eventually, but he assumed there would be time—time to reposition his assets, time to make a move of his own. But the blow came sooner than he could have imagined. It started with a single phone call.

"Boss, we've got a problem."

Tom's brow furrowed as he heard the panic in Rico’s voice. “What is it?” he asked, his tone sharp.

“There’s... there's been a raid. One of the warehouses just got hit, and it's not just small-time cops. It's Richard's full force."

Tom's grip tightened on his phone. His heart raced. Richard? This soon? He was prepared for Richard to eventually turn on him, but the timing was wrong—Tonny had just been taken down. Surely Richard wouldn’t move this fast. Would he?

"Pull back," Tom ordered, already on his feet. "Get everyone out of there and regroup."He hung up, immediately dialing Lucas, his trusted right hand. But before he could say a word, Lucas' voice came through the line, laced with tension.

“They’re hitting us, Tom. Not just one place—everywhere. Warehouses, the docks, safehouses... it’s a full-blown raid.”

Tom's stomach dropped. He hadn’t seen this coming. Not like this.Richard had played him. He paced the room, his mind racing. He had always known Richard was smart—cunning, even—but this... this was an audacious move, one that could cripple his entire operation if he didn’t act fast. He glanced at the monitor in his office, showing live footage from the cameras scattered across his various operations. Police vehicles, swarming like ants, surrounded his businesses. Armed officers, tactical gear in place, stormed into warehouses, seizing shipments, arresting his men. This wasn’t a small operation. Richard had prepared for this—planned every move meticulously.

Tom slammed his fist on the desk. “Damn it!” he growled under his breath. The pieces of the puzzle began to click into place. Tonny’s capture had been part of the distraction, part of Richard’s greater plan. With Tonny out of the picture, Tom had become the last major target. Richard was taking them both down in one clean sweep.

Lucas stormed into the office, breathless. “It’s bad, Tom. They’ve got us surrounded. We can pull back, but we’ll lose a lot of ground.”

Tom’s jaw clenched as he tried to think through the chaos. He had contingencies, backups, but this was faster and more coordinated than anything he’d faced before. If he didn’t act quickly, his empire would crumble by morning.

“What about the shipments?” Tom asked, his voice tight with urgency.

“Some were moved already, but not all. They’re seizing everything they can get their hands on. We’re bleeding money by the minute.”

Tom’s mind raced. This couldn’t be a coincidence. It had to be coordinated. Which meant one thing—Richard wasn’t the only one involved. Anna. The realization hit him like a freight train. She had betrayed him again. Tom’s eyes darkened, fury simmering beneath the surface. He had given her the chance to stand by his side. He had trusted her, in his own way. And she had sold him out.

“She knew,” Tom muttered, more to himself than to Lucas. “She knew all along.”

Lucas frowned. “Who?”

“Anna,” Tom spat the name like a curse. “She must have told her father everything. It’s the only explanation for how they’re moving so quickly. She pretended to be by my side. She lied to me. I thought she was just an artist but when she came up with ideas to capture Tonny I just knew she handled more than a pencil in her hand. She's probably worked with her father a couple of times”