Chapter 3: The Man Who Counted the King’s Money
The rain finally came after midnight.
Atlanta’s streets reflected the glow of streetlights, turning every road into a mirror of silver and gold. The city kept moving, unaware that inside a forgotten warehouse, the future of Black Crown was being decided.
The name Malik Carter had controlled fear for years.
Now his death had created something more dangerous than fear.
Uncertainty.
And uncertainty made people desperate.
Inside the warehouse, nobody had left.
Not because they wanted to stay.
Because nobody wanted to be the first person to walk away.
In Black Crown, leaving a room full of accusations could be interpreted as guilt.
Especially now.
Especially after someone had escaped.
Trey Carter stood beside the table, staring at the sentence his father had left behind.
Trust the person who has the most to lose.
The words kept repeating in his mind.
His father had always been careful with language.
Malik Carter never wasted words.
Every sentence had a purpose.
Every silence meant something.
Trey had spent his entire life watching his father command rooms without raising his voice.
He knew Malik.
And that was what scared him.
Because Malik had known he was going to die.
Maybe not when.
Maybe not how.
But he had known something was coming.
And he had prepared for it.
Andre paced around the warehouse.
“This makes no sense.””
Nobody answered.
He stopped and looked at everyone.
“My brother had money problems? Enemies? A traitor inside his own organization?””
His eyes moved toward Darius.
“And somehow the person he warned me about was standing beside him until the end?””
Darius remained against the wall.
Calm.
Too calm.
Andre hated that about him.
“You’re not even going to defend yourself?””
Darius looked at him.
“I already did.””
“No, you didn’t.””
Darius pushed away from the wall.
“Because you don’t want answers, Ace.””
Andre’s expression hardened.
“What do I want?””
“You want someone to blame.””
The room went quiet.
Andre stepped forward.
“You better be careful.””
Darius did not move.
“I’m not afraid of you.””
Andre smiled without humor.
“That’s your problem.””
Before the argument could continue, Ghost raised his hand.
“Enough.””
The old man’s voice carried authority.
Even Andre listened.
“We are wasting time fighting each other while the person who betrayed Malik is probably already running.””
Ghost looked around.
“Malik built this organization because he understood one thing.””
He tapped the table.
“Trust is valuable because it is rare.””
Nobody spoke.
Ghost turned toward Trey.
“Your father gave you the envelope because he believed you were the only person who could hold the truth without using it.””
Trey looked down.
“I don’t know if I can.””
Monique watched him carefully.
“You can.””
Trey looked at her.
“You sound sure.””
“Because Malik was sure.””
That answer bothered Trey.
“Mom…”
Monique looked away.
For years, Trey had known his mother as the woman who supported his father.
But tonight he was seeing something different.
A woman who knew more than she admitted.
“A week before Dad died,” Trey said slowly, “you knew he was worried.””
Monique stayed silent.
“Didn’t you?””
The question landed heavily.
Everyone looked at her.
Finally, Monique answered.
“Yes.””
Andre immediately reacted.
“You knew?””
She turned toward him.
“I knew my husband was under pressure.””
“You knew someone was stealing from him?””
“I suspected.””
Andre shook his head.
“No.””
His voice became quieter.
“You don’t get to say that like it’s nothing.””
Monique looked at him.
“You think I wanted him to die?””
Nobody responded.
Because the pain in her voice was real.
But pain did not mean innocence.
Not anymore.
Not in Black Crown.
Darius stepped closer.
“What exactly did Malik tell you?””
Monique looked at him.
Then at Trey.
Then at the others.
“He said someone close to him was trying to destroy everything he built.””
“Who?””
“He didn’t know.””
Darius frowned.
“That’s impossible.””
Monique’s eyes narrowed.
“You think Malik was all-knowing?””
“No.””
Darius looked around.
“But Malik always had information.””
“Not this time.””
The answer surprised everyone.
Monique continued.
“He told me the person hiding the betrayal was smart.””
“How smart?””
She looked at the floor.
“Smart enough to make Malik question the wrong people.””
That sentence changed the atmosphere.
Because if Malik suspected Darius…
And Darius was innocent…
Then someone had successfully manipulated the king.
And that person was dangerous.
Across the city, a black sedan moved through the rain.
The driver kept both hands on the wheel.
His breathing was uneven.
His eyes kept checking the rearview mirror.
Victor Kane hated being afraid.
But tonight, fear had finally found him.
For years, Victor had handled Malik Carter’s finances.
He knew every account.
Every transaction.
Every hidden payment.
Every secret agreement.
People saw Malik as the power behind Black Crown.
But Victor knew something different.
Money was power.
And the person controlling the money controlled the organization.
That was why Victor had always stayed close.
Not because he was loyal.
Because he was useful.
But now usefulness was no longer enough.
Malik was dead.
And the envelope had been opened.
Victor gripped the steering wheel tighter.
He should have known Malik would leave something behind.
The old man was too careful.
Too suspicious.
Victor had spent years hiding numbers.
Moving money.
Creating fake records.
But he never thought Malik would find out.
Not completely.
Then his phone rang.
The sound made him jump.
He looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
For several seconds, he considered ignoring it.
Then he answered.
“Hello?””
A voice came through.
Cold.
Controlled.
“You left.””
Victor swallowed.
“You told me to watch.””
“And you were supposed to stay.””
“I had no choice.””
The voice became quieter.
“You always have a choice.””
Victor looked out at the empty road.
“They opened the envelope.””
Silence.
Then:
“What was inside?””
“I don’t know.””
A pause.
“You don’t know?””
Victor closed his eyes.
“I saw the message. That’s all.””
The voice on the phone became dangerous.
“Then you failed.””
Victor’s grip tightened.
“You promised me protection.””
“And I gave you money.””
“That’s not enough anymore.””
The person on the other end said nothing.
Then:
“Be careful, Victor.””
The call ended.
Victor stared at the phone.
He knew something now.
Something he should have realized earlier.
The person who killed Malik was not running.
They were still in control.
Back at the warehouse, Trey received a message.
Unknown number.
Everyone noticed his expression change.
“What is it?”” Andre asked.
Trey didn’t answer.
He opened the message.
One sentence appeared.
Stop looking for answers your father buried.
Trey’s face went pale.
Darius noticed.
“Who sent it?””
Trey showed him.
Nobody recognized the number.
Andre immediately became angry.
“Give me the phone.””
Trey stepped back.
“No.””
Andre stared.
“I’m trying to protect you.””
“No.””
Trey’s voice became stronger.
“You’re trying to find someone to punish.””
Andre went quiet.
Because again, Trey sounded like Malik.
That hurt more than an insult.
Darius looked at the message.
“This person knows we’re looking.””
Ghost nodded.
“Which means they have someone watching us.””
The room became tense.
A spy.
Someone inside.
The idea was worse than the original betrayal.
Because Black Crown had always survived because members trusted the person standing beside them.
Now every person beside them was a question.
Darius walked toward the table.
“Tomorrow morning, we check every financial record Malik had.””
Andre looked at him.
“You’re volunteering to investigate money?””
“Yes.””
“How convenient.””
Darius ignored him.
“Because if someone was stealing from Black Crown, I want to know.””
Andre stepped closer.
“And if the records lead back to you?””
Darius looked directly into his eyes.
“Then you get your answer.””
Nobody spoke.
It was the first time Darius had offered something like that.
A chance for everyone to examine him.
Trey watched him carefully.
For years, Darius had been like an uncle to him.
Someone his father trusted.
Someone Trey respected.
But the recording still existed.
Malik’s voice still existed.
And Trey knew something important.
His father was not the kind of man who accused people without reason.
There had to be another layer.
Later that night, after everyone finally left, Trey remained alone inside the warehouse.
He stared at old pictures on the wall.
Pictures of Malik.
Young.
Ambitious.
Building everything from nothing.
A father.
A leader.
A man who believed he could control his own destiny.
Trey touched one photograph.
“I’m trying, Dad.””
The words barely left his mouth.
Then he noticed something.
A small mark on the envelope.
Something he had missed earlier.
A symbol.
A black crown drawn in ink.
But underneath it was a number.
17.
Trey frowned.
He turned the envelope over.
Nothing else.
Just the number.
17.
His phone suddenly buzzed again.
Another message.
This time, there was a picture.
Trey opened it.
And his blood ran cold.
It was a photograph of his father.
Taken the night Malik died.
Malik was standing outside a building.
Talking to someone.
Someone Trey recognized immediately.
Someone nobody expected.
The message underneath said:
Your father trusted the wrong person.
Trey stared at the screen.
Because standing beside Malik in the photograph…
May you like
Was Monique Carter.
His mother.
