CHAPTER 4 – THE NAME EVERYONE REMEMBERED
CHAPTER 4 – THE NAME EVERYONE REMEMBERED
The restaurant had become so quiet that the ticking of an antique grandfather clock near the wine cellar could be heard.
Nobody touched their food.
Nobody spoke.
Even the violinists remained frozen.
Victor Kane stood alone.
Across from four men who still believed money could solve every problem.
Preston rose first.
"You know what?"
"I've changed my mind."
"I'm not apologizing."
Victor nodded.
"I expected as much."
Bryce smirked.
"What are you going to do?"
"Sue us?"
Cole raised his phone again.
"This is going viral."
Victor looked directly into the camera.
"Keep recording."
Cole grinned.
"Seriously?"
"I prefer evidence."
The grin faded.
Victor reached into his jacket.
Every muscle in the restaurant tightened.
Several guests gasped.
Instead of a weapon...
He removed a simple black business card.
No logo.
No decoration.
Only one name.
Victor Kane.
One private phone number.
He placed it gently on the table.
"If, tomorrow morning..."
"...you decide becoming decent men is worth trying..."
"...call me."
Preston picked up the card.
Read it.
Snorted.
Then flicked it onto the floor.
"I don't collect garbage."
Victor looked down at the card.
Then back up.
"I noticed."
Before anyone could speak again—
The front doors opened.
Three Chicago police officers entered.
David had quietly called them minutes earlier, hoping their presence would calm the situation.
The lead officer approached.
"We received a report of an assault."
Preston immediately smiled.
"Perfect timing."
He pointed toward Victor.
"This guy's threatening us."
Victor remained silent.
The officer turned to Anna's manager.
"What happened?"
David swallowed.
His eyes moved between Preston...
...and Victor.
Then toward Anna standing outside the glass doors, still wearing the stained uniform.
He made a decision.
"The young men poured a bottle of soda over my waitress."
"They've been harassing staff for over an hour."
The officers looked at Preston.
"Is that true?"
Preston scoffed.
"It was a joke."
One officer answered flatly.
"She doesn't seem to be laughing."
Just then...
Another black SUV stopped outside.
Then another.
Then a third.
The officers frowned.
Six men exited.
All wearing dark suits.
None looked like bodyguards trying to intimidate anyone.
Instead...
They stood quietly near the entrance.
Hands folded.
Waiting.
One of the officers instinctively rested a hand near his radio.
The oldest of the six stepped inside.
He looked directly at Victor.
"Sir."
Victor didn't even turn around.
"I asked for no one."
"We know."
"We came anyway."
Victor sighed almost imperceptibly.
"You worry too much."
"It's our job."
The officer frowned.
"Who are these people?"
The older man smiled politely.
"Employees."
"Of what company?"
He answered without hesitation.
"Kane International Holdings."
The name hit one officer immediately.
His eyes widened.
He looked again at Victor.
Then at the six men.
Then back.
Very slowly...
Recognition spread across his face.
Not from criminal files.
From economic briefings.
From charity galas.
From emergency planning meetings.
Victor Kane wasn't a mob boss in the eyes of the law.
He was one of the largest private investors in Chicago.
Owner of shipping companies.
Real estate.
Security firms.
Manufacturing plants.
Hospitals.
Scholarship foundations.
A billionaire so private that most people wouldn't recognize his face.
The officer quietly leaned toward his partner.
"I think..."
"...that's Kane."
His partner whispered back,
"The Kane?"
Neither officer finished the sentence.
Because at that exact moment—
Preston looked at the business card lying on the floor.
Then looked at Victor again.
Something about the calm.
The confidence.
The absolute absence of fear.
For the first time all night...
A tiny seed of doubt entered his mind.
He slowly bent down.
Picked up the card.
Read the name again.
His face lost its color.
Richard Hale, his father, had said one thing only once.
"If you ever meet Victor Kane..."
"...be polite."
Preston had laughed at the time.
May you like
Now...
He suddenly understood why.
