Emily lowered her head.
“But it kept growing,” Sarah continued weakly. “It doubled every week. Then they started showing up.”
Marcus didn’t need more details.
He knew exactly what kind of operation that was.
Predators hiding behind powerful names.
Using fear as their weapon.
“Did they hurt you?” he asked quietly.
Sarah hesitated.
Emily answered instead. “They pushed Mom when she tried to stop them from taking my brother’s crib.”
Marcus’s jaw tightened.
“How many?”
“Three.”
“Do you know them?”
Sarah nodded faintly. “One is named Vince. He works at the docks… says he runs errands for someone important.”
Marcus already understood.
Vince wasn’t part of his crew.
But he had been using Marcus’s name.
That meant everything done to this family had been done under his shadow.
And in his world, reputation wasn’t just power—it was responsibility.
He stood and walked to the broken window, staring out at the rain.
Emily watched him closely.
“Are you mad?” she asked quietly.
Marcus didn’t answer right away.
Because the truth wasn’t simple.
He was angry.
But more than that… he felt responsible.
His name had grown so powerful it had become a weapon in the wrong hands.
And innocent people were paying for it.