The room held its breath.
John did not move at first. He stood perfectly still, the ledger resting in his hands like an artifact pulled from a grave. Everyone watched him. Rita was on edge, Morgan was stiff as stone, Celine bracing herself and Maeve trembling.
John finally exhaled.
Rita whispered, "John… who is it?"
John lifted his eyes slowly. The kind of slow that comes before a storm.
Morgan stepped closer. "Say it."
John opened the ledger again, turning it around so only Morgan could see the name. Morgan froze mid-breath. His jaw clenched so hard a muscle jumped along the side of his face.
"That is impossible," Morgan whispered.
Rita moved forward quickly. "Who is it. John, tell us."
But John was not looking at the ledger anymore. He was staring at the wall behind Maeve, as if trying to contain something violent rising inside him.
Celine stepped forward. "John."
He closed the book.
Then he said the name.
"Quinn Carter."
Rita felt her stomach drop. "No. No. That cannot be right."
Morgan shook his head slowly. "Quinn. The man who runs the internal ethics board. The same man who welcomed you into the executive circle. The same man who defended you when the board questioned your authority."
Celine's voice sharpened. "The same man who told Harold he would protect the Raymond bloodline."
Maeve buried her face in her hands. "He lied. He lied to all of you."
John's hands tightened around the ledger.
Rita stepped closer to him. "John, Quinn is practically a father figure to half the upper floors. How could he be part of the original Circle?"
"He was not," Maeve whispered. "He inherited the position."
John looked down at her. "Explain."
Maeve forced herself to meet his eyes. "The Founders Ledger is not just a list of names. It is a list of titles. Titles passed down through bloodlines or chosen successors. Quinn did not start the Circle. He was selected to replace a founder."
Celine frowned. "Selected by who?"
"The previous Sovereign," Maeve said quietly. "The first leader of the Circle. Quinn became the new Sovereign after the founder vanished."
Morgan's face hardened. "Vanished."
Maeve nodded. "Harold never believed that was an accident."
Rita stepped back, overwhelmed. "So, Quinn is the one Harold was fighting all those years."
Maeve nodded again. "Yes."
John did not blink. "Was he the one who ordered Harold's death?"
Maeve swallowed hard. "Chief Raymond… I cannot say for certain. But Quinn held the authority. If someone within the Circle wanted Harold gone, it would go through him."
Morgan rubbed his forehead, furious. "All this time… Quinn acted like he was the only one protecting the old values. He played the loyal elder. The guide. The mentor."
"He played the part very well," Celine said. "Too well."
Rita's voice shook with anger. "He sat in your father's office. He comforted the board. He told us he was devastated by Harold's death. He lied to everyone with a straight face."
John finally spoke again.
His voice was not loud. But it was final.
"I trusted him."
Rita moved closer. "John…"
He stepped away from her.
"I trusted him," he repeated, sharper this time.
Morgan clenched his fists. "So what do we do?"
John turned toward the door.
"We go to him."
Maeve recoiled. "Chief Raymond, no. You cannot face Quinn alone. He is not just a Circle member. He is the Sovereign. The one person they follow without question."
John ignored her warning.
Celine blocked his path. "John. Stop. Listen to me. If Quinn realises you discovered his name in that ledger, he will not hesitate. He will move against you immediately."
Morgan stood at John's other side. "She is right. This is not someone you confront with raw anger. Quinn is old. Calculated. Patient. He has manipulated half this building for decades. You cannot walk in and accuse him."
John looked at both of them.
"I am not going to accuse him."
Rita frowned. "Then what are you going to do?"
John took one slow breath.
And smiled.
A cold smile.
"A man like Quinn only reveals himself when he thinks he is safe. So I will make him believe he is."
Celine blinked. "You are going to play along."
"Yes," John said. "I am going to act exactly as he expects me to act. Calm. Dutiful. Predictable."
Morgan grinned. "Make him drop his guard."
"Make him believe he still owns the board. Make him trust that I am not a threat."
Rita's eyes widened. "And when he finally relaxes…"
John finished the sentence.
"We break him."
Silence filled the room as the weight of that promise settled.
Maeve whispered, "He will try to kill you first."
John turned to her.
"He can try."
Then he looked at Morgan.
"Morgan, prepare a silent escort. Only people you trust."
Morgan nodded. "Done."
"Celine, scrub every digital trace of this discovery. I want Quinn blind."
Celine smirked. "He will not see anything coming."
John turned to Rita last.
"Stay with Maeve. Keep her safe. The Circle will come for her the moment they realise the ledger is missing."
Maeve trembled. "They will kill me."
John met her eyes.
"No," he said. "Not tonight."
He tucked the ledger under his arm, lifted his chin, and walked out of the room as if stepping into a battlefield.
Morgan followed.
Celine followed.
Rita stayed behind with Maeve, her heart pounding.
The hunt had a new target.
Quinn Carter.
The man who pretended to guide him.
The man who pretended to mourn Harold.
The man who pretended to love The Crest.
The man who killed his father.
And John Raymond was walking straight toward him.
With a calm face.
And a hidden blade.