Chapter 8 - The queen's gambit
Victoria backed away until she hit the edge of the massive wooden desk, her chest heaving, the flawless facade of the confident fiancée entirely destroyed. Adrian advanced slowly, his presence suffocating the room. He did not look at Victoria; his eyes immediately found Lily. The little girl looked up, her sad eyes widening as she recognized her father.
Papa? Lily whispered, the word fragile and uncertain, a memory her mother had planted in her mind years ago.
Adrian’s sharp jawline trembled for a fraction of a second, the mafia boss overwhelmed by the absolute purity of that single word. I'm here, principessa, he replied softly, never taking his gun off Victoria. You are safe now.
Victoria let out a desperate, manic laugh. Safe? You think you've won, Adrian? You think taking the girl back undoes the damage? My family has already deployed the poison pill. If I am harmed, the federal authorities will receive a complete data dump of every illegal transaction the Moretti family has executed in the last decade. You will rot in a federal maximum-security prison, and this child will end up in the foster system.
Adrian stopped, his dark eyes narrowing. He lowered his weapon slightly. You're bluffing. You don't have the codes to the main servers.
I don't need them, Victoria sneered, her confidence returning as she saw him hesitate. Claire found them for me. Your brilliant, tragic Claire was so busy building a case against my family that she carelessly gathered all the evidence of yours. I have the files, Adrian. And I will burn your empire to the ground unless you walk away right now and leave the girl with me.
Adrian stared at the woman he had almost married. She was entirely hollow, a creature composed of greed and survival instincts. He looked at Lily, the four-year-old girl sitting in the leather chair, clutching the armrests. He had to make a choice. His freedom, his empire, or his daughter.
In the world of the mafia, survival always dictated sacrificing the weak. But Adrian Moretti was not his father.
Burn it, Adrian said, his voice terrifyingly calm.
Victoria blinked, stunned. What?
Burn the empire, Victoria. Release the files, Adrian commanded, taking a step closer, completely unfazed by her ultimate threat. I don't care about the syndicate. I don't care about the billions. I built this empire once, and I can build it again. But you... you have nothing left to trade.
Victoria’s fair face went completely pale. She lunged for the heavy brass lamp on the desk, intending to strike the child in a final, desperate act of spite.
Adrian moved with blinding, brutal speed. He closed the distance in a heartbeat, grabbing Victoria’s wrist mid-swing. He twisted her arm behind her back, pinning her aggressively against the polished mahogany desk. She screamed in frustration, struggling violently against his immense, masculine strength, but it was useless.
It's over, Victoria, Adrian whispered coldly into her ear. Your family is being raided by the council as we speak. Maya has already delivered Claire’s evidence to the syndicate elders. You are entirely alone.
May you like
Suddenly, Victoria stopped struggling. A cruel, twisted smile stretched across her face as she looked back at him over her shoulder.
Alone? she mocked softly. You think Claire sent the child because she was being chased? Adrian, Claire didn't send Lily away. I took Lily from her. Claire is not dead. I have her locked in a shipping container on the docks. And if I don't make a phone call in ten minutes, my men are going to drop that container into the Atlantic.
