Chapter 65
Dante’s heart hammered violently against his ribs, but his rugged, fiercely masculine face remained an impenetrable mask of stone. "You are lying," Dante roared, lunging forward with explosive speed and hauling Aris off the floor by his collar. "Elena cut all ties. If you had captured her, you would have used her as leverage against me years ago!"
"Because she programmed a dead-man's virus into our central financial grid before she fled!" Aris choked out, his legs kicking wildly in the empty air as Dante’s grip crushed his windpipe. "If we execute her, our entire global network crashes into oblivion! We needed her alive to extract the decryption keys. But she is far more stubborn than we anticipated. Now, with the 'Black Arrow' launch rapidly approaching, our patience is completely exhausted. If you do not sign over the New York ports within twenty-four hours, we will mail you Elena in pieces, and little Hope’s crib will be our next designated target."
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A primal, apocalyptic fury erupted deep within Dante’s chest. He slammed Aris brutally down onto the heavy oak desk, drawing his suppressed pistol and aiming it dead center at the operative's forehead. But before Dante could physically extract the geographic location of the clandestine prison, Aris suddenly began to foam at the mouth. His eyes rolled back into his skull as his body convulsed violently against the wood. He had bitten down on a highly concentrated cyanide capsule hidden within a false molar, choosing a swift, agonizing suicide over Dante’s interrogation.
Within seconds, the operative was entirely dead, leaving Dante standing alone in the silent, dimly lit office with a devastating revelation. Elena was alive, having endured a decade of unimaginable hell to protect them. Returning to the charity hall, Dante pulled Maya into a secluded hallway and recounted the horrific truth. Without a second of hesitation, Maya gripped his hand tightly, her brown eyes blazing. "We have to save her, Dante," Maya declared, her absolute humanity shining brighter than any mafia darkness. "Sophia deserves to know her biological mother survived for her. We will bring her home, even if we have to tear the entire continent of Europe apart to find her."
