Chapter 15 - The UltimatumThree days later, the fallout from Marcus Vance’s arrest echoed across international financial markets. The Bratva’s European network was paralyzed by simultaneous federal raids in Zurich, Berlin, and Chicago, leaving Viktor Rostov isolated and hunted by both the law and Gabriel's syndicate.
We sat in the private study of the Geneva chalet, the rain lashing softly against the thick glass panes. Eli was fast asleep in the adjacent room, safe and completely untouched by the chaos we had navigated.
Gabriel stood by the fireplace, watching the flames crackle against the dark stone. He looked exhausted, the lines around his eyes a testament to the relentless war we had waged over the past year.
"Rostov is on the move," Gabriel said without turning around. "My informants in Moscow say he booked a private charter out of St. Petersburg heading for North America. He's coming to finish this personally."
"Let him come," I said, walking over to stand beside him. I slipped my hand into his, my fingers intertwining with his scarred palm. "We've dismantled his funding, frozen his assets, and exposed his network. Without money, an empire is just a target."
Gabriel turned, looking down at me with an expression so fiercely protective and deeply vulnerable that it stole the breath right out of my lungs. He reached out, his hand gently cupping my cheek, tracing the line of my jaw.
"I dragged you into a world of violence, Claire," Gabriel murmured, his voice thick with unsaid emotion. "You were just an accountant who wanted a quiet life."
"I didn't want a quiet life, Gabriel," I corrected softly, leaning into his touch. "I wanted a life that mattered. And I found it right here... with you."
Before Gabriel could answer, his encrypted satellite phone buzzed loudly on the mahogany desk.
Gabriel stepped over and picked it up, pressing a button to put the call on speaker.
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“Mr. Kane,” a cold, gravelly voice echoed through the room—an accent thick with Russian steel. “You think you have won. But you forgot one simple rule of the underworld. A cornered wolf is the most dangerous beast in the forest. I am landing in Chicago tonight. And I am coming for everything you love.”
The line went dead.
