flash

My eyes fluttered open to the sight of Gabriel Kane kneeling beside the sofa, his dark gaze locked onto my swollen, blood-bruised face. For a man who owned half of Chicago and commanded absolute terror in the underworld, his movements right now were unnervingly still. / Chapter 20 / 20

Chapter 20 - The Unbroken LedgerThe sun broke through the winter clouds over Chicago, casting a golden light across the city skyline as the morning news broadcast recapped the final dismantling of the international syndicates.

In the executive suite, Eli had finally tired himself out, curled up soundly on a plush sofa with Mason standing guard nearby like a stone gargoyle.

I stood beside Gabriel at the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the bustling streets below. I no longer wore cardigans or sensible shoes, and I no longer apologized when someone bumped into me. I was Claire Bennett—partner, auditor, survivor, and the beating heart of Chicago’s most powerful empire.

Gabriel slid his hand into mine, his fingers lacing tightly with Rostov-scarred and battle-tested, yet entirely gentle against my skin.

"Ready for the board meeting?" Gabriel asked quietly.

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The reply from Jonathan Vance, the senior partner at Vance & Sterling, hit my inbox before the IV drip in my arm could finish.

The reply from Jonathan Vance, the senior partner at Vance & Sterling, h...

The sound of Sienna’s voice shattering through the phone speaker was like glass hitting a marble floor.

The sound of Sienna’s voice shattering through the phone speaker was lik...

The air tore past my ears like razor blades. At six months pregnant, the rush of terminal velocity should have been an absolute death sentence, but as the wind howled around me, my hand didn't grope blindly for the empty sky—it triggered the heavy-duty micro-transmitter sewn directly into the reinforced lining of my cashmere maternity coat.

The air tore past my ears like razor blades. At six months pregnant, the...

I smiled, looking up at the man who owned the city, and whispered the only answer that mattered.

"Always. Let's balance the world."

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