Chapter 5 - The Trial of Shadows
The warehouse smelled of rust, stagnant river water, and the distinct, copper tang of fresh blood. Heavy floodlights cut through the darkness, illuminating a clearing in the center of the concrete floor.
Derek was tied to a wooden chair, his face beaten beyond recognition, his legs bent at unnatural angles. Ashley was tied next to him, her white dress covered in dirt and tears, her makeup smeared across her face.
Standing over them were five Bratva enforcers, led by a man named Yuri—the same man who had interrupted us at the bar the previous night.
The heavy iron doors of the warehouse groaned open.
I walked in first. My heels clicked sharply against the concrete, a rhythmic, terrifying sound in the hollow space. I wore my emerald gown, completely unfazed by the darkness. Behind me came Dominic, flanked by a dozen heavily armed men.
“Ah, the beautiful counselor,” Yuri sneered, resting a heavy, blood-stained iron pipe on his shoulder. “Did you bring the files, or did you come to watch your husband die?”
“Scarlett!” Derek whimpered through his broken teeth. “Help me... please give them what they want!”
I stopped ten feet away from them, folding my arms.
“I didn’t bring the files, Yuri,” I said smoothly. “Because as a lawyer, I know that giving into extortion only invites a weaker bargaining position. Instead, I brought a counter-offer.”
Yuri laughed, gesturing to his men. “You think you have leverage here? Look at them. They are nothing to us now. And you are surrounded.”
“Am I?” I smiled, a cold, serene expression that made Yuri’s laughter die in his throat.
Dominic stepped forward, clapping his hands twice.
Suddenly, the windows at the top of the warehouse shattered as red laser sights flooded the room, painting the chests of every single Bratva member with fatal accuracy. Dominic’s snipers had already taken the high ground before we even walked through the door.
“Your boss in Moscow sold you out an hour ago, Yuri,” Dominic said, his voice echoing with absolute authority. “I traded him three of my Mediterranean shipping routes in exchange for your contract. You don't work for the Bratva anymore. You work for nobody. Because you are already dead.”
Yuri’s eyes widened in horror. He dropped the iron pipe, raising his hands. His men followed suit, dropping their weapons to the floor.
“Take them out,” Dominic ordered Marcus. The guards quickly disarmed Yuri and his men, dragging them into the shadows of the warehouse to be dealt with permanently.
Only Derek and Ashley remained, trembling in their chairs.
I walked up to Derek, looking down at the man I had shared a bed with for a decade. He looked up at me with pathetic, begging eyes.
“Scarlett... thank God,” he gasped. “Untie me... let's go home. We can forget all of this. We can fix us.”
“There is no us, Derek,” I said softly, reaching into my purse. I didn't pull out a gun. I pulled out a legal document—the official divorce decree and total asset forfeiture waiver. I slapped it onto his bloody lap and handed him a pen.
“Sign it. You give up the penthouse, the bank accounts, the properties, and you admit to full liability for the corporate espionage. Sign it, and Dominic will let you live. You'll be broke, crippled, and ruined, but you'll breathe.”
Derek grabbed the pen with trembling fingers and scribbled his signature instantly, not even reading the lines.
I took the paper back, checking the signature with a satisfied nod. Then I turned to Ashley.
She looked at me, weeping. “Scarlett, please... I’m pregnant. Think of the baby. I was forced into this by Derek!”
I leaned down until my face was inches from hers. “I checked the medical records from the clinic you visited, Ashley. You aren't pregnant. You had a miscarriage two years ago and kept the medical falsifications to use as a shield when things went wrong. You lied to Derek, you lied to the feds, and you lied to me.”
Ashley’s face drained of what little color it had left. She went completely silent.
“Leave them here,” I told Dominic, turning my back on them. “The police will be here in five minutes. I already anonymous-tipped the FBI with the evidence of their money laundering. Let the law handle the trash.”
Dominic smiled, wrapping his arm around my waist as we walked back toward the exit. “You truly are a ruthless woman, Scarlett.”
May you like
But as we reached the doors, the sound of police sirens echoed in the distance. Suddenly, Marcus ran up to us, his face pale.
“Boss... the FBI isn't here for Derek and Ashley. The federal prosecutor just signed an emergency warrant. They are here for you, and the warrant was issued based on an encryption key found on Scarlett’s personal phone.”
