Chapter 8 - The Secret SummitThe location wasn't the fortress-like estate on the North Shore this time. The SUV brought Claire to a sprawling, private equestrian estate tucked away in the rolling hills west of the city. The air smelled of fresh hay, damp earth, and pine trees.
Inside a sprawling, rustic timber-framed lodge, Ethan sat at a heavy wooden dining table, diligently working on a complex science project involving balsa wood and rubber bands.
When the front door opened and Claire walked in, Ethan dropped his pencil, stood up so fast his chair screeched backward, and bolted across the room.
"Claire!"
He collided squarely with her waist, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Claire stumbled back a step, laughing in surprise before wrapping her arms around the boy.
"Hey, kiddo. Careful, you're going to knock me over."
"I told you she'd come," Ethan beamed, looking up with bright, energetic eyes. "Dad said you were busy saving lives at the hospital, but I knew you'd miss me."
"Don't flatter yourself," a deep voice rumbled from the arched doorway of the kitchen.
Roman stepped into the room. He wore a dark casual sweater and slacks, looking less like a syndicate boss and more like a normal father—though the lethal intensity in his eyes remained entirely unchanged. He walked over, leaning against the edge of the table as he watched them.
"Thank you for coming, Ms. Bennett," Roman said, his tone polite, almost formal.
"I didn't really have a choice, did I?" Claire replied, gently untangling herself from Ethan so she could stand upright. "Your men have a very persuasive way of issuing invitations."
"My men have standing orders to ensure your safety above all else," Roman corrected calmly. "Which brings us to why you're here."
He gestured to the table. Ethan quickly scampered back to his project, leaving Claire and Roman standing a few feet apart.
"The board members who backed Victor's play have made their move," Roman said, his voice dropping into a cold, clinical register. "They assumed with Victor gone, my inner circle would fracture. They tried to execute a hostile takeover of our shipping terminals in the port district last night."
Claire’s eyes widened. "And?"
"And they underestimated how quickly I clean house," Roman said flatly. "The syndicate is unified. The dissenters have been dealt with permanently. But there's a complication."
"What kind of complication?"
Roman reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy manila folder, sliding it across the wooden table toward her. Claire hesitated, then picked it up and opened it.
Inside were medical reports, shipping manifests, and a series of high-resolution photographs of illegal pharmaceutical shipments intercepted at the docks.
"Those shipments weren't drugs," Roman said quietly. "They were experimental gene-therapy treatments designed for pediatric neuro-degenerative disorders. Rare diseases."
Claire scanned the documents, her medical training instantly kicking in. "Wait... this is synthetic enzyme replacement therapy. This is worth millions on the black market... or to pharmaceutical companies operating outside FDA oversight."
"Exactly," Roman said. "Victor wasn't just working with rival bosses. He was selling access to my family's private medical holdings to a corrupt biotech conglomerate called Apex Bio-Tech. They wanted Ethan's genetic profile because my son carries a rare cellular marker that resists degenerative nerve decay."
Claire looked up from the folder, horror dawning in her chest. "They didn't just want to hurt you. They wanted to harvest him."
"Yes," Roman said, and for the first time, Claire saw a flicker of absolute, hellish fury burn through his icy exterior—a rage so profound it made the air in the room feel heavy. "Which is why you are no longer safe living on Cicero Avenue."
Claire bristled instantly. "Excuse me? You can't just dictate where I live!"
"I am not dictating, Ms. Bennett. I am stating a tactical reality," Roman countered, stepping closer. "Apex Bio-Tech knows you were on that bridge. They know you pulled Ethan out. Their operatives have already scrubbed the municipal security footage from the surrounding blocks to cover their tracks. To them, you are a loose end. A witness who knows too much about a multi-million-dollar corporate kidnapping plot."
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Claire felt the blood drain from her face. "The police..."
"The police are compromised at the municipal level by Apex lobbyists," Roman interrupted sharply. "If you walk back into your apartment tonight alone, you won't survive the week."
