Chapter 7 - THE COUNTER-ATTACKThe next morning, the war between the Kanes and the Vances went public.
The front page of every major New York newspaper blared headlines about a late-night shootout in an exclusive Manhattan estate, followed by sudden, catastrophic financial shocks on Wall Street.
Julian Vance thought he had caught Adrian off guard. He thought a midnight raid would shatter the syndicate boss's focus and force him to surrender the Queens shipping docks.
He had miscalculated completely.
Down in the subterranean command center of the mansion, I stood beside Adrian as he reviewed a massive digital map of Manhattan displayed across three wall-mounted screens.
"The federal raids are executing right now," Maria, Adrian’s chief intelligence analyst, reported smoothly. "Vance & Sterling’s primary shell corporations in the Cayman Islands have been frozen. Their shipping licenses in three states have been revoked for tax evasion and racketeering."
Adrian leaned against the console, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. "And Julian?"
"He’s barricaded himself inside his penthouse on Fifth Avenue," Maria replied. "His board is in full panic mode. They're calling an emergency summit at the Midtown Country Club tonight to oust him."
Adrian straightened up, buttoning the cuffs of his freshly pressed black suit. He looked devastatingly sharp, the epitome of ruthless elegance.
"Get my car ready," Adrian ordered. "We’re going to a meeting."
I stepped forward, clutching a stack of freshly printed briefing notes. "Adrian, you're not going alone? Julian is cornered. A cornered animal is most dangerous."
Adrian stopped and turned, looking at me with a slow, approving smirk. "Who said I was going alone?"
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My eyes widened. "Me? You want me to come to a syndicate summit?"
"You're my executive assistant, Elena," Adrian reminded me smoothly, though his eyes danced with amusement. "And besides... I want Julian to see the woman who beat him without firing a single shot."
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