The sound of breaking glass from the upper floor echoed sharply across the quiet courtyard, slicing through the heavy tension like a razor. Ethan didn't flinch. His phone remained pressed to his ear, his knuckles white as his grip tightened on the device. The color had completely vanished from his face, leaving his skin the shade of old marble.

The arrest was swift, clinical, and entirely bloodless. Senator Pendelton practically collapsed into the arms of the marshals, babbling incoherently about immunity deals and cooperation agreements within seconds of the cuffs clicking onto his wrists. Julian Vance tried to reach for a concealed derringer in his jacket, but Vance was faster, pinning his arm behind his back and driving him face-first onto the Persian rug.

Marcus Thorne didn’t resist. As the federal agents hoisted the old man out of his chair, he paused, turning his cold, milky eyes directly toward Ethan.

“You think you’ve won, boy?” Thorne sneered, his voice dripping with venom. “An empire built on blood never stops bleeding. You cut off one head, three more grow back in the dark. The board was just a symptom. The real syndicate runs deeper than you will ever reach.”

“Let them come,” Ethan replied, his voice a low, steady rumble that commanded the entire room. “I burned down my own gates once. I’ll burn down the whole city before I let anyone touch my family again.”

The marshals hauled the trio out through the grand foyer, their boots echoing hollowly against the marble until the heavy front doors slammed shut behind them.

Silence settled over the dining room once more, broken only by the crackle of the fireplace in the adjacent parlor.

I let out a long, shaky breath I hadn't realized I was holding, leaning against the edge of the table. The adrenaline crash hit me all at once, leaving my knees feeling weak.

Ethan was by my side in an instant, his strong arms wrapping securely around my waist, pulling me against his chest.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice softening entirely as he looked down at me, the harsh mafia boss completely gone.