Chapter 15 - The Trap Springs
From the shadows near the second-tier catwalk, a tall man stepped into the dim overhead light. He wore an expensive white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing jagged scars along his forearms. His dark hair was slicked back, and his eyes held a manic, brilliant fire.
“Viktor Vance,” Julian muttered, a dark growl rumbling deep in his chest. “I thought I left you buried in Marseille.”
“You tried, cousin,” Viktor laughed, a dry, grating sound that bounced off the metal containers. “But rats always find a way out of the sinking ship. And when Julian Moretti abandoned the throne, someone had to pick up the pieces.”
Viktor raised a small, handheld digital detonator, pressing his thumb against the activation pad.
“Drop your weapons,” Viktor commanded, his smile widening into a predator’s grin. “The entire warehouse is wired with thermite charges. One twitch, and fifty tons of quantum encryption hardware—along with your precious daughter’s inheritance—go up in white-hot ash.”
Alexander froze. His heart hammered against his ribs. He didn't care about the hardware; he cared about Aura waiting safely across town with Sarah. But if Viktor destroyed the master ledger, they would spend the rest of their lives running from an invisible syndicate that could legally strip away everything she owned.
Julian didn't drop his weapon. Instead, a slow, dangerous smile crept across his face—the exact smile he used to wear right before he broke an empire in half.
“Viktor,” Julian said smoothly, taking a slow step forward. “You always were a terrible mathematician. You forgot to check who still owns the dock permits for this district.”
Viktor’s smile falter for a fraction of a second. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that your thermite charges require a local cellular relay to transmit the detonation signal,” Julian said, raising his hand and snapping his fingers.
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Click.
The overhead fluorescent lights flickered once, twice—and died completely. Total, pitch-black darkness swallowed the warehouse, plunging Viktor into absolute confusion.
