Chapter 5 - Whispers Among the Bloodline
By midday the following morning, the Voss estate was in a state of high tactical readiness.
A grand meeting of the Syndicate Elder Council had been summoned at the Voss High Tower in the city center. Officially, it was an quarterly economic summit. Unofficially, it was an arena where predators gathered to smell blood.
I walked into the boardroom on the sixty-fifth floor, Dante following half a step behind me.
Seated around the thirty-foot marble table were the five regional bosses who governed the illicit networks of the eastern seaboard. At the head of the opposing faction sat my uncle, Damian Voss—a silver-haired, cold-eyed snake who had spent twenty years smiling at my father while sharpening a dagger behind his back.
“Adrien,” Damian purred, adjusting his diamond-encrusted cufflinks. “We hear there was a small disturbance at your estate last night. Gunfire, broken glass. The neighbors in the valley were quite alarmed.”
I took my seat at the head of the table, placing both hands flat against the polished stone.
“Two stray rats wandered onto my property,” I said evenly. “They were dealt with. Cleanly and permanently.”
Damian’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Rats? Or ghosts from the past?”
The room went dead silent. The other four bosses exchanged uneasy glances.
“What are you implying, Uncle?” I asked, my voice dropping an octave into pure, lethal calm.
“We all know Julian Vance’s name has resurfaced,” Damian said, leaning forward, resting his chin on his steepled fingers. “Rumor has it that his daughter is alive. And worse, that you have been harboring her inside Voss Enterprises.”
A heavy murmur rippled through the council members.
Marcus Castillo, a ruthless boss who controlled the docks and shipping routes, slammed a heavy fist onto the table. “Julian Vance was a traitor who tried to sell our operational routes to federal authorities! If his spawn is alive, she must be eradicated according to the old code!”
I didn't flinch. I didn't raise my voice. I simply locked eyes with Castillo until the man’s bravado began to wither under my glare.
“Julian Vance was murdered by cowards who wanted to loot the syndicate’s treasury,” I stated, every word falling like an iron gavel. “My father knew it. And I know it.”
“Be careful, nephew,” Damian warned softly. “The council’s patience is thin. If you bring that girl before us, she will face judgment. If you hide her, you are committing treason against your own blood.”
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“The council will do nothing,” I replied, standing up and towering over the table. “Because tomorrow night, at the annual Solstice Gala, Evelyn Vance will be my official guest. And anyone who wishes to challenge her claim will have to challenge me first.”
I turned on my heel and walked out of the boardroom, leaving a room full of stunned, furious wolves behind me.
