Chapter 4 - Shadows and Retaliation
Two miles downtown, inside a sleek, soundproofed glass office overlooking the Financial District, Sebastian Ward stared down at a dossier thrown across his mahogany desk.
"The shipment from Genoa was intercepted," Mara Feldman said, her sharp, analytical voice cutting through the tension in the room. She adjusted her silver-rimmed glasses, her expression severe. "Not by federal agents, and not by a rival syndicate. It was a targeted hit by the Rossi family. They’re testing your focus, Sebastian. They think your recent investments in downtown real estate have left your supply lines vulnerable."
Sebastian didn't look at the files. His cold, piercing gaze was fixed out the window, but his mind was entirely elsewhere. Ever since he walked out of the penthouse that morning, a strange, uncharacteristic sense of unease had gnawed at his gut. He had left Valerie alone after a night that had completely rewritten the rules between them, and the thought of her walking out—or worse, becoming a target for enemies who knew his every move—made his blood run cold.
"Burn their storage facility on Eleventh Avenue," Sebastian said softly, his voice dangerously low. "Take their primary distribution trucks. Leave nothing behind that traces back to us. Let them know what happens when they mistake a distraction for weakness."
Mara paused, narrowing her eyes at him. "Sebastian. You’re distracted. In all the years I’ve worked with you, I’ve never seen you rush a retaliation strategy. Is this about the docks, or is it about the girl upstairs?"
Sebastian turned slowly, his eyes flashing with a dark, lethal warning that made even his hardened attorney take a step back. "Watch your boundaries, Mara. Handle the Rossi situation. If they try to make a move near any of my properties, I want heads on spikes before midnight."
Without waiting for a response, Sebastian turned on his heel, grabbed his overcoat from the rack, and walked out of the office. He didn't care about the Genoa shipment anymore. He didn't care about the Rossi family's posturing.
He sped back to Crown Meridian Tower, his fingers gripping the steering wheel of his black armored Mercedes with white-knuckled intensity. The instinct that something was wrong screamed inside his head.
When he unlocked the penthouse doors, the silence that greeted him was absolute.
"Valerie?" he called out, his voice echoing through the massive, empty living room.
No answer.
He strode into the bedroom. The bed was made, the blood-stained sheet gone, replaced by pristine white silk. On the kitchen island, a single piece of heavy cardstock sat waiting for him.
May you like
He picked it up, reading the brief, handwritten sentence in her sharp, elegant handwriting: Don't look for me. I need space to think.
Sebastian’s fist clenched, crushing the paper into a ball. For the first time in over a decade, the untouchable king of New York felt the sickening, blinding panic of losing control completely.
