The chill of the glass against my fingertips does nothing to quell the fire burning inside me. I stand before the towering windows, my gaze sweeping over the city—a kingdom I built from shadows and blood. Beneath the glittering facade of lights and reflections lies the rot I nurtured. This city was beautiful once, but beauty is fragile, and power is eternal.
Yet tonight, my pulse thrums with an unfamiliar fury. Not because of the city or its decay, but because someone dared.
They dared.
I run a hand through my hair, dark as the abyss outside, and turn sharply, my boots echoing on the marble floor. The air in the room feels heavier as I fix my eyes on Max. Loyal Max. The only one I trust to keep my empire intact when my back is turned. Still everyone fear me enough to do as i order.
He sits rigid in one of the leather chairs, a manila envelope resting in his hands. Its edges are frayed, as if it has already delivered its secrets, yet here I stand, waiting for words that will confirm my suspicions.
"Who?" My voice cuts through the silence, cold and sharp as a blade.
Max exhales, glancing at the folder before meeting my gaze. "It wasn't one of the families."
The weight of his words hits me like a physical blow. My jaw tightens. "Explain."
"No syndicate was behind the attempt. No contract. No alliances shifting in the dark." He pauses, and in that moment, I can feel the temperature in the room plummet. "It was...a girl."
For the first time in years, I feel the faintest flicker of confusion. "A girl?"
"Yes. A waitress. She stepped in front of you and took the bullet, it hit her side"
I take a step closer, the space between us charged with menace. "You're telling me an unarmed girl—a nobody—interfered in an attack meant for me?"
Max nods. "That's what the cameras show. She's an unknown. No affiliations, no debts. Just… stepped in."
My laugh is cold, humorless. "No one does anything for free, Max. No one in this city even breathes without expecting something in return."
"We'll find out why, boss. I've got the team combing through every angle. Her face is on every camera in this city. We'll have her location before sunrise."
"You'll bring her to me," I say, my tone brooking no argument. "Alive. I want answers, and I want them direct from her."
Max rises, nodding with military precision. "Understood."
When the door clicks shut behind him, silence returns, but it's no comfort. My mind churns, dissecting possibilities. No one sacrifices themselves without reason. No one throws their life on the line for me without an ulterior motive.
But this girl. A waitress. A ghost among the living. What could she want from me?
I cross the room, pouring a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid swirling like the thoughts in my head. Protection, maybe? Did she think saving my life would buy her a shield? Or perhaps she's working for someone else. A deeper game. If so, she'll regret being a pawn in their schemes.
A faint smile touches my lips, cold and devoid of warmth. If she thought the bullet was her price for survival, she's mistaken. I've taken lives for less—souls crumpled beneath the weight of my decisions.
She will learn.
I pick up the intercom and press the button that connects to Max's office. "I want her entire life on paper. From the moment she drew breath until now. Nothing overlooked."
"Yes, boss."
The intercom goes dead, and I lean back against the desk, watching the skyline. The lights seem brighter tonight, their glow mocking the darkness that resides in me.
Whoever this girl is, she has no idea what she's unleashed. She may have saved my life, but mercy is not a language I speak. Whatever her reasons, they will come with a cost.
Because in my world, every favor demands payment.
And this debt?
This debt will be collected in blood.