Chapter 3 - The Ghost and the Monster
Julian turned his back to Clara, staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the sprawling, fortified estate. His twins, Leo and Luca, had less than a month to live. His vast wealth, his army of enforcers, his control over the city—none of it could buy them a cure. Until now.
“You are telling me,” Julian said slowly, “that the donor Dr. Thorne located... the one he said was being held by a third-party syndicate awaiting auction... is your missing daughter?”
“Yes,” Clara choked out, clutching the bloody silk handkerchief to her chest. “My husband told me she died in a car crash. I buried an empty casket. I didn't know the truth until his loan sharks came for me. The man holding my daughter is named Victor Romanov. Your biggest rival.”
Julian’s knuckles turned white. The Romanov Bratva had been pushing into his territory for months. They knew Julian was distracted by his sons’ illness. They were holding the cure hostage, waiting for the boys to die so the Moretti empire would crumble from within.
“Romanov doesn't know she’s my daughter,” Clara pleaded, stepping closer. “He just knows she has rare blood. Mr. Moretti... Julian. You have the guns. You have the men. Please. Help me get my little girl back, and she will save your boys. I swear it on my life.”
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Julian slowly turned around. The cold, calculating syndicate boss was gone. In his place stood a desperate father who had just been handed a lifeline.
“I will not just get her back,” Julian vowed, his voice vibrating with a terrifying, violent promise. “I will burn the Romanov syndicate to the ground. You have my word.”
