Chapter 13
Three weeks later, the landscape of the city’s underworld had drastically changed.
The Romanov syndicate had been systematically dismantled, completely erased in a series of ruthless, silent strikes.
Silas Thorne had sent a very clear message to every remaining criminal in the Midwest.
Do not touch what belongs to me.
Nora and Lily had been relocated to a highly secure, sprawling penthouse overlooking the city skyline.
It was a fortress masquerading as a luxury palace, guarded by elite security details around the clock.
Nora had traded her faded waitressing uniform for expensive silk blouses and tailored slacks.
She managed Silas’s legitimate business fronts, proving to possess a brilliant, strategic mind for finance.
She was no longer hiding in the graveyard shift; she was operating in the glaring daylight.
Lily had been enrolled in the most prestigious private academy in the state.
She arrived every morning in a bulletproof SUV, escorted by Victor, who had taken his role as her personal bodyguard very seriously.
He even carried her pink backpack, completely ignoring the terrified stares of the other wealthy parents.
The heavy brass key Arthur had left behind was now polished and hung on a silver chain around Lily’s neck.
It was no longer a symbol of grief; it was a badge of absolute protection.
One afternoon, Silas stood in the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, watching the snow begin to fall over the city.
He held a crystal glass of bourbon, his mind quiet for the first time in nearly a decade.
May you like
The door behind him opened, and small, rapid footsteps padded across the expensive hardwood floor.
He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
