Chapter 2
The blizzard raged for three unbroken days, burying New York in a suffocating white silence.
Dante Russo took Julian’s lack of retaliation as an admission of pure cowardice.
Fueled by cheap whiskey and unchecked ego, Dante decided to escalate the conflict to a point of no return.
If Julian wouldn't come to the streets, Dante would bring the streets to Julian’s front door.
He gathered twenty of his most loyal, violent enforcers in a dimly lit warehouse.
They armed themselves with automatic weapons, breaching charges, and enough ammunition to start a small revolution.
Their target was the Moretti estate on the Upper East Side.
Dante believed that cutting off the head of the snake would guarantee his ascension to the throne of the Russo syndicate.
He didn't care about the collateral damage or the unwritten rules of the families.
He only cared about the brutal, screaming power that he believed was his birthright.
The convoy of black SUVs crawled through the snow-choked streets like mechanical predators.
Inside the Moretti compound, the security team was operating on high alert, but the storm was blinding their perimeter cameras.
Elias paced the main hall, his instincts screaming that a storm was coming that had nothing to do with the weather.
Upstairs, Julian was reviewing financial ledgers, seemingly unfazed by the tension vibrating through the floorboards.
Elara was in the adjacent archive room, quietly organizing files with rhythmic, methodical movements.
Suddenly, a massive explosion shattered the iron gates at the front of the property.
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The shockwave rattled the antique chandeliers and sent a shower of glass cascading across the marble foyer.
The invasion had officially begun.
