Chapter 6 - Shadows on the Perimeter
While peace settled inside the walls of the Vance estate, the underworld outside was violently reacting to Eleanor Sterling's sudden, unexplained disappearance.
Senator Sterling, realizing that his political survival depended entirely on cutting ties with his disgraced daughter and aligning himself fully with Damian Rossi, had officially transferred all maritime shipping permits over to the Vance syndicate. Rivals who had hoped to exploit the chaos found themselves instantly crushed under the coordinated weight of Damian's enforcers and the local authorities on his payroll.
But not everyone was willing to bow.
Down at the private docks near Lake Michigan, a rival lieutenant named Viktor Vance—no relation, but a bitter enemy from the old country—was plotting his move. Viktor knew that Damian had spent two years vulnerable, distracted by his grief and the delicate health of his daughter.
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"If we hit the estate while the security detail is rotated, we can take the girl," Viktor muttered to his second-in-command over a burner phone. "Damian will hand over the shipping lanes in exchange for her life."
What Viktor didn't know was that Julian Reyes had intercepted the encrypted frequency three hours prior.
