I don't answer.
"I know the terrain," he presses. "I have the contacts. I can get in and out without the entire underworld lighting up."
"It has to be me."
"Why?" His voice cracks just enough to give him away. "Because it's personal?"
"Yes."
"That's exactly why youcan'tgo," he fires back. "You're the king. You don't chase. You don't expose yourself like this."
I stand. The chair slides back quietly. Final. "As you already pointed out, this is not negotiable."
"And what happens to everything you've built if you don't come back?" Enzo asks. "If you die?—"
"I won't."
He laughs. Short. Bitter. "You sound like every man who ever thought love made him invincible."
I step closer, lowering my voice. "No, this isn't about love. Love hesitates."
I meet his eyes. "This is about responsibility. About my son."
That does it. Enzo bows his head. Just a fraction. Submission, not defeat. "What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to reach out to New York. Quietly. Find out if they're willing to remind Kingsley how much he owes them. I want everything he knows, before I land."
Enzo pulls out his phone. He's loyal. He always has been. I won't punish him for fighting me; that's his job.
"What do I tell them?" he asks.
I don't hesitate. "As little as possible."
Enzo nods once, already dialing, already shifting into motion. He stops at the door.
"You think this has anything to do with the poison?" he asks. "With what's happening on the streets?"
I don't hesitate, "No. This is separate."
He turns back, searching my face. "You're sure."
"The Venezuelans don't play games like that." I'm positive on this. This is nothing but a coincidence, bad timing. "They don'tundermine markets. They flood them. Whatever's poisoning my product is someone else's work."
"And Venezuela?" he presses.
"They have no idea what they started."
Enzo absorbs that, then straightens. "While you're gone?"
"You watch everything," I order. "Every shipment. Every test. Every whisper. I want eyes on the distributors, the warehouses, the drivers. I want to know what the streets are saying about me."
"And if the rumors start moving?"
I reply, "You don't chase the mouths. You find who's feeding them."
He nods. Once. Final.
"I'll keep the city steady," he promises.
