My arm heals quickly, thanks to proper treatment, though I still keep the bandage on out of habit. A reminder more than a necessity now. The pain is gone, but the message it left behind isn’t.
Despite everything, I don’t slow down. There’s too much moving beneath the surface. Too many pieces I still need to lock in place before Anton makes his next move.
I step out of my office, shoving my hands into my jacket, when I nearly collide with Elena.
She steps back quickly.
“Sir,” she greets.
“Has Valeria had lunch?” I ask immediately.
She straightens. “Yes, sir.”
Good.
Elena has been consistent ever since the poisoning incident at the gala. Careful. Precise. Too aware of what it means if she isn’t. She’s in charge of all of Valeria’s meals now—breakfast, lunch, dinner—nothing goes unmonitored. No mistakes allowed.
“Good,” I say.
I look at her more directly now.
“Make sure she’s eating properly,” I add. “And no unnecessary stress.”
Elena nods once. “Yes, sir.”
I don’t linger.
I continue down the hallway.
Misha is already downstairs.
“Get the car,” I tell him. “We’re heading to Mike’s.”
He doesn’t ask questions. Just moves.
In under an hour, we’re at Mike’s office. The place feels colder than usual. Or maybe it’s just me noticing it differently. The air carries a strange tension—like something has already gone wrong, and I’m just late to the conversation.
Mike doesn’t waste time. The moment I walk in, he’s already watching me. No greeting. No small talk. He pours whiskey into a glass and pushes it toward me.
I take it and down it in one go. The burn barely registers.
“Talk,” I say, setting the glass down. “What’s the issue?”
Mike exhales slowly. Then he slides a folder across the table.
“This isn’t slowing down,” he says.
I open it.
Reports. Surveillance. Movement logs. Territory shifts.
Anton.
I read through it quickly, my jaw tightening the further I go.
Mike continues, his voice steady but heavy. “He’s expanding inside the city faster than we anticipated. Not just movement—structure. He’s building something here.”
I don’t look up.
