Page 53 of Marked By the Mob

“What is it?” Eduard asks, setting down his fork.

Artur doesn’t answer immediately. He scrolls through whatever message he received, his jaw tightening. Then he pushes his chair back and stands, moving to the window where the light is better.

Rurik watches him carefully. “Artur.”

“Intelligence contact,” Artur says, his voice clipped. “Intercepted communication between two Baltic traffickers.”

My pulse quickens. Baltic. The same network connected to Krystal’s disappearance.

Artur reads from the screen, his tone flat and professional. “They’re discussing a private gathering scheduled for next week. One of them mentions a ‘blonde American asset’ who’s been appearing at events connected to their leadership.”

The words hit me hard enough to stall my breath.Blonde Americanasset. Could it be Krystal? I mentally shake my head. There are plenty of blonde people. I shouldn’t be getting my hopes up so easily.

My hands curl into fists under the table. “What else does it say?”

Artur’s gaze flicks to me then back to the phone. “The second trafficker responds that the woman ‘learned fast.’ That she’s been useful in social settings where they need someone who can navigate elite circles without raising suspicion.”

The room goes quiet.

My heart pounds so hard I can hear it in my ears. Blonde. American. Learned fast. It could be anyone. It could be dozens of women caught in the same network. But the description fits Krystal perfectly. Her honey-blonde hair and natural warmth that made people trust her, the way she adapted to new situations because she always wanted to please.

“Emma.” Eduard’s voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. “Don’t jump to conclusions.”

“It’s her,” I say, my voice tight. “Ithasto be her.”

Rurik stands and moves to the table where several files are stacked near the edge. He pulls them closer, spreading documents across the polished surface. “We need to verify before we act on anything.”

Eduard joins him, flipping through pages with practiced efficiency. I watch them work, my entire body tense. They’re cross-referencing the intercepted message with information from the ledger and other intelligence they’ve collected. Names appear. Dates and occasions connected to the Baltic network.

Then Eduard stops on a particular page, his gray eyes narrowing. “Here.”

Rurik leans over his shoulder, reading. After a moment, he nods once. “Aleksander Volkov.”

The name means nothing to me, but the way all three men react tells me it should. Artur sets his phone down and moves closer to the table, his expression hard.

“Who is he?” I ask, standing.

“Baltic syndicate leader,” Rurik says, his tone calm but edged with something darker. “He operates differently than most traffickers. He doesn’t just move women across borders. He reshapes them.”

My stomach drops. “What does that mean?”

Eduard looks up from the files, his gaze steady on mine. “Volkov doesn’t see captives as disposable. He sees them as assets that can be trained, educated, and deployed for influence. He turns them into tools he can use in political and social circles.”

The implications crash over me. If Krystal was purchased by someone like Volkov, it would explain why no ransom demands ever surfaced. Why there were no public traces and the investigation went cold so quickly.

She wasn’t killed. She was remade.

“Where is he?” My voice comes out sharper than I intend. “Where does Volkov operate?”

“Multiple locations,” Artur says, leaning against the table. “He has properties in Lithuania, Latvia, and connections throughoutEastern Europe. He also maintains a presence in the United States through shell companies and legitimate businesses.”

“Then we find him.” I step closer to the table, my hands bracing against the edge. “We find Volkov, and we find Krystal.”

Rurik’s pale eyes lock onto mine. “It’s not that simple.”

“Why not?”

“Because Volkov’s network is powerful,” Eduard says quietly. “He has connections that reach into governments, law enforcement, and rival syndicates. If we move against him without careful planning, it could ignite a conflict that spreads far beyond this estate.”