Chapter 3: The Deal with the Devil
In the quiet of the holding room behind the stage, Elena looked at Julian. The professional veneer was still there, but there was a flicker of something else—a shared, dark amusement.
"You really told her," Elena said, her voice steady. "She looked like she was about to have a stroke."
"She was the one who taught me to be ruthless, Elena. It would have been rude not to use those lessons on her," Julian replied, pouring himself a glass of scotch. "The Feds get their win, the Thorne logistics network gets liquidated, and I walk away with my own offshore accounts untouched and my freedom intact. That was the agreement."
Elena watched him. She had been sent to infiltrate the Thorne family, but she hadn't anticipated the groom. He was a shark, but he was a shark that hated the other predators in the water. They had formed an alliance months ago, a secret pact to burn the family dynasty to the ground so that they could both escape the weight of the name.
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"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" she asked. "Once the authorities enter that room, there’s no coming back."
Julian looked at his watch. "I’ve been waiting for this moment since I was six years old, Elena. Let the house burn."
