Chapter 15 - THE SHADOW FROM THE PAST
A week into the new regime, a cryptic package arrived at the dining club's private loading dock addressed directly to Elena.
The courier wore a generic black hoodie, dropping the heavy wooden box before disappearing into the crowded New York subway system.
Marcus personally inspected the package inside his secure vault, wearing protective latex gloves and holding a flashlight.
Inside lay a single, rusted silver pocket watch frozen at exactly 3:14 AM, alongside a bloodstained playing card.
Elena stared at the watch, her calm exterior cracking for one microscopic, almost imperceptible fraction of a second.
"You know this symbol," Marcus stated quietly, pointing to the embossed serpent crest on the back of the antique casing.
"It belongs to the Odessa Syndicate, a ghost outfit from Eastern Europe I thought we buried years ago," Elena whispered.
"They aren't ghosts if they're sending calling cards to Manhattan," Marcus replied, his jaw tightening into a hard line.
"They're coming for me, Marcus. And anyone standing within my orbit is automatically marked for liquidation," she warned.
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Marcus let out a low, dangerous laugh, picking up his lit cigar and taking a slow, steady drag from the tip.
"Let them come. They'll find out why nobody touches my waitresses," Marcus declared with absolute, unyielding menace.
