Chapter 4 - The Rat in the Ranks
The main house was quiet when they entered through the conservatory's subterranean tunnel—a passage that emerged behind the wine cellar. Stefan moved with professional stealth, his weapon clearing every corner before he allowed Nadia to follow.
The power was still out, but the emergency low-voltage track lighting had kicked in once the mechanical override rebooted the terminal. The long corridor of the basement smelled of old oak and concrete.
When they reached the security command center near the main stairs, they found the door kicked open.
Inside, Lev was kneeling over the body of Viktor, the side-gate guard. Viktor’s throat had been cut cleanly from behind. Lev looked up as Stefan and Nadia entered, his face grim, his hands covered in oil and blood.
"Boss," Lev said, standing up and immediately lowering his weapon in a gesture of absolute submission. "The house was a setup. The security room was breached from the inside. They didn't break the locks—they had the supervisor’s master key."
Stefan stepped into the room, his eyes scanning the banks of dark monitors. "Where is Irina?"
"She’s in the SUV," Lev said. "I left two men with her. But Boss... when the jammer went down, I got a text from our harbor watch. Three of our warehouses on Pier 9 are currently being loaded onto trucks marked for Velin Logistics. The drivers have manifest orders signed with your digital stamp."
Stefan’s expression went colder than the winter rain outside. He turned to Nadia. "The digital stamp is kept on a secure hardware token in my private safe."
"The safe behind the family portrait in the library," Nadia said, her voice low. "The one Irina helped you choose the frame for last summer."
Stefan didn't say another word. He turned and stormed up the stairs, his boots echoing like thunder through the empty mansion. Nadia and Lev followed close behind, the tension in the air thick enough to suffocate.
When they reached the grand library, the double doors were slightly ajar. A single desk lamp was on, powered by the auxiliary loop.
Sitting in Stefan’s massive leather chair, her white coat draped elegantly over the armrest, was Irina Kelso. She was holding a small, silver USB drive—the hardware token containing Stefan’s digital signature—between her fingers, flipping it like a coin.
Standing behind her were two more men in tactical gear, their weapons aimed directly at the doorway.
"You’re late, Stefan," Irina said, her red mouth curving into a beautiful, cruel smile. "I expected you fifteen minutes ago. You must be getting old."
Stefan stopped in the doorway, his gun at his side, his posture completely relaxed. It was the stance of a man who had already decided how everyone in the room was going to die.
"Irina," Stefan said softly. "Your father gave you to me as a gesture of peace after the 2023 turf war. He told me you were his most precious asset."
"My father is an old man who thinks a woman’s only value is her womb," Irina said, her eyes flashing with a cold, manic light. "He didn't realize that while he was busy negotiating marriages, I was busy running his distribution networks. Kaspar Velin doesn't see me as an asset, Stefan. He sees me as a partner."
She looked past Stefan, her gaze landing on Nadia. The smile turned venomous. "And you... the little mouse who plays with accounting ledgers. I knew you were poking around the accounts. I just didn't think you had the courage to step outside."
"I have enough courage to watch you lose," Nadia said, stepping out from behind Stefan’s shadow. She was still wearing his massive coat, her hands stained with the blood of the man she had killed in the conservatory. "You think you’re a partner, Irina? Kaspar Velin didn't build his empire by sharing power. If you think those trucks on Pier 9 are going to your warehouses, you should check the registration numbers again."
Irina’s smile faltered just a fraction. "What are you talking about?"
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"The shell company, Aethelgard Holdings," Nadia said, her voice ringing with absolute certainty. "You think you own it. But the third layer of the trust fund in Panama—the one registered under the name Lazarus Trust—changed its beneficial owner forty-eight hours ago. Kaspar Velin removed your name, Irina. He moved the assets to an account in Switzerland registered to his own wife."
The room went completely still. Even the mercenaries behind Irina shifted their weight, their eyes darting to each other.
