Chapter 6 - Shadows from the Past
For three weeks, life at the Thorne Estate was peaceful, almost magical.
Della’s health improved dramatically. The dark circles under her eyes disappeared, her skin regained a healthy, radiant glow, and her baby grew stronger by the day. She spent her mornings walking through the rose gardens with Mrs. Gable and her evenings sitting by the fireplace in the library with Jaxson, talking about books, art, and dreams they had never shared with anyone else.
Jaxson, a man who had spent years surrounded by violence, betrayal, and dark underworld politics, found himself changing. He came home earlier every day, leaving his brutal business at the office, just to share dinner with Della and listen to her laugh.
However, in the dark corners of the city, embers of revenge were still burning.
Arthur Vance and his father had been completely ruined. Their assets were seized, their social standing was destroyed, and Cordelia Vance was facing felony assault charges with a high probability of prison time.
Desperate, broke, and driven mad by hatred, Arthur sought out the one person in New York who hated Jaxson Thorne more than anyone else: Victor Rossi, the ruthless leader of a rival criminal syndicate.
In a dark, hidden warehouse near the Brooklyn docks, Arthur sat across from Victor Rossi, a scarred, burly man sipping cheap vodka.
"Jaxson ruined my family over a damn waitress!" Arthur spat, his eyes bloodshot with rage. "He took everything we owned! I want him dead, Rossi! I want him to suffer!"
Victor Rossi chuckled darkly, setting his glass down. "Jaxson Thorne is a ghost, Vance. His estate is a fortress. My men can't even get within five hundred yards of his front gate without getting spotted by thermal drones."
"I know his weakness now," Arthur sneered, leaning forward. "He's hiding her at his estate. The waitress. Della Marsh. She's five months pregnant. He treats her like she's made of glass."
Victor’s eyes narrowed with sudden, sinister interest. "A pregnant woman... Thorne’s soft spot?"
"He loves her," Arthur insisted bitterly. "If you grab her, Jaxson will walk straight into any trap you set. You get to eliminate your biggest rival, and I get my revenge!"
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Victor remained quiet for a long moment, a slow, cruel smile spreading across his face.
"My men have an insider among the medical transport contractors who deliver equipment to Thorne's private clinic in Westchester," Victor murmured, tapping his heavy golden ring against the table. "If she's leaving the estate for routine hospital checkups... we strike then."
