Chapter 7 - Shadows in the East Side
While the bakery was filled with the comforting hum of daily life, several blocks away, the atmosphere was starkly different.
In a dimly lit basement office tucked beneath a row of abandoned auto body shops, Viktor sat behind a heavy oak desk, staring at a stack of printed financial ledgers. The walls were covered with corkboards mapping out the final, tangled remnants of the offshore shell corporations Arthur Sterling had used to hide his illicit wealth.
The door clicked open, and an old, scarred associate named Liam walked in, tossing a manila folder onto the desk.
"The federal receivership is almost complete, Viktor," Liam said, pulling up a metal chair. "The courts have officially dissolved the remaining Sterling assets. But there's a problem."
Viktor looked up, his dark eyes narrowing. "What kind of problem?"
"Marcus Sterling didn't go down as quietly as we thought," Liam muttered, sliding a surveillance photograph across the desk.
Viktor picked it up. It showed Marcus leaving a federal holding facility on bail, his tailored suit rumpled, his face gaunt and furious. But it was the man standing next to him that made Viktor’s jaw tighten—a notorious international fixer known as Victor Vance, a man who traded in corporate espionage and dirty retaliation.
"Marcus managed to liquidate a hidden stash of bearer bonds before the accounts were frozen," Liam explained grimly. "He’s blaming Julian and Elena for the total destruction of the family name. Word on the street is that he’s hired professionals to settle an old score."
Viktor stood up slowly, tossing the photograph back onto the desk. A cold, dangerous calm settled over his features. For twenty-five years, he had protected the shadows; he knew how men like Marcus operated when they had nothing left to lose.
"He thinks he can hurt them to get back at me," Viktor said, his voice dropping into a low, menacing register. "He thinks because we left the corporate towers behind, we're defenseless."
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"What are your orders?" Liam asked, reaching inside his jacket.
"Keep a close eye on the bakery," Viktor instructed, grabbing his heavy coat. "And track every movement Marcus makes. If he tries to cross the river, we end this permanently."
