Chapter 20
Daniel stared at the paused footage on the tablet, his dark eyes turning into bottomless voids of pure malice. The past he had tried to bury was clawing its way back to the surface. Robert hadn't just been embezzling company funds; he had been laundering money for a major criminal syndicate.
"The East Coast syndicate," Daniel murmured, a terrifying, calculating smile touching his lips. "They think they can threaten me."
"They are demanding Robert's immediate release and the repayment of his outstanding debts, plus interest," Marcus stated, standing rigidly by the desk. "If we refuse, they have threatened to escalate. They know about Lily, sir."
The temperature in the room plummeted. The polite, wealthy businessman vanished, entirely consumed by the ruthless, calculating predator. The absolute fury coursing through his veins was far too cold for theatrics.
"They know about my daughter," Daniel whispered, the words echoing with devastating finality.
He stood up smoothly, adjusting his tailored shirt, exuding the imposing, dangerous aura of a veteran mafia boss preparing for war. He had dismantled his own family to protect Lily; he would gladly slaughter an entire syndicate to ensure she remained safe.
"Marcus," Daniel commanded, his crisp American accent sharp and unyielding. "Double the security detail around Lily. Nobody enters or leaves this compound without my explicit authorization. Then, mobilize the elite tactical teams."
"What are your orders regarding the East Coast syndicate, Mr. Reed?" Marcus asked, his hand resting on his sidearm, ready to follow his boss into hell.
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"We do not wait for them to strike," Daniel said, his eyes burning with an icy, terrifying certainty that promised absolute ruin. "We find their leadership, we burn their infrastructure to the ground, and we show them exactly what happens when you threaten what is mine."
Daniel walked out of the office, ready to unleash the storm he had kept buried for so long. The reckoning with his family had been personal, but the war for his daughter's future was just beginning.
