Chapter 8
"Power means nothing. Without blood," Adrian stated, stopping just inches from his sister. The bright, cinematic lighting cast a harsh shadow over his angular face, emphasizing the dangerous, cold calculation in his eyes.
"You don't understand the pressure from the other families!" Claudia argued frantically, backing away until she hit the edge of the massive mahogany desk. "The Rossi family was waiting for you to show weakness! If you had stepped down, they would have slaughtered us all! I made a strategic decision to eliminate a liability!"
"You made a decision. To play God," Adrian whispered, leaning in close so only she could hear the full extent of his fury. "And now. You will face the devil."
"What are you going to do?" Claudia asked, her voice cracking as genuine, paralyzing fear finally overrode her arrogance. "You can't kill me, Adrian. I handle all the legitimate business fronts. I know where the offshore accounts are hidden. Without me, the federal prosecutors will tear this estate apart within six months."
"I will burn the accounts. Before I let you live," Adrian said smoothly, completely unaffected by her threats.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his encrypted smartphone. He tapped a single number and lifted it to his ear, his sharp eyes never leaving his sister's terrified face.
"Dr. Evans," Adrian said into the phone, his volume low and authoritative. "I need a complete medical team at the estate immediately. Bring a DNA testing kit. I want expedited results by midnight."
"Adrian, you can't be serious!" Claudia gasped, struggling fruitlessly against the blanket binding her wrists. "A DNA test will create a paper trail! It will expose the family secrets to the medical board! You are jeopardizing everything to prove what you already know!"
"I am securing her birthright," Adrian replied, hanging up the phone and slipping it back into his pocket.
"You think the syndicate will just accept a maid's child as the heir?" Claudia scoffed, a desperate, hysterical laugh escaping her lips. "They will laugh at you! They will challenge her claim! You are starting a civil war, Adrian! The other capos will never bow to a bastard raised in the staff quarters!"
"They will bow. Or they will bleed," Adrian said, the absolute certainty in his voice chilling the room to freezing point.
May you like
He walked over to the roaring fireplace at the far end of the study. He stared into the flames, the orange light dancing across the sharp, artistic tattoos on his hands. He had spent three years operating as a ruthless, unfeeling machine, believing he had nothing left to lose. But now, the entire paradigm of his existence had shifted. He had a daughter to protect. He had a legacy to secure.
"You cannot contain this, Adrian," Claudia warned, her voice dropping into a dark, sinister whisper. "If you legitimize that child, the people who helped me at the hospital will panic. They know what you do to traitors. They will strike first."
