Victoria Ashford violently yanked eight-month-old baby Mia’s blanket while four-year-old Clara Marlowe refused to let go

Despite the swift eradication of the cartel, the underworld was beginning to shift. A week later, Adrian sat in his study, reviewing encrypted financial ledgers. Dante entered the room, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

"Boss," Dante hesitated. "We intercepted a communication from a European syndicate. They are looking to expand into the states, and they are specifically targeting our high-end legitimate real estate holdings."

"Let them try," Adrian murmured, not looking up from his tablet. "Our legal team will bury them."

"It's not just legal, Adrian," Dante warned. "They hired a specialized acquisition firm. The CEO is a man named Julian Sterling. He is ruthless, and our intel suggests he has federal judges in his pocket. He is planning a hostile takeover of the downtown high-rises by freezing our assets through a fabricated federal investigation."

Adrian’s cold, intimidating eyes snapped up. The use of federal proxies was a cowardly, bureaucratic tactic that infuriated him. "He intends to use the government to steal my property."

"Yes, Boss. He thinks your criminal reputation will prevent you from fighting a public legal battle."

Adrian stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. His movie-star handsome face was set in a mask of pure, unadulterated vengeance. "Mr. Sterling is mistaken. I do not fight legal battles in courtrooms. I end them in boardrooms. Find out where he is dining tonight."