Chapter 12 - A Glimpse of the King
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Living in the master wing was a surreal, intoxicating experience.
Hannah had an entire wardrobe of beautiful clothes delivered to her room. Poppy was given a private tutor and more toys than she could ever play with. But the true shift was how the house treated her. She was no longer invisible. The guards nodded respectfully when she walked past. The kitchen staff prepared her favorite meals.
She was living the life of a queen, but she was acutely aware of the blood that paid for the crown.
One evening, Victor hosted a mandatory meeting for all of his Capos—the lieutenants who managed his territories across the eastern seaboard.
Hannah was walking through the upstairs corridor when she paused by the balcony overlooking the grand foyer. The massive double doors to the formal dining room were open.
Victor sat at the head of a long, polished table, surrounded by twelve imposing, dangerous men. The air in the room was thick with cigar smoke and tension.
“Gregory Vance was a traitor,” Victor’s voice echoed clearly into the foyer. It was not the gentle voice he used with Poppy. It was a cold, terrifying roar that commanded absolute obedience. “He sold our secrets to the Romanovs. I executed him myself. Alexei is dead. The Romanovs have been pushed back to the border.”
The men around the table muttered in approval, but one man spoke up.
“Boss, the Romanovs will retaliate. They have backing from the Russians in New York. We need to strike first.”
“We will not start a war on two fronts,” Victor commanded, slamming his hand onto the table with a sound like a gunshot. The room fell instantly silent. “We fortify our borders. We bleed them financially. If they step one foot into my city, we slaughter them. Are we clear?”
“Crystal clear, Boss,” the men murmured in unison.
Hannah watched from above, her heart racing. She saw the absolute fear and respect these hardened criminals had for the man who read bedtime stories to her daughter. It was terrifying. It was awe-inspiring.
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Victor suddenly looked up, his gray eyes locking directly onto her hiding spot on the balcony. He didn't look angry that she was eavesdropping. He offered her a faint, almost imperceptible smirk.
She blushed fiercely and stepped back into the shadows. She was falling in love with the devil.
