Chapter 18 - The Purge
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The next forty-eight hours were a masterclass in mafia retaliation.
Victor did not wait for Sokolov to strike again. He unleashed the full, terrifying might of the Castellano family.
He didn't send foot soldiers. He sent his elite hit squads. They systematically dismantled the Russian operations in Baltimore. Warehouses were burned to the ground. Supply chains were severed. Sokolov’s lieutenants were found dead in their luxury cars.
Victor orchestrated the purge from his study, his strategic brilliance shining through the violence. He was a king reclaiming his territory with absolute, merciless authority.
By the third day, the Russian presence in the city was completely eradicated. Sokolov had fled back to New York, his tail tucked between his legs, his organization crippled by the financial and physical losses.
The message was sent loud and clear: Victor Castellano was not weak, and his new Queen was untouchable.
Peace descended upon Harrow Point. It wasn't the cold, empty silence that Victor had lived in for twelve years. It was a warm, vibrant peace.
Poppy ran through the halls, her laughter echoing off the marble floors. She rode on Marcus’s broad shoulders, demanding he act like a horse, to the sheer terror and amusement of the other guards.
Victor and Hannah stood on the balcony overlooking the manicured gardens, watching the sunset paint the sky in brilliant hues of orange and purple.
“It’s quiet,” Hannah smiled, leaning back against his solid chest.
“It’s ours,” Victor corrected, wrapping his arms around her waist.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. He didn't drop to one knee—his ribs were still cracked—but he opened it to reveal a massive, flawless diamond ring.
“Marry me, Hannah,” Victor asked quietly. “Let me make it official. Let me give Poppy my name.”
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Hannah gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. She looked at the ring, then at the man who had pulled her from the darkness and given her a kingdom.
“Yes,” she whispered, turning in his arms to kiss him deeply. “Yes, a thousand times.”
