Chapter 9 - The Unexpected Visitor
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The argument remained unresolved, hanging heavily in the air of the penthouse.
The next afternoon, while Arthur was downstairs orchestrating the syndicate’s retaliation, the private elevator chimed.
Chloe frowned. Only Arthur and Leo possessed the keycard to the top floor.
The elevator doors slid open, and Leo stepped out, looking incredibly tense. Behind him walked a woman wearing a heavy silk scarf and oversized sunglasses.
“Leo, what is going on?” Chloe asked, stepping back protectively.
The woman removed her sunglasses. It was Vivien Croft.
“She demanded a parley under the old syndicate laws,” Leo grunted, his hand resting on his holstered weapon. “She said she has information about her father’s next move. I checked her for weapons. She’s clean.”
Vivien looked at Chloe, her eyes sweeping over the pregnant belly. She didn't look angry; she looked utterly exhausted and broken.
“I didn't want to poison him,” Vivien whispered, her voice trembling. “My father beat me when I begged him to call it off. I was just a pawn.”
“Why are you here, Vivien?” Chloe asked, keeping her distance.
“To warn you,” Vivien said, taking a cautious step forward. “Arthur is destroying my father’s empire, but my father is a desperate man. He knows he can't win a direct war against the Romanos. So he hired an inside man.”
“Arthur’s men are fiercely loyal,” Leo interrupted scoffing. “Nobody is flipping for a dying boss.”
“You don't understand,” Vivien pressed, looking directly at Chloe. “My father didn't buy a soldier. He bought someone Arthur trusts implicitly. Someone who has access to the penthouse.”
Chloe’s blood ran cold.
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“Arthur will always choose power over you, Chloe,” Vivien added softly, a tear slipping down her cheek. “He left you once to marry me for territory. When this war gets too bloody, he will sacrifice you to keep his crown. Run while you still can.”
Before Chloe could answer, the elevator doors opened again. Arthur stepped out, freezing as he saw Vivien standing in his living room.
