Chapter 37 - The Iron Matriarch
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The estate in the Swiss Alps was a colossal fortress of glass, steel, and ancient dark stone, carved directly into the snow-capped mountainside overlooking Lake Geneva.
Dozens of elite mercenaries in unmarked tactical gear patrolled the snow-covered grounds, holding heavy automatic rifles. But as our armored motorcade pulled up to the front gates, the guards didn't raise their weapons. They bowed their heads in respect as Ethan's vehicle passed through.
We stepped out into the freezing alpine air.
Ethan wrapped a heavy wool coat around my shoulders, keeping his arm locked around my waist as we walked through the grand double doors into a marble hall that resembled a modern palace.
Standing at the end of the long hall, beside a roaring stone fireplace, was a woman.
She looked to be in her late fifties, but possessed a breathtaking, terrifying elegance. She wore an immaculate white silk suit, her silver-blonde hair styled in a flawless chignon, holding a crystal glass of sparkling water. Her face shared Ethan's exact sharp cheekbones, and her eyes were the same icy, lethal grey as his.
Victoria Carter—the Matriarch of the Syndicate.
"Welcome home, my son," Victoria said, her voice rich, smooth, and chillingly devoid of motherly warmth.
Ethan stopped ten paces away, his body rigid as iron, keeping me positioned safely behind him. "You're dead, Victoria. I buried your ashes."
Victoria smiled—a cold, beautiful smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Ashes of an empty casket, Ethan. A necessary deception to protect you from the federal wolves twenty years ago."
"You abandoned me!" Ethan growled, his voice echoing off the marble walls. "You left me with Elizabeth Bennett!"
"I gave you a trial by fire!" Victoria countered, stepping forward, her high heels clicking sharply against the marble. "And look at you now! You exposed the traitors, you consolidated power, and you brought down a US Senator! You proved yourself worthy of leading the High Council!"
"I don't want your Council!" Ethan spat. "I built my own empire!"
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Victoria turned her icy gaze onto me, her eyes scanning me from head to toe with cold, evaluating precision.
"And you brought your little scientist with you," Victoria purred. "The girl whose neural software unlocked our Swiss vaults. Tell me, Ava... do you really think my son belongs to you?"
