Chapter 18 - The Deal is Struck
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A slow, predatory smile spread across Gabriel’s face. It was the smile of a man who had finally found a game worth playing, and an opponent worth respecting.
He reached out, bypassing his whiskey glass, and picked up a heavy, leather-bound dossier from the floorboard of the SUV. He tossed it onto the seat between them.
“What is this?” Evelyn asked, looking at the unmarked folder.
“I’m a man who likes to be prepared, Evelyn,” Gabriel said smoothly. “I knew you weren't going to stop at Chicago. I knew the moment you put that signet ring on, you would want the rest of the kingdom.”
Evelyn opened the folder. Inside were detailed blueprints of the shipping docks in Brooklyn, financial profiles of the current Russian syndicate leaders, and a list of corrupt federal judges on the East Coast payroll. It was a complete, tactical roadmap for a hostile takeover.
“You brought this with you,” Evelyn stated, looking up at him in surprise. “You planned this before I even made the pitch.”
“I didn't plan it,” Gabriel corrected her, his amber eyes locking onto hers. “I merely brought the ammunition. You still have to pull the trigger. The East Coast families are brutal, Evelyn. They won't surrender just because you flash a ring and freeze a bank account. They will send killers. They will try to burn you out of your penthouse.”
“Let them try,” Evelyn said, closing the dossier with a sharp snap. “I spent eight years playing the quiet, supportive wife to a man who couldn't even see the knife in his own back. I am entirely done being quiet.”
Gabriel raised his glass. “Then we have a deal, Miss Moretti. The Shadow Bank is officially backing the new Queen.”
Evelyn picked up her glass, clinking it against his. The crystal chimed softly in the soundproof cabin.
“To the new empire,” Evelyn said.
She took a sip of the whiskey, the burning sensation perfectly matching the fire that had finally been unleashed in her veins. She looked out the window. The skyline of Chicago, her city, glittered brilliantly in the darkness. It was no longer a cage; it was merely a stepping stone.
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“Where to now?” Gabriel asked, settling back into the plush leather seat. “The safe house? The penthouse?”
Evelyn considered the question. Dominic was gone. The Gala was conquered. The night was still young.
