CROWN OF ASHES AND BLOOD

The basement level beneath the Drake Hotel was a maze of concrete service corridors and industrial boiler rooms.

Matteo and his men had secured the perimeter, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. In the center of a dimly lit storage room, Victor Vane sat bound to a heavy metal chair, his daughter Celeste sobbing hysterically on the concrete floor beside him, her immaculate emerald gown torn and stained with soot.

The heavy steel door swung open, and Lorenzo walked in, holding Evelyn firmly by the waist.

Celeste looked up, her makeup smeared with tears. When she saw Evelyn standing beside Lorenzo—wearing the black diamond choker and covered in the blood of their mercenaries—her face twisted into pure hatred.

"You miserable little whore," Celeste spat, lunging forward, only to be shoved back down by Matteo’s heavy boot. "You ruined everything! You were supposed to be dead in that restaurant!"

Lorenzo stepped forward, his presence commanding absolute silence. He dragged a wooden crate across the floor and sat down directly in front of Victor Vane, leaning his elbows on his knees.

"Victor," Lorenzo said casually, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. "You tried to slaughter my men. You violated our alliance. And you tried to take my life on my own territory."

The old man wheezed, his gray eyes defiant. "You were becoming too ambitious, Moretti. The city belongs to the old families. Not to an upstart bastard like you."

"The city belongs to whoever has the power to take it," Lorenzo replied coldly. He reached into his coat and pulled out the manila folder containing Julian Carter's files, tossing it into Victor's lap. "Tell me about the ledger."

Victor's eyes widened slightly, then flickered toward Evelyn. A dry, rasping laugh escaped his throat. "So that's why you kept her alive. You think she knows where it is? Julian died taking that secret to his grave. You'll never find the offshore accounts. You'll never own Chicago."

"She doesn't need to know," Lorenzo said smoothly, resting his hand on the hilt of his firearm. "Because you're going to tell me. Or I will let Matteo peel your daughter’s skin off, strip by strip, while you watch."

"No! Daddy, please!" Celeste screamed, clawing at Victor's legs. "Tell him! Just give him what he wants!"

Victor looked at his daughter, then back at Lorenzo. The defiance in his eyes slowly turned to dust. "The safety deposit box... at the First National Bank on Michigan Avenue. Box 408. The key is in Julian's old watch."

Evelyn gasped, her hand instinctively flying to her throat.

Lorenzo turned his head toward her, his gaze sharp and questioning. "Evelyn?"

"The watch..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "My father left me a broken silver pocket watch before he disappeared. I... I keep it in a lockbox at my apartment."

"Your apartment was raided," Matteo interjected.

"No," Evelyn said, looking directly at Lorenzo. "I didn't keep it in the bedroom. I hid it behind the loose tile in the bathroom radiator pipe. Nobody would have found it unless they tore the plumbing apart."

A slow, triumphant grin spread across Lorenzo’s face. He stood up, towering over the broken Vane family.

"Matteo," Lorenzo ordered coldly. "Take a team and retrieve that watch immediately."

"And what about them, Boss?" Matteo asked, nodding toward Victor and Celeste.

Lorenzo didn't even look back as he turned toward the door, taking Evelyn's hand in his. "Eliminate them. Burn the room."