Chapter 7 - THE RIVAL'S GAMBIT
The tentative peace in the penthouse was shattered the next morning by a frantic knock on the door. Marco rushed in, his face pale.
"Boss. We have a situation. It’s Clarissa’s family. The Moretti Cartel."
Sebastian stood up, instantly shifting from a tender father back to the ruthless Don. "What have they done?"
"They’ve allied with your grandfather. Insulting Clarissa by breaking the engagement was the final straw. They have surrounded the financial district. They are demanding you hand over the children as collateral for the broken merger, or they will blow up Vale Enterprises’ main server farms and wipe out our legitimate businesses."
Sebastian laughed, a dark, chilling sound that made the hairs on my arms stand up. "They want my children as collateral? The Morettis are arrogant fools." He walked over to a hidden wall panel, swiping his fingerprint. The wall slid open, revealing an armory that would make a military base jealous. He strapped a Kevlar vest over his shirt and checked the magazine of his pistol.
"Sebastian, what are you doing?" I asked, panic rising. "You can't go down there alone!"
"I'm not going alone," he said, his eyes gleaming with deadly intent. "I'm taking the entire Vale army. The Morettis want to play God with my family? I'm going to show them what a real devil looks like. Maya, stay here. Lock the vault doors. Do not open them for anyone but me."
He kissed the top of my head, then knelt down to kiss each of the children. "Daddy will be right back," he promised.
For the next six hours, I paced the penthouse in agonizing suspense. The news channels were reporting "gang violence" and "gas explosions" in the financial district. I knew it was Sebastian. The sheer scale of the conflict was terrifying. I held the children tight, praying that the man I had just allowed back into my heart wouldn't be taken away from me again.
When the vault doors finally hissed open, I braced myself. But it was Sebastian. He was covered in soot, his shirt torn, and blood—not his own—splattered on his jaw. He looked exhausted, but victorious.
"The Morettis have surrendered," he announced, dropping his weapons on the table. "Their leadership is dead. The remaining cartel members have sworn allegiance to me. My grandfather's main source of backing is completely gone."
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I ran to him, wrapping my arms around his neck, not caring about the blood or the dirt. "You're alive," I sobbed.
He held me tight, burying his face in my neck. "I told you, Maya. Nothing will keep me from you. The war is almost over."
