Chapter 12 - The Daughter of Ruin
The enemy did not strike with loud explosions or clumsy hit squads in the middle of the night.
They struck with a devastating, highly sophisticated cyber-attack that crippled Gabriel's legitimate business empire in less than an hour.
Ethan stood in front of a massive wall of computer monitors in the estate's underground security bunker.
"They have frozen the bank accounts of Leah's domestic abuse charity and rerouted the funds into untraceable offshore shells," Ethan reported grimly.
Gabriel slammed his fist against the metal desk, the sheer frustration threatening to crack his carefully maintained composure.
"Viktor Volkov did not have the intelligence or the patience for digital warfare," Gabriel stated, analyzing the tactical shift in their enemy's behavior.
Suddenly, the main computer monitor glitched violently, the security footage replaced by a live video feed from an unknown location.
A young woman with striking platinum blonde hair and ice-cold blue eyes appeared on the screen.
She was sitting in a lavish leather chair, casually twirling a silver dagger between her manicured fingers.
"Hello, Gabriel," the woman smiled, her voice dripping with a lethal, venomous elegance.
"My name is Anya Volkov, and you murdered my father in the rain five years ago."
Gabriel stepped closer to the screen, his dark eyes narrowing as he evaluated the terrifying new threat facing his family.
"Your father broke a peace treaty and tried to assassinate an innocent child," Gabriel replied coldly, refusing to show any intimidation.
Anya let out a hollow, mocking laugh that echoed terribly through the underground bunker.
"My father was a foolish, arrogant dinosaur who relied on brute force," Anya dismissed easily, showing zero genuine grief.
"I am a businesswoman, Gabriel, and you currently owe my family a massive debt of blood and money."
"I will burn your charitable legacy to the ground, and then I will take the boy."
Gabriel leaned forward, his entire body radiating an aura of absolute, unstoppable violence.
May you like
"If you ever speak my nephew's name again, I will tear your syndicate apart piece by piece," Gabriel promised darkly.
The video feed cut out abruptly, leaving only the terrifying silence of a newly declared war.
