Chapter 25 - THE BRATVA'S ENVOY
The following afternoon, the Ashland bunker felt less like a headquarters and more like a war room. The tactical maps had been updated, displaying red threat vectors tracing down from the Canadian border through Michigan and directly into the heart of Illinois.
Evelyn was reviewing financial trails when Marco tapped on the open door. "Boss. There's a visitor upstairs at the Obsidian penthouse. He says he's an envoy from Viktor Kravchenko. He insists on delivering a message in person."
Lorenzo narrowed his eyes. "A Bratva envoy walking right into our flagship hotel in broad daylight? They're either suicidal, or they're extraordinarily arrogant."
"Let's find out which," Evelyn said, closing her laptop. "Bring him to the private lounge. And keep twenty men on standby in the lobby."
Thirty minutes later, Evelyn and Lorenzo sat across a low mahogany table in the Obsidian's penthouse suite. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a breathtaking view of a grey, churning Lake Michigan. The elevator chimed, and a tall, impeccably tailored man with silver-streaked hair, piercing blue eyes, and an expensive bespoke suit stepped out. He moved with the predatory grace of an apex predator. His name was Yuri Rostov.
Yuri stopped a few paces from the table, offering a faint, chillingly polite smile. "Mr. and Mrs. Moretti. It is an honor to finally meet the legends of the Midwest underworld."
"Cut the pleasantries, Yuri," Lorenzo said, not inviting him to sit. "You're standing in our city uninvited. State your business before my men escort you out in a pine box."
Yuri’s smile didn't waver. He slowly slid a pristine leather-bound folder across the table, resting it right in front of Evelyn. "Mr. Kravchenko is a reasonable man. He recognizes that your acquisition of the North Side logistics was impressive. But Chicago has always been too large for a localized family to manage alone. The proposal is simple: cede fifty percent of the port authority and rail management to the Bratva, and we ensure your absolute, uninterrupted protection from external federal investigations."
Evelyn opened the folder. Inside were detailed federal indictment drafts targeting both her and Lorenzo—documents that hadn't even been filed yet, complete with forged signatures and federal seals.
May you like
Yuri leaned forward, resting his palms on the table. "Kravchenko has friends in Washington, Mrs. Moretti. Without us, your empire will be dismantled piece by piece by the DOJ within three months. With us, you remain the queens and kings of the ashes."
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