Chapter 14 – Mike
The sniper attack removed any lingering doubt. Sergei had to be neutralized, but I needed undeniable proof before making a move that could fracture the organization.
In a world like mine, before you kill men like Sergei, men the world perceives as loyal to the bone, you need absolute certainty.
Personally, I already have enough to nail him to the cross, but I won’t act yet. Not until I see how far he’ll go to lie to my face.
I want his death to be gruesome. Not just because he betrayed me, but because he went after my wife. But first…I want to savor the moment. I want to see the cracks in his mask, the hesitation he thinks he can hide.
I take a slow sip of vodka, letting the burn sharpen my focus.
That’s when the door opens just a crack.
Sergei steps inside, his posture casual, the practiced ease of a man who thinks he knows the room.
It’s been over a week since I discovered his involvement, but he’s still oblivious, because I’ve not acted out of character.
“Boss, you wanted to see me?” he asks, voice even, friendly almost, like this is just another ordinary meeting.
“Sit down.”
He takes the chair across from me.
Finally, I speak, keeping my tone calm, almost casual. “Sergei…I’ve been reviewing the warehouse incident again. Very clean. Very precise. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing.”
He blinks slightly, a microsecond too long, then recovers. “Yes…very unfortunate. Whoever it was must have had inside knowledge. I’ve tightened all security channels and made sure nothing like this happens again.”
I watch him carefully.
“Inside knowledge,” I repeat slowly, letting the words hang in the air. “Interesting choice of words. And you…you don’t think someone in our inner circle might have provided it?”
His eyes flicker, just a flash, before settling back to meet mine. “Boss…I wouldn’t think anyone in our inner circle would betray us. Everyone here is loyal.”
I lean forward, resting my forearms on the desk, my gaze unflinching. “Loyalty is a funny thing, Sergei. People claim it, swear it, swear on their lives…but it bends, twists, and sometimes breaks. Especially under pressure.”
Sergei shifts, a slight tension running through him. His hand brushes the edge of the desk, almost imperceptibly. “I…I understand, Boss. I’ll make sure no one has access they shouldn’t.”
I let him sit in that. Let him feel the weight of my words. “Access isn’t the only problem. It’s about decisions. Choices. Who you choose to protect…and who you choose to betray.”
He swallows, a microsecond too long. “Boss…I’ve always been loyal. I would never—”
“Of course,” I say smoothly, lifting a hand to stop him from finishing the sentence. I lean back in my chair, as though the matter isn’t particularly heavy on my mind. “But let’s say, hypothetically, someone is betraying me. What would you suggest I do to find them?”
Sergei doesn’t hesitate long. If anything, the question seems to energize him. He straightens slightly in the chair, slipping comfortably into the role of trusted advisor.
“Well,” he begins carefully, “first we tighten the inner circle. Immediately. No one outside the core should have access to sensitive information. Cut the flow of intelligence down to the smallest possible group.”
I nod slowly, as if considering it.
He continues, warming to the topic.
“Second, we monitor communications. Phones, encrypted channels, financial transactions. A man who betrays you usually leaves a trail—payments, offshore accounts, shell companies. If we follow the money, we’ll find who he’s working for.”
He pauses briefly, then adds more, his voice growing colder.
“Once we narrow down the suspect list, we isolate them. Quietly. No accusations yet. We watch their movements, their meetings, who they talk to. Pressure reveals truth faster than interrogation.”
“And when we know for sure?” I ask calmly.
Sergei’s lips curl slightly. “Then we make an example out of him.”
He says it without hesitation.
“You don’t just kill a traitor, Boss. You destroy him in a way the rest of the organization never forgets. First, you make him confess—publicly if possible. Let everyone see the betrayal with their own eyes.”
He lifts a finger as if counting steps.
“Then you take everything from him. His money. His allies. His reputation. Strip him of every protection he thinks he has.”
Another finger.
“After that…punishment. Slow punishment. Not just death. Pain. Interrogation. Make him reveal everyone he’s ever spoken to, every contact he has. Squeeze him until there’s nothing left.”
His voice grows almost thoughtful.
“Finally…when he’s broken, when he’s begged enough…then you kill him. And you make sure everyone in the organization knows exactly why.”
The room falls quiet.
Sergei exhales slowly, as though satisfied with the thoroughness of his strategy.
I study him for a long moment.
The irony of it is almost poetic.
The man has just described his own fate.
I give a slow nod.
“That’s good,” I say simply.
Sergei relaxes slightly, clearly pleased with himself. “Thank you, Boss.”
I gesture toward the door. “You can go.”
He stands, straightens his jacket, and gives a respectful nod before leaving the room.
The door closes behind him with a soft click.
I sit there for a moment longer, swirling the vodka in my glass.
Then I murmur quietly to the empty room, “Excellent plan, Sergei.” A faint smile spreads across my face. “That’s exactly how I’ll do it.”
Five minutes later, the office door opens again, softer this time. I glance up just as Ellie steps inside. She pauses near the doorway, studying me with that thoughtful look she gets when she’s trying to piece things together.
“I saw Sergei leaving,” she says slowly, closing the door behind her. “Did he…confess?”
I shake my head. “No,” I say simply.
Her brows draw together immediately. She walks closer to the desk, confusion and frustration flickering across her face.
“But we’re sure it’s him,” she says. “Everything points to Sergei. The security override. The shipment leak. The ambush. Why did you just let him walk away?”
I lean back in my chair, watching her for a moment before answering.
“Because catching him red-handed matters,” I say calmly. “If I move now, some people in the organization will still doubt it. Sergei has built a reputation here. Years of loyalty. If I kill him without undeniable proof, it creates fractures.”
She crosses her arms, still thinking it through.
“So you’re waiting,” she says slowly.
I nod. “Yes. His extermination needs to be complete. Absolute. No questions. No whispers. When it happens, everyone must know exactly why.”
Ellie studies me carefully, then asks, “So…what’s the plan?”
A small smile touches my mouth. “I’m going to borrow another page from your playbook.”
Her eyes narrow with curiosity. “Which one?”
I lean forward slightly, resting my elbows on the desk.
“Tomorrow morning, I’ll announce that I’m leaving the estate for a short trip. Something routine. I’ll make it look casual, poorly guarded. The kind of opportunity a desperate traitor might try to exploit.”
She tilts her head, listening closely.
“I’ll let the guards know exactly where I’m headed,” I continue. “Very openly. Very loudly. Sergei will hear it too. Timofey will stay behind in the security room, monitoring everything in real time. Every camera. Every communication line.”
I pause, letting the logic settle.
“Anyone outside the inner circle wouldn’t dare make a move. But someone who’s deeply involved…someone who believes he’s already halfway to destroying me…he might try.”
Ellie’s eyes sharpen. “And you think Sergei is getting nervous,” she says.
“I know he is,” I reply. “The pressure is building. The bait operation exposed him once already. He may not realize how much we know, but he’ll feel the net tightening. If he believes I’m leaving the estate vulnerable….” I shrug slightly. “He might try to finish the job.”
Ellie exhales slowly, processing the risk. “That’s dangerous,” she says quietly.
“It is,” I agree.
Her gaze softens, concern flickering through it. “You’re basically offering yourself as bait.”
I reach across the desk and take her hand, squeezing it lightly. “Not bait,” I say. “A trap.”
She studies my face for a long moment, then finally nods. “It’s a good plan,” she says. Then she adds softly, “But promise me something.”
I raise a brow.
“If anything feels wrong,” she continues, “you stop the operation immediately. I don’t care about Sergei or proof if it means putting yourself in real danger.”
I pull her closer, sliding an arm around her waist until she’s standing beside my chair.
“Ellie,” I murmur, brushing my thumb along her wrist, “the moment Sergei decided to come after you…this stopped being a question of danger.”
My voice lowers.
“Now it’s a matter of justice.”
She doesn’t argue with that.
For a moment, the room is quiet again, the weight of tomorrow settling between us. I study her face, the small crease between her brows, the way her fingers curl slightly against the desk.
“Are you worried for me?” I ask.
She immediately rolls her eyes, dramatic and dismissive.
“Please,” she says. “You’re the one who runs a fortress and an army of men. I think you’ll survive one fake trip.”
I hum softly, unconvinced.
Before she can turn away, I reach out and capture her chin between my fingers, tilting her face up toward mine. Her breath catches slightly at the suddenness of it.
Our eyes lock.
For a second, she looks like she might protest—but she doesn’t.
I lean forward and close the distance between us.
The kiss is firm, almost demanding, all the tension and frustration of the past week pouring into it. She responds instantly, her hand gripping the front of my shirt as if steadying herself. The taste of her pulls something darker out of me, something possessive and hungry.
I consider deepening it.
But I stop myself.