Chapter 6 - A Shadow at the Gate
Two weeks passed. The estate returned to a quiet, orderly rhythm, though the security around the perimeter was doubled. Julian and Vanessa had been stripped of their power and banished from the city under the strict surveillance of Vincent's loyal lieutenants.
Emma was thriving. She spent her mornings in the bright sunroom, learning to read and draw with a private tutor Vincent had hired. Her soft pink floral dress was replaced by fine clothes, though she still carried her worn stuffed rabbit everywhere she went.
One afternoon, rain began to pour over the city, lashing against the high windows of the estate.
Vincent was in his ground-floor office reviewing logistics files when Marco knocked sharply on the door and stepped inside, his dark suit damp from the rain.
"Boss," Marco said, his voice low and tense. "We have a problem at the front gate."
Vincent didn't look up from his papers. "Speak."
"Julian's former enforcers... the crew from the West Side. They've assembled outside the perimeter," Marco reported. "They're claiming you broke syndicate protocol by exiling your brother without a full council vote. They want a meeting."
Vincent closed his file with a slow, deliberate snap. His dark eyes flickered with dangerous light.
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"They don't want a meeting, Marco," Vincent said softly. "They want to test if I'm weak after what happened."
He stood up, adjusting the cuffs of his black shirt, the dark tattoos on his wrists visible under the lights. "Tell the gate guards to stand down. I'll talk to them myself."
