Chapter 8 - The Commission’s Threat
The atmosphere in the grand dining room of the estate that evening was thick with dread.
Silas sat at the head of the long mahogany table, surrounded by his top lieutenants. Khloe had put Mateo to bed and stood near the doorway, listening despite herself.
“Sal Moretti is desperate,” Victor explained, laying maps and security documents on the table. “He lost his shipment in New York, he failed to sabotage your plane, and now he’s playing dirty. He told the Commission that you’re vulnerable because of the boy and his new governess.”
Silas’s jaw tightened, his hand clenching into a fist so tight his knuckles turned gray. “If Moretti thinks he can use my family against me, he will learn why I control this city.”
“Boss, the Commission wants a meeting tomorrow night at the Union League Club,” another lieutenant warned. “It’s neutral ground, but Moretti has bought off half the board members. They’re going to demand you step down or face an all-out street war.”
Silas stood up slowly, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the room. “I don't step down. I never have.”
He dismissed his men, then walked over to where Khloe was standing in the shadows of the doorway.
“You heard,” Silas said softly.
“I heard,” Khloe replied, her blue eyes filled with concern. “Silas... this war is going to destroy everything you’re building with Mateo. If something happens to you, what happens to him?”
Silas looked down at her, reaching out gently to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. His touch was feather-light, completely at odds with the violent world he commanded.
“Nothing will happen to me, Khloe,” Silas promised softly. “I have spent my whole life fighting for power. But now... now I have something real to protect.”
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He leaned down, his face inches from hers. Khloe didn't pull away. Her breath hitched as his lips brushed gently against hers—a soft, lingering kiss filled with reverence, passion, and an unspoken promise.
When he pulled back, his eyes burned with fierce intensity. “Stay here tomorrow night with Mateo. Keep the gates locked. By midnight, it will all be over.”
