Chapter 6 - The Poisoned Betrayal
Over the following days, the atmosphere at The Haven grew fraught once more. Though Damian wanted to spare Clara and Lila from living in fear, he was forced to raise security to maximum capacity. Plainclothes guards roamed the grounds, and every food shipment was rigorously screened for toxins.
Midweek, a special guest arrived: Nikolai, Damian’s childhood best friend and the chief legal counsel managing the Volkov Group's legitimate assets.
"Damian, I audited our financial network," Nikolai said as they sat in the living room. "The money transferred to the Morettis wasn't sent by Boris from prison. He doesn't have access to those biometric locks."
Damian frowned. "Then who has access?"
Nikolai sighed, pulling out a dossier. "Only five people in the world hold those keys. You, Boris, two deceased financial managers... and me."
A heavy silence descended. Damian stared at Nikolai. Their bond spanned over twenty years, forged in life-and-death battles.
"What are you implying, Nikolai?" Damian asked, his voice dangerously low.
"I’m saying someone breached my system, or..." Nikolai didn't finish his sentence. Suddenly, he coughed up blood and collapsed against the glass coffee table.
Clara walked out of the kitchen, gasped, and dropped her tea tray. Damian rushed to catch Nikolai.
"Nikolai! Stay with me!" Damian roared.
Nikolai gripped Damian’s collar with trembling, blood-stained hands. "The tea... in my cup... wasn't me... Damian... it's..."
Before he could finish, Nikolai lost consciousness, his breathing growing shallow.
Instantly, the estate's panic alarms blared. Viktor and the private medical team burst into the room, rushing Nikolai into the on-site emergency bay.
Amidst the chaos, Clara realized something was terribly wrong. She sprinted to Lila’s room.
The door was wide open. Lila’s teddy bear lay abandoned on the floor, and her crushed hearing device was smashed near an open window leading toward the shore.
Lila was gone.
A small note was pinned to Lila’s desk with an antique dagger. It bore a single line in red ink:
May you like
“Blood debts are paid in blood. If you want your daughter back, come to Baltimore Port alone before dawn. Don't bring your heart, because I will rip it out.”
Damian held the paper, his hands trembling violently. His once-broken heart felt squeezed by an invisible iron fist. The terrifying aura of the monster he had buried two years ago fully awakened in Damian Volkov’s eyes.
