Chapter 7 - ASHES AT THE DOCKS
Three months passed. The antidote cleared Emma’s system, and under Dominic’s fierce, unwavering care, her strength returned stronger than before. The bond between them had evolved from a tactical union into an intense, unshakeable devotion. She was no longer just the woman he protected; she was his equal, advising him on syndicate strategy and restructuring the family’s legal enterprises to create a legitimate future for Sophia.
However, a cornered animal is at its most dangerous. Don Castiglione, stripped of his power, his money, and his reputation, decided to burn everything down.
On a foggy autumn evening, Castiglione’s remaining loyalists staged a desperate, violent assault on the Volkov central harbor facility—the nerve center of the family’s international trade. Warehouses were set ablaze, ships were locked down, and heavy gunfire echoed across the water as Castiglione tried to destroy decades of Volkov wealth in a single night.
Dominic mobilized the entire syndicate force. As he pulled on his tactical vest in the estate armor room, Emma walked in, holding a sleek matte-black sidearm he had taught her to shoot.
"I’m coming with you," she said, her voice steady, her dark eyes flashing with determination.
"Emma, no," Dominic said, taking her face in his hands. "It’s a war zone at the docks. Stay here where it's safe."
"Castiglione targeted me twice, Dominic," Emma replied, placing her hand over his. "He tried to poison me, he tried to kill Sophia, and he’s trying to burn down our future. I don't stay in cages anymore. I stand beside my husband."
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Dominic searched her face, seeing no fear, only the unbreakable fire that had made him fall in love with her in that greasy diner months ago. A dark, proud smile spread across his lips. He checked her weapon, chambered a round, and pulled her into a hard, desperate kiss.
"Then we end this together," he growled.
