Viktor paced back and forth in the dimly lit underground safe room, his hands were still shaking slightly from the adrenaline of the night’s events.

The successful kidnapping of Leon had gone smoother than expected, but the thought of what they had just done pressed heavily on his chest. Silas Vane was not a man who would take this lightly. Blood would be spilled soon.

He stopped pacing, pulled out his phone, and dialed the Advisor’s private number.

The line rang only twice before Liam picked up, his voice as calm and composed as ever.

"Viktor," Liam said smoothly. "I assume you’re calling with news. Is it good or bad this time?"

Viktor wiped sweat from his brow and leaned against the cold wall. "It’s done, Liam. We extracted Leon cleanly and he’s already on his way to the secondary location. No major injuries on our side."

There was a brief pause on the other end. Viktor could almost picture Liam’s golden eyes narrowing in thought.

"Cleanly?" Liam repeated, his tone measured but probing. "Tell me the full details. How resistant was the boy? Did he scream? Did any neighbors come out? And most importantly — how clean was the scene? Silas will be hunting for answers within the hour. I need to know exactly how much mess we left behind."

Viktor exhaled slowly. "The boy screamed, yes. He called for his brother — It was loud, but the street was quiet and we acted fast. One of our masked men had to subdue him physically, but no serious harm was done. As for the scene... we left two of Silas’s men unconscious or possibly worse. We didn’t have time to clean it perfectly, but we took the van and left no direct traces leading back to us. Santiago stayed back and played his part well. He looked genuinely conflicted, which might help if Silas questions him later."

Liam let out a soft, almost amused hum. "Good. Fear is useful at this stage. A terrified Leon will be easier to mold. The Emperor will be pleased with the progress. But Viktor... you sound tense. What’s bothering you? Speak freely."

Viktor rubbed his temple, lowering his voice. "This move was too fast, Liam. Silas is going to go nuclear when he finds out. He treats those brothers like personal property. Kidnapping Leon is like poking a sleeping dragon in the eye. I’m worried we’ve escalated too quickly. Santiago is also showing signs of hesitation. He sounded guilty on the phone. If he starts having second thoughts now, he could become a liability."

Liam’s voice remained calm, but there was a sharp edge beneath it. "Hesitation is expected. Santiago is useful precisely because he can play the ’kind stranger’ role. But if he becomes soft, we deal with him. As for Silas... yes, he will rage. That is the point, Viktor. His anger will make him reckless. While he’s tearing the city apart looking for Leon, we move on the next phase. This is no longer about slow manipulation. It’s about breaking the Vane empire from the inside."

Viktor nodded even though Liam couldn’t see him. "What is the next phase then? The Emperor mentioned the parents before. Are we really going after them now? Or do we use Leon to pull Sylvain in first?"

Liam was silent for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words. "Both. Leon is the bait. We will record messages from him — crying, begging, broken. We send them to Sylvain. We make him choose between his loyalty to Silas and saving his brother. While that chaos unfolds, I will move forward with my plan."

Viktor’s interest sharpened. "Your plan? You’ve been keeping details close, Liam. The Emperor trusts you more than anyone. Tell me what you’re planning. I need to know how to position myself."

Liam’s voice dropped slightly, smooth and dangerous. "My plan is simple but elegant. While Silas is distracted hunting for Leon, we strike at his foundations. The 7% shares we secured through Santiago are just the beginning. I have people inside Vane International already. We will leak information that makes Silas look weak to his board and his underworld allies. At the same time, we use Leon to force Sylvain to betray Silas from within. A man who sold his body for his brother will do much worse when his brother is in our hands. And once Sylvain breaks... we take everything."

Viktor let out a low whistle. "That’s ambitious. Risky, but ambitious. What if Sylvain refuses? What if he tells Silas everything instead?"

Liam chuckled softly, the sound cold. "Then we make Leon suffer publicly. Send videos of his bloody figure, a finger cut will be better. Whatever is necessary, no one resists forever when family is on the line. I will move forward with this plan starting tomorrow. Prepare Santiago to deliver the first message from Leon. And tell him to stay close to Silas if possible — we need eyes inside the enemy’s camp."

Viktor swallowed hard. "Understood. I’ll brief him. But Liam... the Emperor — does he know the full extent of your plan? Or are you playing a longer game than even he realizes?"

There was a long, heavy pause.

Liam’s reply was quiet and chilling. "The Emperor knows what he needs to know. Focus on your role, Viktor. Keep Leon alive and useful. I will handle the rest. This game is bigger than any of us. Fail me, and even the Emperor won’t be able to save you."

Viktor felt a chill run down his spine. "I won’t fail."

"Good," Liam said. "Now go. I have preparations to make. The real war begins tonight."

The call out of controlended.

Viktor stared at his phone for a long moment, heart pounding. The Advisor’s calm confidence was both reassuring and terrifying. Whatever Liam had planned, it was clear he was playing chess while the rest of them were still fighting on the board.

In the distance, the sound of sirens began to wail — someone must have discovered the scene at Leon’s safe house.

_____________

Sylvain moved through the house like a ghost, a cleaning cloth in one hand and a bottle of furniture polish in the other. The table was already spotless but he kept wiping the same surfaces over and over. It gave his hands something to do while his mind spiraled.

He paused at the large living room window, staring out at the cloud above. His thoughts kept drifting back to earlier that morning. The way she had smiled so brightly when Silas agreed to the shopping trip. The soft laugh in her voice when she thanked him.

Sylvain whispered to the empty room, his voice barely audible, "She’s beautiful... successful... everything I’m not. Of course he would go with her."

He moved to the dining table, wiping it down even though it already gleamed. "He said she’s nothing. Just a distraction. But he still went. He still left with her. Maybe he enjoys her company more than he admits. Maybe he likes how normal she makes him look."

A bitter laugh escaped him. "Normal. What a joke. He owns me. He sleeps with me whenever he wants. And then he goes out shopping with a beautiful lady like it’s the most natural thing in the world."

He scrubbed harder at an invisible spot. "Do you laugh with her, Silas? Do you smile the way you never smile at me? Does she make you feel powerful without having to break someone first?"

Sylvain’s hand trembled slightly as he moved to the kitchen counter. "I shouldn’t care. I have no right to care. I’m just the contract. The whore he bought for three months. But why does it still hurt? Why do I feel this emptiness every time he walks out that door with her?"

He stopped cleaning for a moment and leaned against the counter, closing his eyes. "Leon... at least you’re safe. That’s what matters. As long as you’re okay, I can endure this. I can keep playing this role."

His phone suddenly vibrated on the kitchen island. Once. Twice. Then a series of rapid notifications.

Sylvain wiped his hands on his apron and picked it up. The screen lit up with an unknown number. He opened the message.

The first image hit him like a punch to the gut.

Leon tied to a chair, face bruised and swollen. Blood trickled from a cut on his lip and another above his eyebrow. His eyes were wide with terror, tears streaking down his cheeks.

Sylvain’s breath caught. "No... no, no, no..."

He scrolled. A video was below.

Leon’s voice, broken and sobbing, filled the quiet penthouse: "Sylvain... please... help me... they said they’ll hurt me more if you don’t listen... I’m scared... I want to go home..."

Another image: Leon’s shirt torn, fresh bruises blooming across his ribs and arms. A third photo showed a knife pressed against his throat.

Sylvain’s legs gave out. He slid down to the kitchen floor, phone shaking violently in his hands.

A new message appeared:

"Cooperate fully with every message and order we send you. Tell no one. If you warn Silas or anyone else, your brother’s head will be delivered to you in a designed box. You have 24 hours to prove your obedience. Wait for further instructions. Do not test us."

Sylvain stared at the words until they blurred through his tears. A choked sob tore from his throat. "Leon... oh God, Leon... what did they do to you?"

He replayed the video, his brother’s terrified voice cutting through him like glass.

"Sylvain... please... they hit me... don’t let them kill me..."

Sylvain clutched the phone to his chest, rocking back and forth on the cold floor. "I’m sorry... I’m so sorry, Leon. How did this happen? Who took you?"

He imagined Leon’s face, the fear in his eyes. "You were finally smiling again. You had a job. And now... now you’re bleeding because of me."

Fresh tears streamed down his face. "Please hold on. Please be strong for me. I’ll do whatever they want. I’ll lie to Silas. I’ll betray him if I have to. Just don’t die. Please don’t die..."

The phone vibrated again with another message:

"Delete this conversation after reading. Send proof that you received it. Type ’I understand’ if you want your brother to live another day."

Sylvain’s fingers trembled as he typed back with shaking hands: "I understand."

He sent it, then deleted the entire thread as instructed. But the images and video were burned into his mind.

He stayed on the floor for a long time, hugging his knees, whispering brokenly to the empty penthouse.

"Silas is out with Diane... laughing... shopping... while my brother is being tortured. What kind of world is this? What did we do to deserve this?"

He thought of Silas’s cold smile, the way he tilted his chin and said ’You are mine.’

"If you knew... would you even care? Or would you use this against me too?"

Sylvain pressed his forehead to his knees, sobbing quietly. "Leon... I’m coming. I’ll find a way. I’ll save you. Even if it costs me everything."

The penthouse remained silent around him, but inside Sylvain, a new kind of hell had just begun.