Chapter 5 - The Deal With the Devil
They built the rescue plan over twelve hours.
Voss wanted Charmian.
Vincent would give him Charmian.
But not the real one.
A decoy would go first.
The real operation would happen underneath the old railway warehouse where Voss kept Elias.
Charmian refused to stay behind.
Vincent refused to let her go alone.
At midnight, she stood beside him in the back of an armored vehicle.
"You know this is insane."
"Yes."
"You could die."
"So could you."
She glanced at him.
"Does that scare you?"
Vincent didn't answer.
She smiled faintly.
"That's what I thought."
He looked at her.
"You shouldn't tease a man with a gun."
"You aren't pointing it at me."
"Not tonight."
The warehouse was dark.
The exchange began.
Voss's men brought Elias out.
He was bruised but conscious.
Charmian stepped forward.
"Elias."
Her brother looked at her.
"Don't!"
Voss appeared behind him.
"Three pages."
Charmian pulled them from her coat.
Vincent watched from the shadows.
Voss smiled.
"Give them to me."
She raised the papers.
"Let my brother go first."
Voss laughed.
"You think you have leverage?"
Charmian nodded.
"Yes."
She dropped a phone onto the ground.
The screen showed a live countdown.
Five minutes.
Voss's smile disappeared.
"What is that?"
"Every page of your ledger."
She held his gaze.
"Copies went to three journalists."
Vincent had not known about that.
Neither had Voss.
"You bluff."
"No."
Four minutes.
"Who has them?"
"People you can't reach."
Voss grabbed Elias.
Charmian stepped forward.
"Don't."
Vincent gave the signal.
Chaos erupted.
Gunfire.
Shouting.
Men falling behind concrete pillars.
Vincent reached Elias.
Charmian was pulled toward Voss.
Vincent shot the man holding her.
She broke free.
Voss disappeared through the rear door.
Vincent caught Charmian.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
"Elias?"
"Safe."
They ran.
Outside, sirens filled the night.
Voss had escaped.
But the documents were already out.
The first journalist published the story at dawn.
By noon, the city was exploding.
Names appeared.
Judges.
Police officers.
Business owners.
Public officials.
People who had spent years believing themselves untouchable.
The Costa organization began collapsing from the inside.
Vincent called every lieutenant.
Then said something that shocked all of them.
"Every operation tied to trafficking shuts down immediately."
Matteo stared.
"What?"
"We're done."
The room went silent.
"Boss, you built this."
"I inherited part of it."
"But—"
"No."
Vincent looked at the men.
"Whatever my father built, I will not carry forward."
Charmian stood outside the room and heard every word.
Later, she found him on the terrace.
"You really did it."
"Did what?"
"Ended it."
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because some people don't know how to live without power."
She looked at him.
"And you?"
He smiled faintly.
"I'm learning."
Charmian stepped beside him.
"What will you do?"
"I don't know."
"That's new."
"What?"
"Admitting you don't know."
He laughed.
"You're getting brave."
"Maybe."
He looked at her.
"You make me want to be."
She went quiet.
The air changed.
He stepped closer.
Then stopped.
"Charmian."
"Yes?"
"You're nineteen."
She blinked.
"I know."
"I'm not going to take advantage of the fact that you're under my protection."
Her expression softened.
"Thank you."
"I care about you."
She looked away.
"I care about you too."
"But your life needs to belong to you."
She nodded.
For the first time, their feelings were acknowledged without being turned into possession.
Then a bullet shattered the terrace glass.
Vincent pulled her down.
Another shot.
Then another.
May you like
Someone had found them.
And the attack was aimed at Charmian.
