In the shadowy underworld of organized crime, two individuals stand poised on opposite sides of the law, each concealing their true identity behind a veil of secrets. Frost is a fierce and determined woman driven by a desire for justice and vengeanc...
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FIRE
I couldn't shake the image of her from my mind. The way Katherine looked under me, her chestnut brown hair spread across the hammock, was intoxicating. What would it take to have her under me every day and night? The thought consumed me until a sudden message on my phone snapped me back to reality. An urgent meeting had been called in the den.
I arrived at the den, where all the key players who supported the Sphinx Group were gathered. The air was thick with anticipation and tension. As I took the head chair, the room fell silent. Austin Albero, my father's most trusted confidant and the father of my best friend Albert, stood up to address the room.
"We have news from Dark," Austin announced, his voice grave. "Someone has been stealing their stocks. Dark has made it clear that whoever finds and hands over the thief alive will have no threat from them."
As Austin finished detailing the situation with Dark, my anger started to boil. Who did they think they were to throw orders at us? My hand clenched into a fist, my knuckles turning white as I tried to keep my temper in check.
"They think they can order us around?" I snapped, my voice echoing in the room. "We're not their lapdogs."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the younger members of the room. Ryder shot me a warning look, but I ignored it.
One of the older members, a seasoned advisor named Marco, spoke up. "It's not about being their lapdogs, Fire. It's about strategy. Aligning ourselves with Dark could be beneficial."
I scoffed. "Beneficial? Since when do we bow down to anyone, especially not to those who think they can command us?"
The tension in the room thickened as the younger members voiced their support for my stance. "Fire is right," one of them said. "We should be the ones giving orders, not taking them."
Marco's eyes narrowed. "You young ones think you know everything, but you don't understand the bigger picture. This is about survival and power. We need to be smart."
I took a step forward, my eyes blazing. "I understand perfectly. I understand that we're being asked to compromise our principles. That's not something I'm willing to do."
Before the argument could escalate further, my father stepped in. His presence alone commanded respect, and the room fell silent. "Enough," he said, his voice firm but calm. "This isn't about taking orders. It's about strategy and survival."
He looked at me, his gaze steady. "We've seen what Dark is capable of. They don't make threats lightly. If we can find the thief and hand them over, we'll gain their favor. That's an advantage we can't afford to ignore."
I clenched my jaw. "I've never heard about these Phantoms since birth. Why now? What's changed?"
My father sighed, a heavy sound that seemed to carry years of burden. "Something happened back then which made them go silent. No one knows exactly what, but it's clear they kept their business going in the shadows. We must do what Dark asked so that he will be favorable towards us."
