Chapter 8 - The Price of Arrogance
""You think this is about shipping lanes?"" Alexander asked, letting out a dark, breathless chuckle that caused the mercenary behind Madeline to shift his grip on his rifle. ""You think you came here to negotiate a business dispute?""
""It is all business, darling,"" Madeline scoffed. ""Call your banks. Release the frozen capital on my cargo. Sign over the port terminal. Otherwise, this penthouse becomes a tomb.""
Alexander slowly lowered his weapon, letting it hang loosely at his side. Madeline’s grin widened with triumphant disgust. ""Sensible man. I always knew when pushed to the edge, you’d prioritize survival over pride.""
""You didn't ask where Javier is,"" Alexander said softly.
Madeline’s smile froze. Her eyes flicked past Alexander toward the shadowed entryway. ""Javier is at the club. He has his orders.""
Donald stepped into the light from the back corridor, hauling Javier by the nape of his neck. Javier collapsed onto the shattered marble floor, bruised, bleeding from his glass-lacerated neck, and sobbing incoherently.
""Mother..."" Javier wheezed, curling into a fetal position. ""Stop... please stop... he destroyed everything...""
Madeline rose from her chair, the teacup shattering against the floor as her composed façade fractured into panic. ""Javier! What did you do to him?!""
""The exact same thing you did to Clara,"" Alexander said coldly. ""Except I haven't started with the heavy work yet.""
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Madeline’s face twisted into a mask of pure venom. She pointed a manicured finger at Alexander. ""Kill them! Kill both of them now!""
The two contractors moved to raise their weapons, but a sudden concussive blast from the service corridor blew the adjoining double doors off their hinges, sending dust and debris raining down across the great room.
