Chapter 9
The Old Guard's Gambit
Silas makes his move, attempting to frame Adrian or expose his weakness to the other families. He leverages the family's violent past against Adrian's future.
Silas Bellandi watched the city from his penthouse, a glass fortress overlooking the glittering sprawl that his family had for so long, and so profitably, held in their fist. The rain, a constant companion in this city, slicked the streets below, reflecting the neon signs like scattered jewels. It was a fitting backdrop, he thought, for a kingdom built on shadows and blood. Adrian Vale, his nephew, was a fool. A bookworm playing at being a king, trying to polish the tarnished crown with the flimsy veneer of legitimacy. The old ways, the true ways, were being threatened, and Silas, the Serpent, would not stand idly by.
He picked up the phone, his voice a low rumble that barely disturbed the silence. "Is it done?"
A voice, raspy and deferential, answered. "Yes, Silas. The package has been delivered. Just as you instructed."
Keep reading "The Old Guard's Gambit"
Open the same story in AIBookCraft. Later chapters may require an active subscription.
Free on iOS & Android · No signup to read