2025-08-20 23:28:00
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Chapter 214
Mariya slid into the luxurious leather seat of the limousine, her heart pounding as she came face to face with the Head Hunter. Despite her fear, she forced herself to maintain a composed expression."Mrs. Castellano," the Head Hunter said with his characteristic emotionless tone. "I'm so glad to see that you're still alive.""Cut the act," Mariya replied, her voice steadier than she felt. "You just tried to have me and Karvel killed in that fire."The Head Hunter's eyebrowless face remained impassive. "If I wanted you dead, Mrs. Castellano, it would take absolutely nothing to accomplish that goal. You should be very careful about what you accuse me of.""Then what do you call setting a building on fire with people inside?""I call it a test. A test that apparently you passed."Mariya's jaw tightened. "A test of what?""Your resourcefulness. Your survival instincts. Your... connections."The way he emphasized the last word made Mariya's blood run cold."I don't know what you're implyi
Chapter 213
The Head Hunter paced frantically in his warehouse hideout, his tattooed skull gleaming with sweat under the harsh fluorescent lights. The news reports about Mariya Castellano's possible death had sent him into a spiral of panic."Twelve billion dollars," he muttered to himself. "How am I supposed to recover twelve billion dollars from a dead woman?"His subordinate, a lean man named Giuseppe Romano, watched nervously from across the room. "Boss, maybe we should start looking for other assets connected to the debt.""What other assets?" the Head Hunter snapped. "Romano's empire was completely destroyed. His wife was our only remaining connection to the money.""What about business partners? Family members?"The Head Hunter shook his head grimly. "I've already run background checks on everyone connected to Romano. The woman was our best shot at recovery."His phone buzzed with an incoming call. The Head Hunter answered it with barely controlled rage."This better be good news," he grow
Chapter 212
Within hours of the hotel fire, news outlets across the city were buzzing with reports of Mariya Castellano's possible death. The story spread like wildfire through social media and financial networks, causing immediate panic in the business community.At Castellano Cosmetics headquarters, employees huddled around televisions and computer screens, watching news anchors speculate about their CEO's fate."Breaking news," announced reporter Patricia Romano from Channel 7. "Sources confirm that prominent businesswoman Mariya Castellano was inside the hotel when it burst into flames earlier today. Emergency responders have been unable to locate any survivors."In the company's trading floor, panic was already setting in. Investment banker Vincent Torretti was frantically fielding calls from nervous investors."Mr. Torretti, we need to pull our funding immediately," demanded one major shareholder over the phone. "If Castellano is dead, the company's finished.""Please remain calm," Vincent
Chapter 211
Outside the hotel, Antonio Ricci stumbled away from the scene with a broken nose and split lip, courtesy of Detective Torretti's nightstick. His partners Salvatore Benedetti and Marco Torretti were in similar condition, having been thoroughly beaten by the two police officers."Boss ain't gonna like this," Salvatore muttered, spitting blood onto the sidewalk."We gotta tell him what happened," Antonio said, pulling out his phone with shaking hands.Twenty minutes later, the three battered thugs stood before the Head Hunter in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. His eyebrowless face remained expressionless as he listened to their report."So you're telling me that Cross's ex-wife showed up with police protection, and you let two cops beat the shit out of you?" the Head Hunter said in his monotone voice."Boss, they had weapons and—" Marco began."Silence." The Head Hunter raised his hand. "This is actually perfect."The three thugs looked confused."Don't you see?" the
Chapter 210
When Mariya saw Karvel's face up close, her breath caught in her throat. The bruises from the charity fundraiser had darkened into ugly purple and yellow marks across his jaw and around his left eye. His split lip had scabbed over, and there were additional cuts on his arms that she hadn't noticed before."Oh my God, Karvel," she whispered, her voice filled with genuine remorse. "Look what they did to you.""It's nothing I can't handle," Karvel replied curtly, trying to move past her toward the elevator."Nothing you can handle?" Mariya's voice cracked with emotion. "You look like you've been hit by a truck!""I've had worse."Mariya reached out as if to touch his bruised face, then pulled her hand back. "This is all my fault, isn't it? You're suffering because of my problems with The Ronin.""Your problems became everyone's problems the moment you married Leo Romano," Karvel said coldly."I know that now," Mariya said, tears welling up in her eyes. "But despite everything – despite o
Chapter 209
The days following the charity fundraiser incident had passed quietly for Mariya. After the initial terror of the Ricci twins' attack on her home, the constant presence of her police escort had given her a false sense of security.Detective Giuseppe Torretti and Officer Marco Benedetti took turns accompanying her wherever she went, and The Ronin seemed to have backed off."Maybe they're all bark and no bite after all," she mused to herself as she sat in her office reviewing quarterly reports. "It's been a week since that bald freak made his threats, and nothing has happened."The more time passed without incident, the more Mariya began to believe that The Ronin's reputation was exaggerated. She had been moving freely around the city with her police protection, attending business meetings, and even going to social events without any sign of the mysterious organization."I should go see Karvel," she decided suddenly. "I never properly thanked him for what he did at my house, and I heard
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