Rebirth of the Fallen Heir : Shadow of Revenge

Chapter 7 : The Noose Tightens

The elevator doors hissed open, revealing a man who looked more like a ghost than a killer. He was dressed in a gray maintenance jumpsuit, a toolbox gripped in one hand, but his eyes were too sharp, too hungry for the mundane task of fixing a fuse.

Silas didn’t even have time to register the barrel of the 9mm pointed at his forehead.

"Don't," Eryndra said, his voice a low, terrifying rasp that didn't belong to the golden boy the world knew. "One twitch, and I’ll paint the inside of this elevator with whatever you call a brain."

Silas froze, his hand hovering near the flap of his toolbox. "You’re fast. Faster than the brief said."

"The brief is old news. Drop the box. Kick it toward the windows."

Silas obeyed, the heavy metal case sliding across the polished floor. "You think a gun makes you the boss here? I’ve got overrides for the whole floor. You’re trapped in a glass box, Maheswara."

"I’m not trapped in here with you," Eryndra countered, stepping forward into the light, his silhouette framed by the storm-ravaged city behind him. "You’re trapped in here with the man who already knows who paid you. Was it Raka? Or did he have Varen make the call?"

Silas smirked, a jagged, ugly thing. "I don't give up clients."

"You will," a new voice cut through the tension. Livia stepped out from behind the kitchen island, her silk robe fluttering around her ankles like a battle flag. She held a heavy chef’s knife with the casual grace of someone who knew exactly where the carotid artery was. "Because if Eryndra doesn't kill you, the Arundhati family will make sure you spend the rest of your very short life wishing he had."

Silas’s eyes widened as he recognized her. "The Ice Queen. I didn't know this was a two-for-one deal."

"It’s not," Eryndra said. He moved with a sudden, violent blur of motion, slamming the butt of his handgun into Silas’s temple. The assassin crumpled to the floor, unconscious before he hit the marble.

Eryndra didn't look at the body. He looked at Livia. "You okay?"

"I've had better Tuesdays," she said, leaning against the counter, her breath finally hitching. "You really know how to treat a girl, Eryndra. Assassins and vintage scotch."

"I'm serious, Livia. Did he touch the security sensors before the elevator opened?"

"I don't think so. The internal HUD didn't flicker." She walked over, looking down at the heap of a man on the floor. "What now? We can’t exactly call the cleaning lady."

"We call a different kind of professional." Eryndra pulled out his phone and tapped a speed dial.

"Mireya? Yeah, it’s me. I need you at the penthouse. Now. Bring the heavy-duty NDAs and the police liaison. We have a 'trespasser' with a silenced Mac-10 in his toolbox."

"Eryndra, it's four in the morning," Mireya’s voice came through the speaker, sharp and fully awake. "Tell me there isn't a body."

"Not yet. But if you don't get here in fifteen minutes, I might change my mind. He was sent by Raka. I want the attempted murder charges filed before the sun comes up."

"I’m on my way. Don't touch anything. Especially the gun."

"I know the drill, Mireya. Just get here."

Eryndra hung up and shoved the gun into the waistband of his trousers. The adrenaline was still screaming through his veins, a hot, jagged current that made his hands shake.

Livia noticed. She stepped closer, her hand reaching out to steady his arm. "Eryndra. Look at me."

He turned his gaze to her. The darkness of the penthouse, the unconscious killer, the lingering scent of their shared passion—it all swirled into a toxic, intoxicating mix.

"You did it," she whispered, her fingers sliding up to his neck, pulling him down. "You survived."

"I'm tired of just surviving, Livia."

"Then do something about it," she challenged, her voice dropping to a carnal purr.

He didn't need a second invitation. He grabbed her waist, lifting her onto the marble counter right next to the discarded assassin’s toolbox. His mouth crashed onto hers, the kiss fueled by the raw, primitive high of having escaped death. Livia wrapped her legs around him, her nails digging into his shoulders through his shirt.

"Right here?" she gasped against his lips. "With him on the floor?"

"He's out cold," Eryndra groaned, his hand sliding under her robe to find the heat of her skin. "And I want you to remember this. I want you to remember that while they were trying to kill me, I was taking everything I wanted."

"You're a monster," she breathed, her head falling back as he bit her collarbone.

"Your monster," he corrected.

The heat between them was frantic, a desperate confirmation of life. Every touch was harder, every gasp louder, a defiant roar against the silence of the grave Raka had tried to dig for him. They moved together in the shadows of the kitchen, the storm outside finally breaking as the first gray light of dawn touched the horizon.

*

Twenty minutes later, the elevator chimed again. This time, it was Mireya Pranandita, looking impeccably sharp in a charcoal suit, followed by two plainclothes officers who looked like they’d been hand-picked for their discretion.

Eryndra was sitting on the sofa, fully dressed and nursing a glass of water. Livia was in the bedroom, having retreated to maintain the 'Ice Queen' image.

"God, Ery, you really did it this time," Mireya said, surveying the scene. She looked at Silas, who was now zip-tied and being searched by the officers. "A professional cleaner? Raka is getting desperate."

"Desperate people make mistakes," Eryndra said, standing up. "Did you get the link?"

"The metadata from Silas’s phone? Yeah. My tech guy traced the payment back to a offshore account tied to Raka’s personal 'fun fund.' It’s a slam dunk, Ery. Attempted murder, conspiracy, and illegal possession of a firearm."

"I want him in cuffs before the stock market opens," Eryndra said, his voice cold. "I want the world to see him being dragged out of the Daneswara estate in his pajamas."

"The police are already moving," Mireya confirmed, tapping her tablet. "But you know the Daneswaras. They’ll have ten lawyers on site before the ink is dry on the booking sheet. His father is going to lose his mind."

"Let him. He’s next on the list anyway."

One of the officers walked over, holding a clear evidence bag. "Mr. Maheswara, we found a burner phone on the suspect. There’s a text message sent ten minutes ago. It just says 'Done.'"

Eryndra smirked. "He thought I was dead. Raka is probably popping champagne right now."

"Well, he’s in for a hell of a hangover," Mireya said. "Go get some rest, Ery. I’ll handle the press release. We’re framing this as a targeted hit to destabilize the Maheswara-Arundhati partnership. It’ll make you look like a martyr and Raka like a terrorist."

"I like the sound of that. Thanks, Mireya."

*

By 8:00 AM, the news was everywhere.

RAKA DANESWARA ARRESTED IN ASSASSINATION PLOT.

The footage played on every screen in the city—Raka, looking disheveled and frantic, being shoved into the back of a police cruiser. The stock price of the Daneswara Group didn't just fall; it evaporated.

Eryndra stood in his office, watching the chaos on the monitors. Livia was sitting in the armchair across from him, her legs crossed, a look of serene satisfaction on her face.

"You look like you're enjoying this too much," she said.

"I’ve waited a long time for this day, Livia. You have no idea."

The door to his office burst open. It wasn't security. It was Alisha Cahyani, her face pale, her breathing heavy as if she’d run all the way from the lobby.

"Eryndra! Stop! You need to see this," she shouted, throwing a tablet onto his desk.

Eryndra frowned. "Alisha? What are you doing here? Raka is in a cell. The game is won."

"You didn't win, you idiot! You just poked a hornet's nest!" Alisha pointed at the screen. "Look at the flight manifests. Private terminal, thirty minutes ago."

Eryndra looked. His heart skipped a beat.

Arriving: Hendra Daneswara.

"Raka’s father?" Livia asked, her voice losing its icy calm. "I thought he was in Singapore for the heart summit."

"He was," Alisha said, her voice trembling. "But he flew back the second he heard about the arrest. And he didn't come alone. He’s already met with the Minister of Justice. Eryndra, he’s not just coming for Raka. He’s coming to burn the Maheswara name to the ground."

Eryndra felt a cold chill settle in his gut. Hendra Daneswara was a different beast entirely. Raka was a spoiled brat; Hendra was the man who had built the empire through blood and silence.

"He’s already issued a statement," Alisha whispered.

Eryndra tapped the video on the tablet. Hendra Daneswara stood on the steps of the courthouse, a man of sixty with hair like iron and eyes like a predator’s. He didn't look angry. He looked focused.

"My son has been framed by a desperate boy playing at being a businessman," Hendra’s voice boomed through the speakers. "Eryndra Maheswara has made a grave error. He thinks he can use the law as a weapon against my family. He will soon learn that I am the law. By sunset, the Maheswara Group will be a memory. And Eryndra? I suggest he enjoys the air while he still can."

Eryndra turned off the screen. The silence in the office was deafening.

"Well," Livia said, standing up and smoothing her skirt. "It looks like the warm-up is over."

Eryndra looked out at the city, his grip tightening on the edge of the desk. The timeline had shifted again. In his past life, Hendra hadn't returned for another two years. He had moved too fast. He had been too successful.

"He wants a war?" Eryndra murmured, his eyes flashing with a dark, dangerous fire. "Fine. I’ve already died once. Let’s see if the old man can handle a ghost."

Alisha stepped forward, her eyes wide with fear. "Eryndra, you don't understand. He’s already frozen your father’s primary accounts. He’s calling in the debts from the 1998 crisis. He’s going to bankrupt you before lunch!"

"Then we’ll just have to make sure he doesn't live to see dinner," Eryndra said, his voice terrifyingly calm.

He turned to Livia. "Are the Arundhati reserves liquid?"

Livia smirked, the Ice Queen returning in full force. "For you? Always."

"Then call your father," Eryndra commanded. "Tell him the Maheswaras are going to war. And tell him we’re taking the Daneswaras’ throne."