Chapter 131 The Shattered Shield
Kael didn’t know whether to be proud or pissed about what Lilia had done to Sabina; he certainly hadn't expected her to throw a punch that hard. He unconsciously wiped the blood trickling from his chin as a sense of pride bloomed in his chest. His little doll finally knew how to fight back; she had grown claws.
However, this victory caused a major problem.
If the engagement was truly called off, Lilia’s life would be on the line, and Kael could not allow that to happen. He didn't care about disappointing the committee—to hell with them—but a broken alliance meant only one thing: chaos. The Russian mob organization his father had founded relied on these structures. If the alliance crumbled, the committee would question his authority. A marriage was supposed to patch the cracks and prove he was still grounded in their traditions. He might hold the largest mob in the country, but it was never wise to create more enemies than one already had.
Lilia would become his greatest liability. The committee knew her importance after the events in Italy; his enemies realized she wasn't just a pet.
Fuck! She is my world.
He had meant every word when he said she was his everything. Yet, he couldn't seem to express it properly, and he doubted she truly understood the depth of his feelings.
“So, what are you going to do now?” Val's voice suddenly broke the silence. It sounded cold and hollow—a tone Kael rarely heard from him, except when he was truly angry.
That, however, was the least of Kael's concerns. His mind was a jumbled mess, torn between the committee's expectations and Lilia's safety.
“Shit! I don’t know,” he growled in frustration, one hand resting on his waist.
A part of him wanted to chase after Lilia and explain everything, but doing so would only pull her deeper into the crosshairs. Val sighed heavily. “Figure things out. I’ll talk to her. We must get her to safety before the committee discovers what happened.”
Kael nodded, agreeing with his friend. “Don’t tell her anything about this.”
“I won’t.”
Lilia and Val had bonded well—sometimes too close for Kael’s liking. At first, he had suspected a secret relationship. Val cared for her more than any woman Kael had ever seen him with. Kael had once asked Lilia if she loved Val; she had denied it, yet admitted that if she ever fell for him, it would be Kael’s own fault. He didn't know if she was telling the truth or hiding a romance out of fear.
She wasn't wrong to be afraid. Kael knew he would wring Val’s neck if he discovered a betrayal. They had been together longer than he could remember, and it would be a tragedy to have to kill his oldest ally over the woman he desired.
Kael stared blankly at the empty kitchen as he listened to Val's retreating footsteps. The servants had long since fled after he hollered at them to scamper away. He had clearly scared them enough to ensure total silence as they moved out.
He needed to talk to Sabina and ask her to reconsider, but she was stubborn and currently blinded by rage. He didn't think he could change her mind without punishing Lilia for the assault—an option that wasn't on the table. He knew Sabina must have provoked her; Lilia wouldn’t attack without reason. He had seen the swelling red mark on Lilia’s cheek and wanted to kill Sabina for it, but he was trapped. If he let his anger win, Antonov would be marching to his doorstep seeking retribution for his daughter and demanding Lilia's head.
“Damn it!” Hissing a curse, he slammed his fist onto the kitchen bar, ignoring the searing pain in the heel of his palm.
He stayed there for an unknown length of time, massaging his temples in exasperation.
The back of his throat felt parched. He rounded the bar to grab a glass, but just as he opened the fridge, the lights flickered and died.
Darkness swallowed the kitchen. In the distance, a cacophony of shouting and barking orders erupted. This was a rare occurrence; the entire estate was backed by high-powered generators designed to kick in the moment the main transmitter failed.
Abandoning his glass, he bolted from the kitchen, navigating the darkness toward the entryway.
The fences.
That was his first thought. His primary line of defense. If the power was out, the fences were dead.
He found Val in the foyer.
“What happened? Why is the power out?” Kael grilled him without slowing down. Val matched his stride as they exited the mansion into the biting cold.
“I don't know yet.”
Val’s reply was clipped, his jaw tight. Kael noticed his friend’s mood had darkened even further since he had gone to see Lilia.
“Have you talked to her?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“She told me to stay away.”
That sounded like Lilia.
They turned toward the backyard powerhouse. Black smoke swirled into the freezing air, and technicians were frantically moving in and out of the facility. They seemed to have the fire under control, but the damage was evident. One technician, clutching a fire extinguisher, approached them.
“Master! Someone turned off the control panel and torched it.”
Kael cursed, running his fingers through his hair. “Where is maintenance? The guards?”
“They were found unconscious at their posts,” the technician informed him, pointing to five bodies slumped on the ground.
“We have a mole,” Val stated sternly, his gaze fixed on the charred circuitry.
“Fuck!” Kael roared. “Secure the perimeter! Ensure no one has crossed the fences! Replace that panel! Move!”
Everyone who entered the estate underwent biometric scans and rigorous identification checks. Someone had gone rogue. Kael immediately deployed the rest of his men to patrol the fence line.
“Master!”
Another frantic voice cut through the chaos. Mikanor, the stable manager, came sprinting toward them, nearly slipping on the ice.
“Mikanor? What is it?”
“Miss Lilia...” he panted, rubbing his chest. “She came to me earlier asking for her horse. She went riding into the snow. Copper just returned... but she didn't.”
“What?”
Kael’s heart sank. It felt as though a bullet had been fired directly into his chest.
“She’s an adept rider, Master. She wouldn't just fall, and there’s no sign Copper slipped. I’m afraid someone took her.”
A blistering, blinding rage rose within Kael. He snatched Mikanor’s collar, yanking him close, his teeth bared. His fist trembled with the urge to strike, but he forced himself to release the man.
“Find the mole!” he roared, his voice echoing into the snowy void. “NOW!”