Chapter 25
413 Words
Chapter 25: Christian’s Vow
The antiseptic scent of the hospital clung to the air as Christian sat on the bed, a faint monitor beep echoing beside him. His torso was bandaged, his left arm in a sling, and a thin cut marked his cheek—a grim reminder of his escape.
The room was dimly lit, tucked away in a private wing of a hospital in London. His most trusted man, Elio, stood near the door, watching guard.
Christian’s voice was hoarse but steady. “I need to stay low for some time… to gather the truth. Something deeper is at play.”
He exhaled sharply, staring at the IV in his arm. “But when I rise again… I’ll burn down everything in my path.”
Elio stepped closer. “What’s the plan, boss?”
Christian’s eyes darkened. “Arrange a chopper. I’m heading to the States. I’ll let you know what to do next from there. For now, no one—not Lorenzo, not Father, no one—can know I’m alive.”
Elio nodded, slipping out to make the arrangements.
Two days later…
The chopper blades roared as Christian landed just outside Arizona, where his long-time supplier operated deep in the desert—off the grid and out of the law’s eyes.
“Rodrigo,” Christian greeted the heavyset man with a sly smirk.
“Well, well. The Devil walks again,” Rodrigo chuckled, slapping Christian’s back. “Heard rumors you were dead.”
Christian’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t die easy. I need your best weapons. And men. I’m rebuilding. Quietly. But when I move, it’ll be war.”
They shook hands—an old bond rekindled in the heat of vengeance.
Over the next few days, Christian traveled across state lines, meeting contacts, old allies, and mercenaries loyal to his power and fearsome legacy. He made silent deals in smoke-filled rooms, and stacked up favors owed from a past soaked in blood.
One night, in a secluded cabin surrounded by towering pines, Christian stood alone by the window.
His hand clutched a single photograph—Shanaya.
Her soft eyes. That innocent face that once pleaded for her family. That looked at him with quiet hate and quiet fear.
He closed his eyes.
I’m coming for you, he thought. Stronger. Smarter. And this time—nothing will keep you from me.
His eyes opened, cold and determined.
The devil wasn’t dead.
He was just getting started.
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