The StongWilled Rose

Chapter15

I Built This Myself

I read the message again.

You built your empire exactly as we taught you to. Now it's time to come home.

Yeah.

No.

I tore the paper in half.

Viktor raised an eyebrow.

"Feel better?"

I tore it again.

"A little."

"Very mature."

I looked at him.

"Do you want some?"

"I'm good."

I handed the pieces to one of his men.

"Burn these."

The man looked at Viktor.

I frowned.

"Did I stutter?"

His eyes went back to Viktor.

Viktor sighed.

"Burn them."

"Yes, boss."

I watched him walk away.

"Your people don't listen to me."

"They're not your people."

"Minor inconvenience."

Viktor stared at me.

I smiled.

Then my phone rang.

Nico.

"Please don't tell me something else happened."

"Okay."

I waited.

He said nothing.

"Nico."

"You specifically told me not to tell you."

I closed my eyes.

"What happened?"

"Someone hit our Marseille warehouse."

My smile disappeared.

"When?"

"Twenty minutes ago."

"Damage?"

"Mostly property. The team evacuated."

"Why didn't you call immediately?"

"Because I was making sure everyone was accounted for."

Good answer.

"Anyone missing?"

A pause.

"One."

My stomach tightened.

"Who?"

"Elena."

No.

Elena Rossi had been with me almost from the beginning.

She handled logistics, knew half my routes, and had enough information to cause serious problems if the wrong people got hold of her.

"Find her."

"We are."

"Find her, Nico."

"I will."

I ended the call.

Viktor had been watching me.

"What?"

"Your warehouse?"

"How did you—"

"Your expression."

I hated observant people.

"Marseille."

"Orlov?"

"Probably."

Viktor turned toward Anton.

"Get our French contacts on it."

I immediately said, "No."

Viktor looked at me.

"We can help."

"I didn't ask."

"Someone was taken."

I stared at him.

"How do you know?"

"You went quiet."

Okay.

That was becoming irritating.

"I'll handle it."

"You don't have to handle everything alone."

I laughed.

"That's adorable."

His expression hardened.

"I wasn't joking."

"Neither was I."

I walked toward my car.

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

"Which one?"

I stopped.

Fair question.

I had properties in several cities, an apartment nearby, and apparently the Bianchi estate was legally home again.

"The Bianchis'."

"I'll follow you."

"No."

"That wasn't a question."

I turned.

"Do you enjoy being irritating?"

"Recently."

I rolled my eyes and got into my car.

It was nearly two in the morning when I entered the estate.

I expected everyone to be asleep.

Stupid assumption.

Dad was waiting in the foyer.

Matteo sat on the stairs.

Marco was leaning against the wall.

Luca was asleep on the couch.

And Mom was nowhere in sight.

Dad stood.

"Where were you?"

I stared at him.

"Seriously?"

"It's two in the morning."

"And?"

"And you're seventeen."

I looked at Matteo.

"Is he actually doing this?"

Matteo shrugged.

"He's been practicing the speech for an hour."

Dad glared at him.

"Not helping."

I sighed.

"I was working."

"At two in the morning?"

"Crime doesn't respect business hours."

Silence.

Marco stared at me.

I stared back.

"What?"

"You just admitted—"

"No, I didn't."

"You literally—"

"Prove it."

Matteo covered his face.

Dad looked exhausted.

"Allegra."

I softened slightly.

"What?"

"You disappeared for six years."

There it was.

His voice dropped.

"I know you can take care of yourself. I'm starting to understand that. But when you leave without telling anyone..."

He stopped.

Oh.

I looked away.

He wasn't trying to control me.

He was scared.

Annoying.

"I'll text next time."

Dad blinked.

"Really?"

"Don't make it weird."

"I won't."

"You are."

"Sorry."

Matteo smiled.

I pointed at him.

"Stop."

His smile widened.

My phone buzzed.

A message from Nico.

Nico: Found something. Office. Now.

I grabbed my keys again.

Dad stared.

"You just got here."

"I know."

"Allegra."

"It's important."

Matteo stood.

"I'm coming."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it's my business."

He crossed his arms.

"I'm your brother."

"Those aren't the same thing."

His expression changed slightly.

I immediately regretted it.

Not enough to take it back, though.

"I'll be back."

I left.

Nico was waiting in my office when I arrived.

He looked terrible.

"What?"

He turned his laptop toward me.

"We found Elena."

"Alive?"

"Yes."

I exhaled.

"Where?"

"That's the problem."

A security video played.

Elena walked through a train station.

Alone.

Completely calm.

I frowned.

"She escaped?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"Watch."

A man approached her.

They spoke.

Then Elena handed him something.

A drive.

My drive.

The encrypted one containing information on my European operations.

I stared at the screen.

"No."

"Allegra—"

"No."

"There's more."

"I said no."

"Watch."

The footage changed.

Another camera.

Elena entered a black car.

Konstantin was sitting inside.

My chest went cold.

She wasn't kidnapped.

She went willingly.

"How long?" I asked.

"We don't know."

"Find out."

"I'm trying."

I stared at the screen.

Elena.

The woman who'd helped me build distribution networks when I had almost nothing.

The woman who'd sat beside me during meetings where grown men laughed because they thought I was some stupid kid.

She'd watched me prove them wrong.

She'd celebrated our first major contract.

She'd known everything.

"Maybe she's being forced," Nico said.

"Maybe."

I didn't believe it.

But I wanted to.

God, I wanted to.

My phone rang.

Unknown.

Nico and I looked at each other.

I answered.

"Hello?"

"Allegra."

Konstantin.

My entire body went still.

His voice hadn't changed.

Six years, and I recognized it instantly.

"Konstantin."

Nico started tracing the call.

I put it on speaker.

"You received my message."

"Which one? You're becoming clingy."

He laughed.

That sound made old memories scratch at the edges of my mind.

I pushed them away.

"You've grown."

"So people keep telling me."

"And you've done exceptionally well."

"I know."

"Everything we taught you—"

"No."

Silence.

I leaned forward.

"You don't get to do that."

"Do what?"

"Take credit."

I stared at the frozen image of Elena entering his car.

"You taught me how to survive your world."

My voice stayed calm.

"But everything I built after escaping?"

I smiled.

"That's mine."

"You wouldn't be who you are without us."

"Correct."

His tone became almost pleased.

I continued.

"I'd probably sleep better."

Nico choked back a laugh.

Konstantin didn't.

"You always were difficult."

"And yet you called."

"I have something you want."

I looked at Elena's image.

"You mean someone."

"Perhaps."

"Let me speak to her."

"No."

"Then we're done."

"Still impatient."

"Still boring."

I moved to end the call.

Then he said:

"Your sister wasn't the only child involved that night."

I froze.

Nico looked at me.

"What?"

Konstantin laughed softly.

"Ask Lucia what happened to the third girl."

The call disconnected.

I stared at the phone.

Third girl.

My mouth went dry.

Nico spoke carefully.

"Allegra?"

I was already standing.

I grabbed my keys.

"Where are you going?"

I looked at him.

"Home."

This time there was no confusion about which one.

Because if my mother had somehow forgotten to mention another child existed—

I was officially done asking nicely.