The letter
343 Words
Chapter 6: The Letter
The Letter
Alaric
The envelope sat where she’d left it—black, heavy, ominous.
It was sealed in wax. No crest. No initials. Just shadow.
I stared at it for a long time.
The office was silent again, but not peaceful. The moment Lishi walked out, she took the calm with her. Now, all that remained was the echo of her presence—and the weight of whatever she’d left behind.
I cracked the seal.
Inside was a single sheet of paper. Typewritten. Precise. No signature.
I read it once.
Then again.
And again.
Each time, the words carved deeper.
> The blood you tried to wash from the family name is coming back.
You know what your father did in Marseille.
They haven’t forgotten. And they no longer fear his ghost.
They’re coming for the Voss empire.
Starting with you.
No logo. No name. Just truth. Raw. Unfiltered.
I leaned back in my chair, holding the letter between two fingers like it might burn through my skin.
Marseille.
The name pulsed in my brain like a warning bell.
My father was a monster—but he was a necessary one. And in Marseille, he left a trail of blood so deep, even the sea couldn’t wash it away.
I had spent years building something new.
Something cleaner.
Ruthless, yes—but strategic. Controlled.
Not chaotic.
Not like the old ways.
And yet, here they were—the old ghosts.
Not knocking.
Breaking down the door.
I stood and turned toward the window. Chicago glittered beneath me, cold and oblivious.
My empire. My rules.
“Roderick,” I said, without turning.
“Yes, sir?”
“Tell the board the next meeting is canceled.”
A beat of silence. “And after that, sir?”
“Prepare the car.”
A pause. “Where are we going?”
I turned my head slightly, gave him a look.
He understood.
Without another word, he vanished.
And I stared down at the city one last time, before the war came home.
- Writer
