Chapter 8 - The Shadow in the Penthouse|
Twenty minutes later, I found myself sitting on a leather sofa inside the private top-floor penthouse of the Ashford Grand.
The room had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glowing skyline of Manhattan. A hot mug of chamomile tea rested on the glass table in front of me, but my hands were shaking too much to lift it.
Alexander stood near the window, a glass of dark scotch in his hand. He had removed his suit jacket, rolling his crisp white sleeves up to his elbows.
"I had my men check your employment records," Alexander said quietly, breaking the silence. "You live in a two-bedroom apartment in Queens. You work sixty hours a week. Your brother has severe asthma, and your mother works night shifts at a bakery."
I swallowed, staring down at my lap. "We do what we have to do to survive, Mr. Ashford."
"Call me Alexander," he corrected, turning around to face me. "And you shouldn't have had to survive like that. If I had found you sooner..."
"My father wouldn't have wanted money for saving you," I interrupted gently. "He didn't teach me the Quiet Current so I could collect rewards. He helped you because it was the right thing to do."
Alexander stared at me for a long moment, a subtle shift in his gray eyes.
"Your father was a rare man, Sophia. But this world doesn't spare good people. You saved yourself tonight, but you also exposed yourself."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The old man who spoke up in the ballroom—his name is Master Chen," Alexander explained, stepping closer. "He is an elder from the Iron Syndicate, a rival faction that has been trying to take over my territory for five years. He recognized your father's style because your father once belonged to a lineage they hunted down decades ago."
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He leaned against the edge of the glass table, his expression dead serious.
"Victoria’s family is powerful, but the Syndicate is lethal. By showing your skill tonight, you put a target on your back. They won't just come after you, Sophia. They’ll come after your brother and your mother."
