Page 27 of French Quarter Heiress

But even as I immerse myself in the details, even as I feel the thrill of the hunt beginning to take hold, I can't shake the nagging sense of doubt, the fear that even if we succeed, it might not be enough. The Delacroix clan is powerful, their reach extending far beyond the city limits. They'll stop at nothing to hunt us down, to make us pay for our transgressions.

I know that a solo robbery will be a massive gamble, but I have no choice. As I stare at the plans spread out before me, I make a silent vow. I will do whatever it takes to protect her, to secure our freedom. No matter the cost, no matter the danger.

Because in the end, that's what love is. It's the willingness to risk everything, to lay it all on the line for the one you can't live without. And Elise... She's worth every sacrifice, every battle.

I just pray that when the dust settles, when the final card is played, we'll still be standing.

16

ELISE

The don, my father, grows more paranoid and erratic with each passing day, has ordered me to lead a full-scale assault on one of the wolves' most important strongholds, a sprawling speakeasy complex known as The Moonlit Den.

"Father, please," I implore, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and desperation. "An all-out attack on the speakeasy will result in countless civilian casualties and draw unwanted attention from the human authorities. Allow me another chance to prove myself, to find a way to deal with the wolves that doesn't involve such wanton destruction."

Father’s eyes blaze with impatience as he rounds on me, his voice dripping with disdain. "You have had ample opportunities to put an end to this conflict, Elise. Yet time and again, you have failed to deliver the decisive blow that would crush these mongrels once and for all."

I flinch at his words but refuse to back down. "Father, I understand your frustration, but we must be strategic in our actions. There are other ways to undermine the wolves' power without resorting to such blatant violence."

"And what would you suggest, my dear? More covert operations, more cloak-and-dagger nonsense? No, Elise, the time for subtlety has passed. We must strike hard and fast, to remind these beasts of the natural order."

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for his reaction. "Give me one more chance, Father. Let me lead a smaller, more targeted strike against the wolves' supply lines. If I can disrupt their flow of weapons and resources, we can weaken them from within, make them more vulnerable to a larger assault down the line."

The don is silent for a long moment, his cold gaze boring into me like a drill. I can practically hear the gears turning in his head as he weighs my proposal.

"My heart," he says at last, his voice dripping with a sickening sweetness, "one would start to question your loyalties by the way you're speaking. The raid will happen, won't it? Unless..."

He trails off, letting the unspoken accusation hang in the air between us. I feel my heart skip a beat, a cold sweat breaking out on my brow.

"Unless what, Father?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

The don leans forward, his ancient eyes glittering with a malevolent intensity. "Unless you've grown soft, my dear. Unless your heart has been swayed by the charms of a certain mangy cur. I don’t even like words in my mouth," he spits. “My own daughter. My own blood. I refuse to believe it.”

I open my mouth to protest, to deny his allegations with every fiber of my being, but he cuts me off with a wave of his hand.

“But Father, think of the –”

"Enough, daughter! You will lead the assault on The Moonlit Den, and you will succeed. Failure is not an option."

I feel a chill run down my spine at his words, a sinking sense of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. "Father, please, I beg of you. There must be another way."

He scoffs, his lip curling in a sneer. "Another way? There is no other way, Elise. You will do as I command, or face the consequences."

I bow my head, tears stinging at the corners of my eyes. "And what consequences might those be, Father?"

The don's face twists into a mask of cold fury, his eyes glittering with a malevolent intensity. "If you fail me in this, Elise, if you do not crush the wolves and bring me victory, I will have no choice but to take drastic measures."

He smiles, a cruel, calculating thing that sends shivers down my spine. "I mean that I have been in talks with Prince Adrien of the fae. He has agreed to an alliance between our families, one that will be sealed with your hand in marriage."

I stare at him in horror, my mind reeling with the implications of his words. "Marriage? To Adrien? But Father, I... I don't love him. I can't marry him."

The don's eyes narrow, his voice dripping with venom. "Love has nothing to do with it, Elise. This is about power, about securing our family's future. And if you fail me, if you cannot do what must be done, then you will have proven yourself unworthy of your birthright. And I will have no choice but to give your hand to Adrien, to forge a new alliance that will ensure our survival. You will grow up and accept your responsibility. Tonight."

I feel as though the ground has dropped out from beneath me, as though I am falling into an endless abyss. The thought of being bound to Adrien, of spending eternity with that cold, calculating creature, fills me with a sickening dread.

"Father, please," I whisper, my voice hoarse with unshed tears. "Don't do this. Don't make me choose between my heart and my duty."

He scoffs, his lip curling in disgust. "Your heart? As I said, your heart has nothing to do with duty."

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