Page 59 of Arranged with Twins
I remove the bowl carefully and adjust the throw blanket to cover her more completely. Pregnancy exhaustion has been hitting her hard in the evenings, and I don’t want to wake her by moving around too much, but I can’t stay. The information about Adrian requires immediate attention, and Ilya will be waiting at the estate with whatever intelligence he’s gathered today.
I press a soft kiss to her forehead and slip out of the apartment, leaving her security detail with strict instructions to stay alert. When I arrive home, Ilya is waiting in my study with several manila folders spread across the conference table. His expression tells me the news isn’t good before he says a word.
“Vincent’s in trouble, and we might be in trouble too.” Ilya opens a folder containing phone records. “We intercepted communications suggesting Vincent’s beenproviding intelligence about your operations, including shipping schedules, security rotations, and even guest lists for events you’ve attended.”
The betrayal stings worse than I expected. Vincent sheltered me after my parents’ murder when no one else would take the risk. Now, he’s repaying my debt of gratitude by feeding information to my former protégé. I suspect he’s been forced to by the pressure of his debts, but that doesn’t excuse his actions. “How long has this been going on?”
“Phone records suggest regular contact starting in April, but the intelligence sharing probably began more recently. It was maybe four months ago, around the time of your engagement announcement.” Ilya points to a pattern in the call logs. “Adrian’s been patient, building Vincent’s debt first, then applying pressure gradually.”
“What’s Adrian asking for now?”
Ilya’s expression grows darker. “Access to your client database, shipping routes through the ports you control, and operational details about your security protocols. Vincent’s been stalling, which explains why the pressure is escalating.”
I lean back in my chair, considering everything. Adrian isn’t just trying to steal territory or clients. He’s positioning himself to dismantle my entire operation from the inside, and he’s using one of the men I used to trust to do it.
“The attack at the Ritz.” The pieces click into place with sickening clarity. “Vincent provided the security details.”
Ilya nods sharply. “It looks that way. The attacker knew exactly where to position himself, which exits would be covered, and when your detail would be most distracted.”
I exhale slowly, realizations settling in. “If he’s mapping my operation, he’ll look for weak points.”
Ilya nods. “Sienna fits the profile. She’s close to you and Vincent, and he probably doesn’t know how many men are guarding her. If he wants leverage?—”
“She’s the most vulnerable pressure point,” I finish grimly. “We need to move fast. What are our options?”
“Confront Vincent directly and demand he cut ties with Adrian. It might work if he still has any loyalty left.” Ilya doesn’t sound convinced by his own suggestion. “Or we could try to buy Vincent’s debt from Adrian, remove his leverage, as you talked about.”
I shake my head. “I had that idea when I thought he might just be plotting to take over Vincent’s business. Adrian won’t sell to me. This isn’t about money. It’s personal.” I stand and move to the windows overlooking my estate’s grounds. “He’s been planning this for months and probably longer.”
“Then we prepare for war.”
War means casualties, collateral damage, innocent people caught in the crossfire. It means Sienna becomes a target simply by association with me.
“Add more to her security detail,” I say without turning around. “Ensure she has round-the-clock surveillance and armed escorts for every movement. I don’t care if she complains about the visibility.”
“She’s already got more protection than most heads of state.” Ilya’s dry observation makes me turn back to face him.
“Then triple it. I want a small army between her and Adrian’s reach.”
He arches a brow. “That level of protection will be impossible to hide. She’ll know something’s wrong. You’re still not planning to tell her the truth yet, right?” When I shake my head, he sighs. “She’s going to be very angry.”
“Better angry than dead.” The brutal pragmatism in my voice surprises even me. “How quickly can you arrange additional personnel?”
“Within hours. I’ll hire men from a security firm we work with sometimes.” Ilya makes notes in his leather portfolio. “What about Vincent? Do we warn him that we know?”
“Not yet. As long as he thinks his betrayal is secret, we can monitor what intelligence he’s feeding Adrian. The moment Vincent knows we’re aware, he’ll either go to ground or escalate his cooperation.”
Ilya nods but looks concerned. “What will you do if Adrian decides to move against Sienna while we’re gathering intelligence?”
The question cuts to the heart of my dilemma. Every instinct screams at me to lock Sienna away somewhere safe until Adrian is neutralized, but she’ll never accept that level of control. I think she’ll forgive me for hiding the truth of her father’s actions until she’s in the second trimester, but I’m sure she’ll never get past her rage if I try to hide her away without her permission.
“We stay vigilant and hope Vincent retains enough loyalty to his daughter to draw a line somewhere.” I return to my seat. “What else do we know about Adrian’s current capabilities?”
“He’s expanded significantly since leaving your organization. He has five dozen men, maybe more, plus financial backing from sources we haven’t identified yet.” Ilya flips through intelligence reports. “He’s been recruiting from smaller syndicates by offering them better territories and fewer restrictions.”
My mouth twists in disgust. “Translation: He’s promising them the freedom to be more brutal than I allow.”
“Exactly. Men who’ve been frustrated by your codes of conduct find Adrian’s methods appealing.” Ilya’s tone carries disapproval. “He’s built loyalty through fear and greed rather than respect.”
