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Taking out their ships was a bold move, but necessary. In our world, respect was currency, and I intended to show that the Kaligaris family’s wealth was immeasurable.
It was time to make my move.
And everyone was going to see it.
CHAPTER 14
Nikolaos
The first light of dawn was creeping through the curtains when I woke up. Immediately, I sat up as thoughts of last night’s decisions raced through my head. My mind should have been preoccupied with the Stefanidis family, but thoughts of the young girl sleeping in the other room popped into my head instead.
My Maci…
All of a sudden, my phone rang, shattering the morning quiet. There was only one person who would call me at this hour, and I answered it immediately.
“Andreas,” I greeted, my voice steady and calm, my eagerness for news only just held at bay. I needed this plan to go off without a hitch. It had to be done perfectly the first and only time.
“Good morning, Nikolaos,” Andreas replied, a subtle tone of victory in his voice, and I sighed with relief. “The operation was a success. The Stefanidis ships have been hit. All three targeted vessels are at the bottom of the harbor. Our divers executed the plan flawlessly, and there were no casualties on our side. It’s already causing ripples through their ranks.”
A momentary sense of relief washed over me, followed quickly by a reassertion of my usual mask of composure. “And the repercussions?”
“As expected, there’s chaos in the Stefanidis camp. They’re scrambling to find out who’s responsible. Our involvement is still hidden for the moment, but I suspect it won’t be long until they figure out it was us. Law enforcement is treating it as an unfortunate accident, thanks to our initial groundwork. It couldn’t have gone off better, boss.”
“Excellent work, Andreas. Keep a close eye on the developments. I want hourly updates. You and I both know that this is just the beginning. The Stefanidis family will be planning their next move, and we’ll need to be ready for whatever they throw at us.”
“Understood. The team is on high alert. I’ll keep you informed of every single detail.”
“Good. I don’t care how small. I want to know.”
As I ended the call, I stood by the window and looked out at the rolling ocean, the early morning light glinting off the water’s surface like a handful of glittering diamonds. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I slowly turned my head, gazing in the direction of Maci’s room.
I wanted to go to her, but I held back for a long moment.
I shouldn’t, right?
For a moment, regret seeped into my head. Maybe I should have been gentle with her, taken her virginity sweetly instead of hard and fast like a savage beast, or maybe I shouldn’t have touched her at all. I should have been a gentleman and held her close, comforted her after I had taken her so roughly. Something, anything really…
None of that mattered now.
I closed my eyes, imagining the scintillating scent of her lavender shampoo and the way it had driven me wild, and I drew a breath in through my teeth.
She was young, innocent in many ways to the world I commanded, and I was a man who bore the weight of a legacy written in power and sometimes in blood.
She was mine now. That much was certain.
She had become a part of my life, a beacon of something pure and untainted shining amongst the shadows of my existence, and a part of me wanted to keep it that way. Her innocence was like a breath of fresh air, and I never wanted it to go away.
I wanted to keep her. A man like me shouldn’t be allowed to keep an innocent like her, but I didn’t play by the rules.
I made my own.
I would do anything to keep her safe, to shield her from the harsh realities that lay outside the walls of my home. In a life where trust was a rare commodity, and weakness and vulnerability could be fatal flaws, my desire to protect Maci would be forever unwavering.
I knew that the path ahead would be fraught with challenges. But one thing was clear—I would protect what was mine.
And Maci was mine.
Knowing it was still quite early, I quietly made my way towards her room. The house was silent, the only sounds the distant murmurs of the ocean and my own measured footsteps against the hardwood floors. As I gently pushed open her door, I soundlessly held my breath.
