novelraw Chapter 106: You are a dead man
Chapter 106: You are a dead man
Chapter 106: You are a dead manThe silence after the gunshot was deafening.
The guard’s blood still pooled around her boots, seeping into the floor like it belonged there. Victor stood in the center of the room, a shadow against the light, methodical and unhurried. He removed his gloves one finger at a time, the silence pressing down like a storm about to break.
Mara’s breathing was steady now.
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
Victor walked to the table in the corner, wiped the gun clean with a cloth, and then turned his back to her like she wasn’t even a threat.
Like she was furniture.
Like she was nothing.
"I knew you’d try something," he said eventually. His voice wasn’t raised. It didn’t need to be. "That’s what Shepherds do, right? Always pushing. Always clawing for power."
Mara didn’t answer.
Not yet.
Victor turned to face her. He walked over, crouched down, eye level. His face was unreadable, a work of art carved from stone and shadows.
"You’re not leaving," he said simply. "And your brothers? They’ll cave. They’ll do whatever Philip wants. All we need is time."
Mara finally spoke.
"Funny," she murmured, "You sound scared."
That made him pause.
Just a flicker—but she saw it.
"I’m tied to a chair, covered in someone else’s blood, and you’re here... explaining yourself to me." She smiled, slow and cold. "You’re not here to intimidate me, Victor. You’re here to convince yourself this plan still works."
Victor’s jaw tightened.
"You think this is about fear?" he said, voice slipping into something sharper. "You think I care about a spoiled little girl who thinks she’s dangerous?"
"No," Mara said. "But you care about Philip. And deep down, you know he’s slipping. You know this was never supposed to go this far. Killing your own men? That’s not control. That’s panic."
Victor struck her.
A hard backhand across the cheek.
Her head snapped to the side. Blood bloomed in her mouth.
She laughed.
Low. Bitter. Unbothered.
"You just proved me right," she spat.
Victor grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look at him. "You’re going to regret that mouth."
"Not as much as you’ll regret underestimating me."
His eyes
He stared at her, stunned as she told him everything but then... he nodded.
"Then I’m with you."
Ethan had seen her with Mara a few times. This version of Vera? She was carved from pain. And the man responsible... he was inside.
He didn’t care how many people they had to go through. He didn’t care about strategy or risk.
He’d follow her into hell. Because she’d already lived through it. And now? It was time to burn it down. He passed her a knife and a taser.
She checked her boot holster for the small pistol she’d stolen from Cai’s stash.
They moved as one.
Silent. Swift. Lethal.
As Vera and Ethan slipped into the back loading dock, Stefan and the others breached the east side with explosives, a flashbang lighting up the inside like a mini supernova.
Screams. Chaos. Gunfire.
Philp turned, barking orders to his men and Victor.
He hadn’t expected this.
And in that chaos... Mara smiled.
Because she knew.
She knew they were here.
And one of them... was bringing revenge.
Gunfire echoed in the hollow belly of the warehouse.
Victor stumbled backward, blood blooming from his leg like a dark flower. Vera stood over him, breath ragged, face wet with tears but her grip on the knife was steady.
"This," she hissed through clenched teeth, "is for her."
Another stab.
"And this—" she plunged the blade again "—is for me."
Victor screamed. Collapsed. Broken and begging. No more snarls. No more power. Just a pathetic mess on the floor.
But Vera wasn’t done.
Not yet.
She leaned down, her lips to his ear, whispering like death.
"You’ll rot knowing it was me who ended you."
She turned her back.
Let him bleed.
Let him crawl.