Chapter 7 - The Night of Red Velvet
The retribution of Nikolai Voss was swift, brutal, and biblical in its scale.
On a freezing rain-soaked night in November, the Voss Syndicate launched a simultaneous, coordinated assault against every commercial asset, warehouse, and estate owned by the Renard Crime Family across three states.
Nikolai did not stay behind in his fortress to watch the progress on computer monitors. He led the assault personally, clad in black tactical gear, moving through the rain like a dark specter of vengeance.
By 3:00 AM, the Renard family’s main mansion in the northern suburbs was surrounded by forty Voss soldiers. The heavy iron gates were blown off their hinges with plastic explosives, the sound echoing through the quiet valley like thunder.
Nikolai walked through the shattered front entrance of the Renard mansion, his boots stepping over the bodies of armed guards who had tried to stand in his way. He wiped a smudge of blood from his cheek with the back of his tactical glove as he entered the grand library.
Sitting in a high-backed leather chair behind a massive oak desk was Old Man Hector Renard, his breathing raspy, his oxygen machine humming loudly in the quiet room. Standing beside him, trembling violently with a gold pistol in her hand, was Celeste Renard.
"Nikolai..." Hector croaked, his pale eyes staring at the dark figure approaching them. "You... you can't do this... the underworld council will destroy you..."
"The council is dead, Hector," Nikolai said flatly, stopping ten feet from the desk, his assault rifle lowered at his side. "I killed the council chairman two hours ago. He was the one who approved your chemical package."
Celeste let out a choked scream, raising her gold pistol with shaking hands. "Stay back! Stay back, you monster!"
Nikolai didn't even look at her gun. He took two slow steps forward, completely ignoring the weapon pointed at his chest.
"You tried to burn my wife's lungs, Celeste," Nikolai said, his voice devoid of anger, sounding almost entirely detached, which made it infinitely more terrifying. "You tried to poison a child who hasn't even taken his first breath of air."
"She took everything from me!" Celeste shrieked, tears ruining her dark makeup. "She was a nobody! A dirty little florist! I was supposed to be Queen!"
"You were never going to be Queen, Celeste," Nikolai said quietly. "Because a Queen protects her people. You were just a spoiled child with a box of poison."
Nikolai raised his hand, gesturing to Viktor, who stepped forward holding two heavy leather documents.
"I am not going to kill you, Celeste," Nikolai revealed, shocking both her and her father. "Death is too quick for what you tried to do to my family."
He tossed the documents onto the desk in front of Hector.
"These are the surrender agreements," Nikolai explained. "You will sign over every dock, every warehouse, every shell company, and every asset owned by the Renard family to the Voss Syndicate. By morning, you will be penniless."
"And... and us?" Hector rasped, his hands shaking over the paper.
"You will be exiled," Nikolai commanded. "To a small, guarded cottage in northern Maine. You will have enough money for food and medical supplies, but you will never step foot in this city again. If either of you sets foot in New Haven, or if I hear the name Renard spoken in this state again, my men will execute you on the spot."
Celeste dropped her gold pistol onto the carpet, collapsing onto her knees beside her father’s chair, sobbing uncontrollably as the reality of her total, absolute ruin washed over her.
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Hector looked at Nikolai for a long moment, seeing the absolute, unyielding power in the young Don’s eyes. He picked up a pen with trembling fingers and signed his name at the bottom of the parchment.
Nikolai picked up the signed documents, turned his back on the ruined family, and walked out into the rain.
