Chapter 12 - The Ghost of the Port Lands
Deep within the industrial sprawl of the Port Lands, far from the polished glass and steel of the financial district, a lone figure stood smoking a cigarette inside the damp shadow of a rusted gantry crane.
Viktor Vance pulled his trench coat tightly around his shoulders, his face still bearing the faint, pale scars from where Nessa had introduced his jaw to the concrete weeks ago. His syndicate had fractured; his men had either scattered or quietly pledged allegiance to the Blackwood expansion. He was a ghost of a kingpin, stripped of his territory, his money, and his pride.
A sleek black sedan rolled silently to a stop beside him. The rear window rolled down, revealing the cold, weathered face of Marcus Sterling—an old-guard rival boss from Montreal who had long stayed out of Toronto’s internal politics.
“You lost an empire to a cellist and a rookie syndicate leader, Viktor,” Marcus said coldly, his voice dry as winter parchment. “It’s almost embarrassing to watch.”
“Ezra Blackwood isn't fighting alone anymore,” Viktor spat, throwing his cigarette butt onto the wet concrete and grinding it beneath his heel. “She’s the one holding him together. She’s his anchor. If you want to crack Blackwood open and take back the West Harbor logistics routes, you don't go after his money. You go after her.”
Marcus stared at Viktor with a look of profound disappointment. “You still don't understand, do you? Blackwood didn't win because he got lucky. He won because he adapted. If you touch Nessa Caldwell now, you aren't just declaring war on Ezra—you’re waking up a world-class fighter who humiliated your best men without breaking a sweat.”
“I want her broken, Marcus,” Viktor snarled, his eyes narrowing with bitter desperation. “I don't care what it takes.”
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“Then do it yourself,” Marcus replied flatly, raising his hand to signal his driver. “Because my crew is done cleaning up your reckless, arrogant mistakes.”
The window rolled up with a soft electric hum, and the sedan sped away into the fog, leaving Viktor entirely alone in the dark.
