Free Web NovelChapter 205: The Mystic Veil
"I called you because I need your help. As my friend, and as my brother."
Nikolai was silent for several seconds.
Then he looked Adrian straight in the eye.
"You want me to help you go against the chairman or against the king of the underground."
Adrian’s grip tightened around his glass.
"Both."
"Both," Nikolai repeated, his voice dangerously low. He let out a short, cold laugh that held absolutely no humor. "You have lost your mind, Adrian."
"If I sit back and do nothing, I am a dead man anyway. We fight, or we die."
Nikolai walked over to the decanter and slowly poured himself another drink.
"Going against the Chairman is one thing," Nikolai said, turning back to face him. "But challenging the King? That is not a war, brother. That is a suicide pact."
"Not if we strike first," Adrian whispered, stepping closer. "Not if we have the right leverage."
Nikolai looked at him for a moment.
"Sorry brother, but it’s too late."
Suddenly, a loud blast of gunshots shattered the quiet outside. Shouts and chaos erupted, as Adrian’s security detail was caught completely off guard.
Adrian spun toward the window, his hand instinctively reaching for the gun at his hip. But before he could react, Nikolai lunged forward. In one swift, practiced motion, Nikolai slammed Adrian against the wall, drove a syringe deep into the side of his neck, and emptied the plunger.
Adrian gasped as the sharp needle bit into his skin.
He tried to push Nikolai away, but Nikolai’s grip was strong, pinning him firmly in place.
Within seconds, the liquid inside the syringe emptied completely into his neck.
Outside, the chaos grew louder.
Gunshots echoed through the villa’s courtyard, followed by the violent crash of shattering glass.
Adrian’s vision began to blur, his limbs growing heavy and useless. He stared at Nikolai in pure shock as his strength completely evaporated.
"You..." Adrian choked out.
His knees buckled, and he hit the floor, unconscious. freewebnσvel.cѳm
Nikolai looked down at him, stepping over his limp body. "Like I said, brother. The walls are closing in."
Moments later, Julian and Ethan entered the villa, stepping over the shattered glass near the doorway.
Julian glanced at Adrian’s unconscious body before looking at Nikolai.
"Good work," he said.
Nikolai tossed the empty syringe onto the table. "I did what you asked. I hope I get what I was promised."
"You will," Julian said. "Adrian’s empire is yours. His territories, his routes, his remaining assets. Everything."
Nikolai listened without speaking.
"But you’ll run it in my name," Julian finished.
A slow smile appeared on Nikolai’s face. "That was always the deal," he said.
Ethan immediately signaled the men waiting outside.
Several guards entered and lifted Adrian from the floor.
....
Back in town, a few miles from the villa, Lyvana and Emily stepped out of the car and looked up at the weathered sign above the shop.
The Mystic Veil.
The small occult store sat between a bookstore and an antique shop, its windows filled with candles, crystals, tarot cards, and objects with strange symbols.
Emily suddenly felt cold. "Are you completely sure about this, Liv?"
Lyvana nodded.
She pushed the wooden door open. A small brass bell chiming softly above them as they stepped inside.
An old woman came out from behind the red curtain. Her sharp eyes fixed on them.
"What do you want?" the woman asked. "Love potion? Protection? Curse work?"
Lyvana walked to the counter. "Errm... I need to remember something that I have forgotten." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
The old woman stared at her, her eyes narrowing as she leaned over the counter.
"Memories are tricky," she whispered, shaking her head. "Sometimes the mind buries things to protect you. Digging them up, can bring a lot of pain."
"It’s important that I remember."
The old woman looked at her for a long moment, then reached under the counter and pulled out a small glass vial filled with a light silver liquid and a single black candle.
"Light the candle in a dark room," the woman instructed, pushing the items toward Lyvana. "Drink the liquid, close your eyes, and let the smoke guide you to the memory. But remember, once you see it, you can never forget it again."
The old woman tapped her wrinkled finger on the counter.
"That’ll be three thousand dollars," she said.
Emily gasped behind Lyvana. "Three thousand? For a candle and a tiny bottle? Liv, this is a scam."
But Lyvana was already reaching into her bag. She pulled out the cash, laid the bills on the counter, and picked up the bottle and the black candle.
"It’s ok Emy," she said calmly.
"What if it doesn’t work?" Emily asked the old woman.
The old woman’s sharp eyes flicked to Emily.
"If it doesn’t work, then your mind was never meant to know. And you’ll be grateful for it."
Emily snorted, shaking her head.
"That sounds exactly like something a scammer would say."
The old woman didn’t react. She simply continued staring at them, as if they were nothing more than a distraction taking up her time.
"Believe me or don’t," she said calmly. "I’ve already been paid."
"What is in the liquid?" Lyvana asked.
"It is not poison, if that is what you mean," the old woman replied flatly. "It is liquid smoke. It will come back out after you remember."
Emily opened her mouth to argue again, but Lyvana shook her head.
"It’s fine, Emy. If it doesn’t work, we’ll try someplace else. Let’s just go."
The old woman suddenly reached across the counter and grabbed Lyvana’s wrist.
Lyvana jumped. "Hey!"
But the old woman didn’t let go.
Her grip was firm, unexpectedly strong.
For a moment, her eyes seemed to darken. Then her expression changed.
"You’ve. Seen. Death," she said her voice sounding creepy.
A chill ran down her spine. "W-what?"
The woman slowly released her wrist and her expression changed back to normal.
"Why are you still here?" she asked casually, as if nothing had happened. "Do you want something else?"
Lyvana stood still for a moment, staring at the woman.
The grip on her wrist still felt like it was there, even though the woman had let go.
"What... what did you just say?" Lyvana asked quietly.
