"By the sounds of it," Ivan said thoughtfully, his voice still rough from waking up, "and knowing you, Deda… this situation is an anomaly."
Nikolai looked toward him silently.
"You're weighing multiple factors before making your next move," Ivan continued carefully. "So what exactly is stopping you?"
The room quieted down. Nikolai seemed to hesitate before answering.
His sharp gaze moved slowly across his children, then toward Hak.
"It is concern for your generation," he admitted at last.
That answer alone surprised them. Nikolai rarely spoke emotionally about anything.
"I need to ensure that whatever decision we make now protects your futures," he continued calmly. "And your children's futures one day."
His expression darkened slightly as he looked toward the window overlooking Silvercrown.
"But most importantly… our home."
The city stretched quietly beyond the hospital walls, beautiful and dangerous all at once.
"Hassano has survived war many times," Nikolai said. "Our people are resilient. Strong hearted." His voice lowered slightly. "But this threat is different."
Everyone listened carefully.
"They are targeting the weakest parts of society."
Ulyana frowned faintly.
"The homeless," Nikolai explained. "Addicts. The desperate. The morally corrupt. People with nothing left to lose."
Hak's expression hardened subtly.
"That is one of the main reasons I operate both legitimately and underground," Nikolai continued. "Nivasa gives people real jobs. Stability. Opportunity."
He looked toward his grandchildren. "We fund scholarships. Feed communities. Support medical foundations. We help people before desperation consumes them."
Then his eyes sharpened slightly. "And those who cannot survive within legitimate society…" he said calmly, "we still give purpose to."
Vadim leaned back quietly, already understanding where this was going.
"Security work. Deliveries. Information gathering," Nikolai explained. "Clean, reliable payment."
"People talk to people like them," Hak added quietly.
Nikolai nodded once in agreement. "Exactly. Information from the streets cannot always be purchased through politicians and executives."
The room fell thoughtful.
For all the darkness surrounding their family, this was the side few outsiders ever understood. Nikolai's underground influence did not only exist for power.
It existed for control.
Stability.
Order.
"Whoever this new enemy is," Ivan muttered slowly, "they're weaponising desperation."
"Yes," Nikolai replied grimly. "And that makes them dangerous."
The old man's gaze finally shifted toward Hak again.
"Rowan and I are already discussing solutions," he said. "Hak has primarily acted as Rowan's underground contact all these years. That is why he has worked under me as well."
Ulyana looked toward Hak quietly.
"It was for experience," Nikolai continued. "And because Rowan alone could only teach him so much."
Hak lowered his eyes respectfully at the acknowledgment.
For a moment, the room grew still again with the heavy understanding that the world they lived in was beginning to change.
-
"Why do I feel like you're hesitating, Deda?" Ulyana asked quietly from beside Ivan's hospital bed. "What's the plan?"
Nikolai looked at her silently for a moment.
Then his eyes drifted toward the watch on his wrist.
"Rowan will be here shortly."
The siblings exchanged puzzled looks immediately.
Even Hak, who stood near the large hospital windows, visibly stiffened at the mention of his uncle.
The VIP hospital suite had become unusually crowded throughout the morning.
Despite being one of the hospital's most luxurious private rooms, the atmosphere still felt tense beneath the soft lighting and quiet hum of Ivan's monitors.
A few minutes later, the doors to the suite opened again.
Giuseppe entered first.
Nikolai's trusted right hand acknowledged everyone with a respectful nod before moving to stand near the doorway like a silent guard. The serious look on his face alone made it obvious this meeting was important.
Then several minutes later, another presence entered the room.
Rowan Volkov.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
He walked into the VIP suite wearing a perfectly tailored black suit beneath a dark trench coat, carrying himself with calm authority that naturally commanded attention. Beside him walked his right hand man, Graham, an impeccably dressed British man with sharp features and observant eyes.
The two men greeted Nikolai first.
A firm handshake was exchanged between the faction leaders, heavy with years of trust and mutual understanding.
Then Rowan greeted the others one by one.
Vadim.
Ivan.
Hak.
Finally, he stopped before Ulyana.
Rowan gently took her hand and kissed the back of it like a gentleman.
The gesture caught her entirely off guard.
Ulyana had seen Rowan throughout the years at events and meetings, but never this closely before. And embarrassingly enough, she was suddenly struck by how handsome he was.
Older than the others, certainly, but elegant in a dangerous sort of way. Composed. Refined. The type of man who looked calm even in the middle of war.
"Sir Rowan," she murmured softly.
A faint grin tugged at his lips. "Ulyana."
His voice was smooth and deep, carrying quiet authority without needing to be loud.
For a brief moment, she suddenly understood exactly where Hak inherited his presence from.
Rowan released her hand before taking a seat near Ivan's bedside while Graham remained standing nearby beside Giuseppe.
The room immediately became more serious.
Ivan shifted slightly against his pillows while Vadim leaned back in his chair, watching carefully.
Rowan folded his hands together calmly before speaking.
"So," he said evenly, glancing around the hospital suite, "shall we discuss the people attempting to destroy Silvercrown?"
The Meeting
Nikolai and Rowan began outlining everything they had uncovered from the recent assignments involving Hak, Ivan, and Vadim.
The atmosphere inside the VIP hospital suite grew heavier with every revelation.
"Firstly," Rowan began calmly, "the attack on the hotel in the main city was orchestrated by this new faction."
Hak remained silent near the windows while the others listened carefully.
"The building Hak destroyed," Rowan continued, "was one of their primary meeting locations."
Vadim blinked. "So burning it down actually hurt them?"
"Dramatically," Nikolai answered. "A significant portion of their operations have stalled since losing that location."
Hak finally spoke quietly. "They relied on that site heavily for movement and communication."
Ivan frowned faintly from his bed. "Meaning they've been more organised than we initially thought."
Rowan nodded once. "Secondly," he continued, "we confirmed which family aligned themselves with them."
"The Pierre family." The room grew still.
Ulyana's expression immediately darkened at the mention of Grayson's family.
Vadim swore under his breath. "Of course it's them."
"It explains how they gained access to certain elite circles so quickly," Nikolai said coldly. "The Pierres have always cared more about ambition than loyalty."
Ulyana stayed silent, though her discomfort was obvious.
The fact that Grayson's family had ties to this growing threat suddenly made all of his behaviour feel even more unsettling.
"Thirdly," Rowan continued, leaning forward slightly, "the attack on Ivan unintentionally gave us a breakthrough."
Ivan sighed weakly. "Glad my near death experience was productive."
"Nobody asked you to be funny right now," Vadim muttered.
A faint smirk crossed Rowan's face before he continued.
"The tracker placed on the attacker remained active long enough for our men to trace him before it was removed."
That immediately caught everyone's attention.
"And?" Hak asked.
Nikolai answered this time.
"They led us to an underground network beneath the city."
The siblings looked confused.
"The old war tunnels," Rowan clarified. "The ones long believed to have been sealed off decades ago."
Ulyana frowned immediately. "Those tunnels still exist?"
"Oh, they exist," Nikolai replied grimly. "And this faction has been using them to move throughout Silvercrown unnoticed."
Hak's expression darkened instantly as the implications became clear.
"They can enter or leave almost anywhere," he muttered.
"Correct," Rowan said. "Businesses. Residential districts. Underworld territories. They have escape routes beneath the entire city."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
For an enemy to possess hidden access beneath Silvercrown itself was catastrophic.
Finally, Rowan leaned back slightly before revealing the last discovery.
"And lastly," he said calmly, "their overall objective has become obvious."
Everyone focused on him immediately.
"They intend to take down one of the two major factions."
"The Volkovs," Hak said quietly.
"Or the Vasilys," Nikolai finished.
Vadim scoffed bitterly. "Good luck to them."
But Rowan's next words wiped the arrogance away instantly.
"The amusing part," he said with a faint grin, "is that they still believe the Volkovs and Vasilys are true rivals."
The siblings exchanged looks.
Silvercrown publicly viewed the two factions as long standing competitors.
Business rivals.
Underworld rivals.
Nobody knew how deeply connected they truly were behind the scenes. Not the shared operations and not the trust between Nikolai and Rowan. But certainly not the fact that Hak himself had essentially been raised between both families.
"They're preparing to divide us," Nikolai said calmly. "Without realising we have already been united for years."
A dangerous smile appeared on Rowan's face.
"And that," he said quietly, "may end up being their greatest mistake."
"So we know how they operate, what their objective is, and which family has sided with them," Vadim said thoughtfully as he leaned back in his chair. "So what's our next move?"
The room fell quiet.
Nikolai and Rowan exchanged a brief look, one that immediately made Hak's expression harden slightly.
Then Rowan answered calmly. "A wedding."
Silence. Complete silence.
Ulyana blinked.
Ivan looked visibly confused.
Vadim frowned deeply. "I'm sorry… what?"
Even Hak slowly turned his head toward Rowan.
Rowan remained perfectly composed as he folded his hands together.
"A public union," he explained smoothly. "Something powerful enough to force every major family in Silvercrown to reveal where they stand."
Nikolai nodded once in agreement. "If we create an alliance openly," he continued, "our enemies will panic."
"They'll move prematurely," Hak realised quietly.
"Exactly," Rowan replied. "Right now they believe division exists between our factions. We will use that assumption against them."
Vadim still looked utterly lost. "You're telling me the solution to an underground war is a wedding?"
A faint grin crossed Rowan's face.
"In high society," he said calmly, "marriage has always been one of the most effective political weapons."
"Oh," Vadim said slowly as he tried to process Rowan's statement. "So which factions are linking up?"
"Ours," Rowan answered simply.
The younger generation collectively stared at him in complete disbelief. Even Ivan looked momentarily too stunned to joke.
"So…" Ivan blinked slowly before looking between Hak and Ulyana. "Hak and Ulyana are getting married?"
Ulyana's face immediately flushed at the thought. She instinctively glanced toward Hak before quickly looking away again, suddenly very aware of everyone in the room.
Hak himself looked equally speechless. For once, the usually composed man genuinely seemed caught off guard.
"There's a problem with that," Nikolai interrupted calmly.
Everyone looked toward him.
"The issue," he continued, "is that Hak is effectively a ghost."
Hak's expression darkened slightly but he remained silent.
"To the general public, he does not exist officially," Nikolai explained. "He is an underground shadow. A rumour. A myth."
Rowan nodded once in agreement.
"Which means a marriage involving Hak would hold no political value in high society," he added.
Ulyana frowned slightly in confusion.
"So it's not me?" she asked innocently.
"Well, it has to be you," Ivan said immediately, like the answer was obvious. "You're the only girl in our generation."
"And there are no daughters in the Volkov family," Vadim finished slowly.
The room suddenly went quiet again.
Too quiet.
Then the realisation began settling over them one by one.
Ulyana's expression slowly fell.
Hak's jaw visibly tightened.
Ivan sat up straighter despite his condition.
And finally, Nikolai confirmed it.
"Ulyana," he said calmly, "will be betrothed to Rowan."
Silence crashed through the room.
Ulyana stared at her grandfather in complete shock.
Beside the windows, Hak went perfectly still.