~Some enemies hide in shadows.But the most dangerous ones… step forward willingly.
And tonight—
Volkov was finally ready to speak.
---
The Valentino estate felt colder than usual.
Ares stood inside the security room, staring at the screens in front of him.
Dozens of cameras.
City surveillance.
Private networks.
All searching for one man.
Damien Volkov.
But he was gone.
Again.
Luca rubbed his eyes in frustration.
"This guy disappears like a ghost."
Ares didn't respond.
Because his mind wasn't focused on finding Volkov.
It was focused on something else.
Why Volkov wanted Elara.
Elara sat quietly in the chair behind them.
Her fingers were clenched together.
"My father knew something," she whispered.
Ares turned slightly.
"Yes."
"And Volkov killed him for it."
"Yes."
Her voice shook.
"And now he's coming for me."
Ares walked toward her.
Slow.
Calm.
Dangerous.
"He's not taking you."
Elara looked up at him.
"You can't protect me forever."
"I don't need forever."
His voice was low.
"I only need one mistake from him."
Before she could respond—
Every screen in the room suddenly went black.
Luca jumped up.
"What the—"
Then the monitors flickered back on.
But the camera feeds were gone.
Instead—
One single video appeared on every screen.
A dark room.
A chair.
And a man sitting in the shadows.
Elara's blood turned cold instantly.
"Volkov…"
The man slowly leaned forward.
Revealing his face.
Damien Volkov smiled slightly.
"Good evening, Valentino."
Ares didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't react.
But the air around him turned lethal.
Volkov continued calmly.
"I must say… your security is impressive."
Luca started typing rapidly.
"I'm tracing the signal."
Volkov chuckled.
"You won't find me."
His eyes moved slowly toward the camera.
Toward Elara.
"Hello, little survivor."
Elara felt her heartbeat thunder in her chest.
"You remember me now, don't you?"
Her voice barely came out.
"You killed my father."
Volkov tilted his head.
"Such a dramatic way to describe it."
Ares stepped forward.
"You have ten seconds before I end this call."
Volkov laughed softly.
"You always were impatient, Valentino."
Then his expression changed.
Serious.
Cold.
"I didn't contact you for threats."
His eyes locked onto Elara.
"I contacted you for her."
The room went completely silent.
Ares's voice dropped to something dangerous.
"You don't get to say her name."
Volkov ignored him.
"Elara… do you know why you survived that night?"
Her stomach twisted.
"No."
Volkov smiled again.
"Because you are valuable."
Luca slammed his hand on the desk.
"What the hell does that mean?"
Volkov leaned closer to the camera.
"Ask her father's old files."
Then he said something that froze the entire room.
"He wasn't protecting documents."
He was protecting you.
Elara's breath stopped.
Volkov stood up slowly.
"I've waited a long time to finish that story."
Ares's voice turned deadly quiet.
"You come near her… and I will burn everything you have."
Volkov's smile widened.
"Oh, I know you will."
Then he looked directly into the camera.
"But this was never about power."
"It was always about destiny."
The screen suddenly went black again.
The call ended.
Luca stared at the monitors.
"I lost the signal."
Silence filled the room.
Ares slowly turned toward Elara.
His eyes darker than ever.
"Whatever your father discovered…"
He said quietly.
"We're about to find out."
Because Volkov wasn't hiding anymore.
He was coming.
---
~Volkov finally revealed the truth.
Elara wasn't just a witness.
She was the reason everything began.
And now—
The devil was coming back to claim her.