Chapter 10 : THE RECKONING

THE CAR RIDE

The leather seats of the limousine were cold against Kyrian's burning skin.

He sat pressed against the window, arms crossed, jaw clenched so tight it ached. His heart was still pounding—not from fear, but from pure, unfiltered rage.

Seo-joon sat across from him, silent. He hadn't said a word since they'd left the casino. He just watched Kyrian with those sharp, calculating eyes.

Finally, Kyrian couldn't take it anymore.

"Say it," Kyrian snapped, glaring at him. "I know you want to lecture me."

Seo-joon sighed, removing his glasses to clean them with his handkerchief. A nervous habit.

"Do you have any idea what you just did, Rian?"

"I defended myself," Kyrian shot back immediately. "That bastard grabbed me first. What was I supposed to do? Thank him?"

"You threw alcohol on Lorenzo Moretti's face," Seo-joon said slowly, emphasizing each word.

"In front of half of Monaco's elite. In his own casino."

"Good," Kyrian spat. "Maybe next time he'll think twice before putting his hands on someone without permission."

Seo-joon leaned forward, his voice dropping.

"Kyrian, listen to me very carefully. That man you just humiliated? He's not just some arrogant Alpha. He's an Enigma.

The rarest, most dangerous rank that exists."

Kyrian rolled his eyes. "I don't care what rank—"

"He's the Don of Monaco," Seo-joon interrupted, his tone sharp now.

"He controls half of Europe's underground trade routes. He's untouchable. And you just made him look weak in front of his own people."

The car fell silent.

Kyrian's anger flickered, replaced by something colder.

Understanding.

"So what?" Kyrian's voice was quieter now but no less defiant.

"He's going to kill me for defending myself?"

"No," Seo-joon said grimly. "That's not how men like Lorenzo work. They don't kill people who embarrass them."

He looked Kyrian dead in the eyes.

"They break them."

*******

VOLKOV MANSION - THE STORM

The grand doors slammed open before Kyrian could even reach for the handle.

Ivan stood there, his face pale, eyes wild with panic.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Ivan grabbed Kyrian's arm, pulling him inside.

"Do you have any idea—Dad's been calling you for an hour!"

"My phone died," Kyrian muttered, yanking his arm free. "And I'm fine, by the way. Thanks for asking."

"You're not fine!" Ivan hissed. "You just started a war!"

Before Kyrian could respond, a deep voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Kyrian. My office. Now."

Kirill Volkov stood at the top of the grand staircase, his silhouette dark against the chandelier light.

His face was unreadable, but his tone said everything.

Kyrian swallowed hard. He'd seen his father angry before. But this? This was different.

This was fear.

THE OFFICE

The heavy oak door closed behind them with a final, ominous click.

Kirill didn't yell. That's what scared Kyrian the most.

He simply walked to his desk, poured himself a glass of vodka, and drank it in one smooth motion. Then he poured another.

"Dad—" Kyrian started.

"Sit."

Kyrian sat.

Kirill finally turned to face him, and Kyrian saw something he'd never seen before in his father's eyes.

Fear.

"Do you know who Lorenzo Moretti is?" Kirill asked quietly.

"Seo-joon told me in the car," Kyrian admitted, his defiance wavering. "He's some powerful mafia guy. I get it."

"No," Kirill said, shaking his head. "You don't."

He walked closer, his voice heavy.

"Lorenzo Moretti doesn't just run Monaco, Kyrian. He owns it.

Politicians, police, judges—they all answer him. He's not just powerful. He's untouchable."

"But I didn't—"

"You humiliated him," Kirill interrupted, his voice rising now.

"In public. In front of his associates, his enemies, his business partners. You made the most dangerous man in Europe look weak."

Kyrian's hands clenched into fists on his lap.

"He grabbed me first, Dad. Was I supposed to just—"

"I don't care who started it!" Kirill roared, slamming his hand on the desk. The glass shook.

The room went silent.

Kirill took a breath, forcing himself to calm down. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter. Sadder.

"Kyrian... you're my son. My youngest. I would burn this entire city to protect you."

He looked at Kyrian with tired, worried eyes.

"But even I can't protect you from Enigma's wrath. Not if he decides you're an enemy."

Kyrian felt something cold settle in his chest.

"So what do we do?" Kyrian asked, his voice smaller now.

Kirill poured another drink. He stared at it for a long moment before answering.

"We wait. We see what he does.

And we pray he decides you're not worth the trouble."

**********

MORETTI ESTATE - THE BEAST AWAKENS

Lorenzo Moretti stood in his private bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

His shirt was still damp with whiskey. His hair was disheveled.

There was a small cut on his cheek from where the glass had grazed him.

He should be furious.

He should be planning immediate retaliation.

But instead...

He started laughing.

It wasn't amusement. It was something darker. Something cold.

"Boss?" Enzo Romano's worried voice came from outside the door.

"You okay in there?"

Lorenzo opened the door, still wearing that unsettling smile.

Enzo, Dante, and Matteo were all standing there, looking concerned.

"Are you... laughing?" Dante asked carefully.

"That boy," Lorenzo said, his voice dangerously soft. "That beautiful, stupid, brave boy just humiliated me. In front of everyone."

"Yeah," Enzo said. "We saw. That's why we thought you'd be—"

"Furious?" Lorenzo walked past them toward his bedroom. "Oh, I am. But not the way you think."

He changed into a fresh black shirt, his movements precise and controlled.

"Call Dante," Lorenzo said. "And get my father. We need to have a conversation."

30 MINUTES LATER - THE WAR ROOM

The Moretti inner circle gathered in Lorenzo's private office.

Vincenzo sat in the leather chair, arms crossed. Dante stood with his tablet. Enzo leaned against the wall. Matteo watched his brother carefully.

"So," Vincenzo said. "What's the plan? Retaliation? A warning?"

Lorenzo poured himself a drink—whiskey, ironically.

"No."

"No?" Dante looked confused.

"Lorenzo, you were publicly humiliated. If you don't respond, people will think you're weak—"

"Let them think what they want."

Lorenzo's smile was cold. "I'm going to respond. Just not the way they expect."

"How then?" Enzo asked.

Lorenzo set down his glass and looked at his inner circle.

"That omega dared to humiliate me in public," Lorenzo said, his voice deadly quiet. "Just because I touched him."

"To be fair," Matteo started, "you did grab him without—"

"I don't care." Lorenzo's eyes were dark. "He made me look weak. In front of my enemies. My business partners. Everyone."

"So what do you want to do?"

Vincenzo asked.

Lorenzo's smile turned cruel.

"I'm going to own him."

The room went silent.

"Own him?" Dante repeated slowly. "What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

Lorenzo walked to his desk and pulled out a leather folder. "Dante, I want you to draft a marriage contract."

"A WHAT?!" Dante stood up so fast his chair fell over.

"You heard me. A marriage contract between myself and Kyrian Volkov."

"You're out of your mind!" Dante's voice rose. "You can't just force someone to marry you!"

"I'm not forcing anyone."

Lorenzo's tone was ice. "I'm making an offer the Volkovs can't refuse."

"The Volkovs will NEVER agree to this—"

"Won't they?" Lorenzo's smile widened. "Their youngest son just humiliated the most powerful man in Monaco. Do you know what that means for them? For their business? For their safety?"

Understanding dawned on Dante's face. "You're going to threaten them."

"I'm going to give them a choice."

Lorenzo pulled out a cigar, lighting it slowly. "Marriage alliance or war. Their son on my arm, or their empire in ruins."

"This is insane," Matteo said quietly. "Even for you."

"Is it?" Lorenzo took a drag. "I get the omega who dared challenge me. They get protection and alliance with the Moretti family.

Everyone wins."

"Except Kyrian," Enzo pointed out.

"Who gets forced into marriage with a man he clearly hates."

"He doesn't hate me. He hates what I represent." Lorenzo's eyes gleamed. "And soon, he won't have a choice but to accept both."

Vincenzo had been quiet this whole time, studying his son.

"You're doing this for revenge," he said finally.

"I'm doing this for control,"

Lorenzo corrected. "He embarrassed me. So I'll own him.

Completely. Legally. Publicly."

"And when he fights you every step of the way?" Dante asked.

"Then I'll enjoy breaking that fight." Lorenzo's smile was predatory. "That's the fun part."

"Lorenzo," Matteo said seriously.

"You can't force someone to love you."

"I'm not asking him to love me."

Lorenzo stubbed out his cigar. "I'm asking him to marry me. Love is optional. Obedience is not."

Dante looked horrified. "You're talking about him like property."

"In this world? He will be."

Lorenzo's voice was final. "Draft the contract, Dante. Make it ironclad. Once he signs, he's mine."

"And if he refuses to sign?"

Lorenzo's smile turned dark.

"He won't refuse. Because I'm not going to ask him. I'm going to ask his father. And Kirill Volkov is a smart man. He'll understand the alternative."

"Which is?" Enzo asked.

"War. Complete destruction of the Volkov empire. His sons dead. His wife a widow. His legacy ash."

The room fell silent.

"You'd really do that?" Matteo asked quietly. "Over a drink thrown in your face?"

"I'd do that over disrespect."

. Lorenzo's voice was steel. "No one humiliates me and walks away. No one."

"The Volkovs will never agree," Dante repeated

Lorenzo's cruel smirk returned.

"That omega is going to walk down the aisle by himself. Whether he wants to or not."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I'm going to give him a choice: Marry me willingly and keep his dignity. Or marry me by force and lose everything."

Lorenzo stood, buttoning his jacket.

"Either way, he becomes mine. The only question is how much he wants to fight it."

"This is sick," Dante muttered.

"This is business." Lorenzo walked toward the door. "Draft the contract. Schedule a meeting with Kirill Volkov. Three days from now."

"What are you going to tell him?"

Vincenzo asked.

Lorenzo paused at the door, looking back with those cold, dark eyes.

"That his son's little stunt came with a price. And the price is marriage."

"To you."

.

"To me." Lorenzo's smile was pure predator. "And after the wedding, I'll have the rest of our lives to teach him exactly what happens when you disrespect Lorenzo Moretti."

.

He left the room.

The remaining men sat in stunned silence.

"He's lost it," Enzo finally said.

"No," Vincenzo said quietly, staring at the closed door. "He's just shown you what he's always been.

Patient. Calculating. And utterly ruthless."

"That boy has no idea what's coming," Dante said.

Matteo looked at the door where his brother had disappeared.

"Neither does Lorenzo," he said softly. "If he thinks Kyrian Volkov will just roll over and obey... he's about to learn otherwise."

BACK AT VOLKOV MANSION - SAME NIGHT

Kyrian couldn't sleep.

He lay in his massive bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the casino scene over and over in his mind

Did I go too far? Will he retaliate?

His phone buzzed.

Unknown Number: Sleep well, Little Volkov. We'll be seeing each other very soon.

Kyrian's blood ran cold.

Another text:

Unknown Number: I hope you enjoyed your freedom tonight. It's the last night you'll have it.

Kyrian threw his phone across the room.

What does that mean?

He pulled the blankets over his head, trying to calm his racing heart.

It's just a threat. Empty words. He can't actually DO anything...

Right?

But deep down, Kyrian knew.

Lorenzo Moretti didn't make empty threats.

And whatever was coming...

It would be bad.

*****************