THE BEGINNING

Lazar's POV.

“Sir, he seems to be waiting for you.”

We followed the information we were given about my uncle’s whereabouts only to find him seated in an empty fine dining three-star restaurant. Dimly lit chandeliers hung over polished tables. Of course, he’d pick somewhere fancy and deserted. He always had a taste for drama.

He knew I was coming. Smart.

“Stay alert. I’m going to meet him,” I ordered.

“Sir, it’s dangerous. We have no idea what his motives are,” Ilya disagreed, his brows furrowed deep in protest.

“He can’t kill me… not now at least. He still needs to win the approval of the other family branch, and we both know that’s an impossible task. As much as they hate me, they hate him more,” I replied calmly, stepping out of the car.

Ilya stood firmly behind me as I adjusted my suit, my gun pressing against my side like a promise. My men were scattered around different areas of the restaurant, hidden but alert.

I really do hope, for his sake, he doesn’t plot an attack.

As much as I would love to kill him right now, killing him would only bring me unnecessary trouble. I already had enough on my plate—rogue members, authorities breathing down my neck, and of course, stupid family members who make stupid decisions.

At the entrance, I paused. My hand slid into my pocket, and I pulled out my phone. I hesitated for a second, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

Did I say goodnight properly?

I tapped quickly: Goodnight. I forgot to say it earlier.

I hit send.

A few seconds later, a reply blinked in.

Goodnight too. Get back safe.

My lips tugged into a faint smile. That was all I needed. With a little more fire in my veins, I slipped the phone back into my pocket and pushed through the heavy doors.

Time to deal with this bastard.

The restaurant was silent, except for the soft hum of classical music playing in the background. And there he was—Trevor. My dear uncle.

He sat like he owned the place, one leg crossed over the other, sipping on a glass of wine like this was some sort of family reunion.

The moment he saw me, his lips curled into a smirk that made my blood pressure rise.

“Nephew,” he greeted, mockingly raising his glass.

I didn’t smile.

“Trevor,” I said, intentionally skipping the title he craved so much.

He noticed, of course.

“You used to call me Uncle,” he teased, placing his glass down. “You’ve grown cold.”

I pulled out the chair across from him and sat down slowly. “And you used to have dignity. We both changed.”

He laughed—a dry, grating sound that reminded me of broken glass.

“Tsk. So hostile. I thought this was a business dinner, not a therapy session.”

“I’ll cut the crap, Trevor. Compensate for the damage to my warehouse and return everything you took.” I leaned forward slightly, resting my arms on the table.

Trevor raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Of course he’d play dumb. The man had lies flowing in his veins.

“You always were a terrible liar.” I scoffed.

Trevor chuckled again, swirling his wine. “Still the angry little boy, aren’t you? I thought time would make you more… refined. I see I was wrong.”

“Say what you want, but if you don’t return what you stole and pay for the damages, I’ll enforce family law. That means hunting down every one of your businesses and burning them to the ground.”

He paused, then burst into a laugh so loud and obnoxious it made a nearby waiter flinch.

“You?” he chuckled. “You don’t have the balls to take control of the family. You're soft, Lazar. You play king, but deep down, you’re still the scared kid who watched his daddy die.”

Every muscle in my body tensed.

He wanted me to react.

But I didn’t.

I sat still, calm as a still lake.

“I’m not here to prove anything to you. And I’m not scared of blood, especially not yours.”

“Big talk. But let’s be real, nephew. You don’t have it in you to kill me. If you did, I’d be dead already.”

He leaned back smugly.

“You keep hiding behind family laws and politics because you’re weak. I’m the one who should be leading. The only reason they cast me away is because I didn’t kiss ass like the rest of you.”

I exhaled slowly, reaching into my jacket—not for my gun, even though I really wanted to. Just a handkerchief.

“Let me make something very clear,” I said in a level tone. “You stopped being my uncle the moment you killed my father.”

His smirk twitched.

“Watch your mouth, Lazar. You have no proof of anything.”

“Don’t lie to my face,” I snapped, my voice low and sharp. “You might have fooled the council back then, but you didn’t fool me.”

He leaned forward now, the air between us thick with heat.

“You’re treading on dangerous ground.”

“Good,” I said, standing up. “Because I’m ready for war.”

Trevor rose slowly, clapping his hands once with mock enthusiasm. “You’ve grown teeth. Let’s see if you know how to bite.”

I looked him straight in the eye. “Every step you take from now on, I’ll be there. Every business, every deal, every shady move—you won’t see it coming. But I’ll be there. Like a shadow, Trevor. You started this. I’ll end it.”

He scoffed. “Still no respect. Not even calling me Uncle. Your father would be ashamed.”

“My father would’ve killed you himself if he knew the kind of snake you were.”

I turned and walked away, my steps calm, but my fists clenched tight. My heart thudded with anger, with grief, with restraint.

Trevor’s voice called out behind me one last time.

“You’ll regret this, Lazar.”

I didn’t look back.

Let him talk. He wouldn’t be laughing for long.

Ilya met me at the exit, eyes scanning me.

“Everything alright?”

“No,” I replied. “The war has officially begun.”