Chapter 21

The First CrackRain drummed was hitting the tall windows of Lucien Devereux's estate.Brussels had welcomed them home with gray skies and cold streets, as though the city itself sensed something had changed.Inside the mansion, however, everything appeared exactly as Alexei remembered.The marble floors gleamed under the chandeliers. Guards stood at their posts without expression. Servants moved through the corridors in practiced silence. Cigarette smoke drifted from the library, mixing with the scent of expensive whiskey.Nothing had changed, but yet everything had. Alexei stood thinking in his bedroom, staring at the ring resting in his finger. The Cham, its surface looked ordinary in the morning light. No glowing symbols, no strange aura but just polished surrounding a dark stone that reflected his own tired eyes.He turned it, warm, always warm and almost like another heartbeat. He remembered the collector in Vienna collapsing to his knees without understanding why. The man's des

Chapter 22

The First CrackThe black Mercedes rolled through the iron gates precisely at seven in the evening, its headlights swept through the rain-soaked courtyard before the engine fell silent. Henri moved first, opening the rear door with practiced precision.Mayor François Lambert emerged from a large black umbrella. He wore his public smile effortlessly, the same reassuring face that had carried him through elections, charity galas, and television interviews. To Brussels, he was a respectable statesman, but to Lucien, he was another piece on the board."Welcome, Monsieur Mayor," Henri greeted. Lambert nodded politely. "Lucien always chooses dramatic weather for our meetings." He said, and Henri merely smiled."This way." Inside the mansion, warmth replaced the evening chill, fire crackled inside the grand fireplace and glasses sparkled inside golden chandeliers. Classical music drifts through hidden speakers, masking every conversation beyond the room.Lucien stood waiting beside the firep

Chapter 23

Whispers Behind Closed DoorsThe morning after Mayor François Lambert's visit arrived under a curtain of mist, Brussels woke to its usual rhythm. Trams rattled through narrow streets, cafés filled with politicians clutching newspapers and bitter coffee, Church bells ringing far from the old districts as office workers hurried under umbrellas.On the surface, the city was unchanged, but under it, invisible currents had begun to shift. Mayor François Lambert had slept barely two hours, his wife found him standing before the dining room window long before sunrise, still dressed in yesterday's clothes. "François?" She called.He didn't answer, still muted. She frowned."You never came to bed, may I know why?" She asked. "I know I didn't, but…” He paused. "You've been staring outside for nearly an hour." She continued. Only then did he turn, oh God! His face looked exhausted."I had... an unusual meeting." He said. "With Lucien I guess?" He hesitated. "Yes." She sighed, I see. "I've told y

Chapter 24

Whispers Behind Closed DoorsThe room fell into a silence so complete that even the ticking of the antique clock seemed louder than before.Alexei stared at Arjun, unable to tear his eyes away. "The Cham... remembers?" He asked. Arjun nodded once. "That is what my grandfather believed, he used to say no one truly owns the Cham. And every bearer merely borrows it."Alexei sat up and looked at the ring lying on the table. "It showed me strangers?" He asked. "It will, they weren't speaking any language I know, because they may have lived centuries before either of us."A chill crawled deep inside Alexei's skin.He had expected danger, he had expected power but he had not expected history. Arjun walked to the window before continuing. "My grandfather spent years searching old monasteries, forgotten libraries, and private collections across India, Persia, and Eastern Europe.""He found proof?" Alexei asked. "He found fragments." Alexei nodded and listened attentively. "Different names, dif

All Chapters of The Capo's Devotion: Own by the Don: Chapter 21 - Chapter 24

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24