Page 74 of Influence

For a brief, charged moment, time seemed to freeze as she scrutinized the weight of guilt etched into the lines of his face, her lips curling in a disgust palpable in the air. Franco stood across from her, his brow slightly furrowed, meeting her unwavering gaze with confused innocence. His eyes, dark and deep, revealed not even the smallest flicker of regret, remaining still and unreflective like a calm, muddied pond.

In a quiet yet unsettling tone that carried a sense of inevitability, she stated, “I believe there’s unfortunately only one thing that can stop you.”

Without hesitation or a warning, she squeezed the cold, metallic trigger of the pistol. The quiet of the dimly lit room shattered as the sharp crack of the gunshot reverberated off the walls.

The bullet flew through the air with pinpoint accuracy, striking Franco Dimitri squarely between his eyes. His expression shifted from shock to emptiness as his body, once rigid with defiance, slumped forward from the high-backed chair. The weight of inevitability dragged him down, and he collapsed onto the polished wooden floor with a final thud. The impact reverberated through the room, shattering the silence and leaving the onlookers immobilized in shock.

Moser took a step back, his eyes wide open as he tried to grasp the chaos unfolding around him. Faces contorted with rage pushed through the haze, leaving him dazed and unsure of what was meant to come.

Avra’s intense gaze cut through the confusion, her head tilting, daring him to react.

“Do I need to clarify my point?” she inquired, with a nonchalance starkly contrasting the turmoil surrounding them.

Moser shook, his body sinking under the burden of defeat. He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender, yet it felt feeble against her steadfast gaze.

“No, no…” he stammered, fear evident in the quiver of his lips.

A brief, humorless laugh slipped from her lips, a sudden, cutting sound that pierced the tension. She slowly shook her head, her gaze sweeping over the room filled with people. Every face exhibited a blend of awe and muted fear, eyes wide and breaths held, as if blinking might provoke her formidable presence. The air was electric, vibrant with the unspoken acknowledgment of her authority.

“You can call me a ruthless, violent elliniki godmother if you want,” she declared, her gaze steady and filled with fierce conviction. “Let history refer to me as a merciless figure. I am undisturbed by judgment. My mission is clear: to restore my family’s rightful place at the heart of this region’s power dynamics. With my sisters' support, I will pursue this goal. If anyone has doubts or questions, now is the time to voice them—fate’s inevitable progress will soon render them speechless.”

Moser’s hands trembled as he stuttered, “What do you mean by that? Isn’t each region governed independently?”

His confusion and bewilderment brought a smirk to Avra’s lips.

“Tsk, tsk.” Avra shook her head. “That’s how things are now, but it was never supposed to be this way. I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out yet, Moser. Perhaps your outdated thinking is making you slow.” She fixed him with a sharp look. “I want it all back—every bit of power my family lost after Papa’s assassination, and everything that rightfully belongs to us. I plan to take control of the entire region, and no obstacle or enemy will stop me. It’s not just ambition. It’s our birthright.”

In that suspended moment of charged confrontation, Moser’s eyes widened, pupils dilating as they darted toward me. His brow furrowed, and his lips parted, as if to ask a question, silently pleading for an explanation of the sudden turmoil erupting around us.

Elias stepped up beside Avra, his resolute expression echoing off the walls as he said, “She’s right.”

His conviction was a palpable force that filled the room, prompting everyone to pause.

I moved deliberately toward Layana, and with Elias, we formed an unbreakable, living shield against the impending threat of betrayal.

“Yes, she is,” I asserted, steady in my conviction.

Vik stepped forward, anchoring himself behind us, a powerful presence reinforcing our united front.

Leon Boscos sat at the polished oak table, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns of the wood as if searching for answers. Suddenly, as if compelled by an unseen force, he slid his chair back, the faint sound breaking the silence, and rose. Shoulders squared, he fixed his gaze ahead, striding toward us with determination, each footfall resonating on the marble floor. He lifted his chin, a silent defiance against the weight of expectations looming above.

When he arrived by our side, he declared, “I stand with them.”

A radiant smile spread across Layana’s face, enhancing her beauty and highlighting her inherent strength. In that instant, I yearned to wrap her in my arms and whisper that she was truly magnificent. Yet I restrained myself, knowing this was not a time for tender whispers but for the resounding celebration of her indomitable, unyielding power.

Nineteen

LAYANA

As I settled into the soft leather of the car seat, a sigh escaped my lips. I watched Vik’s sleek black SUV pull away, heading toward the outskirts of our territories. The rest of us prepared to return to the estate, flanked by our security teams. At the same time, a few of our most trusted and experienced soldiers stayed behind in Athens to oversee the meticulous clean-up of deceased godfathers and their associates.

Following Avra’s ruthless elimination of Franco, we had no option but to triple our defenses, aware that our enemies were increasingly threatened by the shifting power dynamics favoring the Vitalis Family.

Elias and Avra had decided to stay at Niko’s and my estate for now, adding another layer of security. Vik mentioned that keeping all three sisters in one central location, surrounded by three strong support systems, would alleviate the stress we continually seemed to place on him.

The meeting concluded swiftly after Leon Boscos spoke on our behalf. Everyone else held back their comments prudentlyand accepted Avra’s terms to prevent further provoking her and risking the same predicament as Franco.

My body continued to hum with excitement from the day. And from the gleam in Avra’s emerald eyes, it was clear she was riding high as well.

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