The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 157 - One Hundred and Fifty-Seven

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Seven

Malachi’s POV

Dark City looked exactly the same and completely different at once.

The streets were familiar. The buildings. The alleys where I’d learned to fight and survive and become someone who didn’t flinch at violence. But the feeling was wrong. Like wearing clothes that used to fit but didn’t anymore.

I’d spent three years building my empire here before moving to Silver Lake. Three years of blood and brutality and establishing myself as someone you didn’t cross. And now I was back, chasing a ghost and trying to destroy someone who’d dared to challenge me.

I was exhausted. I hadn’t slept more than three hours in the past week. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Alicia. Heard those recordings I still didn’t understand. Felt the ring burning a hole in my pocket that I couldn’t bring myself to throw away.

The warehouse we’d set up in was exactly what you’d expect. Concrete floors, metal walls, minimal furniture. Functional. Temporary. A place to operate from, not a place to live.

Rose was setting up surveillance equipment when I walked in. She looked up, assessed me with those sharp eyes that missed nothing.

"You look like hell."

"I’m fine."

"You’re not fine. You’re running on caffeine and rage. That’s not sustainable."

"It’ll sustain me until Zhao Wei is destroyed. That’s all that matters."

She didn’t argue. Just went back to her work. Rose knew better than to push when I was like this.

Violet came in carrying files. "Got the breakdown on Zhao’s operations you asked for. He’s expanded significantly since you left. Controls about sixty percent of the territory you used to hold."

"Sixty percent of my territory."

"Technically it’s not your territory anymore. You’ve been gone for months."

"It’s mine. It’s always been mine. Zhao’s just been keeping it warm."

Violet set the files on the table. "We need to talk strategy. You can’t just charge in and start burning things down. Zhao’s established here. He has connections, resources, people loyal to him."

"So did I."

"So did you. Past tense. The people who were loyal to you five years ago have either moved on or pledged to Zhao. You can’t count on old alliances."

I grabbed one of the files. Started flipping through it. Operations. Locations. Key players in Zhao’s organization. All the information I needed to dismantle everything he’d built.

"Then we make new alliances. Find people who are unhappy with Zhao’s leadership. Offer them better terms. Remind them why they used to fear the Blackwood name."

"That could take months."

"Then we work faster."

Dante walked in looking concerned. "Malachi. We need to talk about funding. Moving the entire operation here, setting up new infrastructure, paying for intelligence. It’s expensive. And our cash flow is disrupted because of the shipments Zhao hit."

"So fix it. That’s your job. Find the money. Move assets. Do whatever you need to do."

"It’s not that simple. Some of our accounts are frozen. Someone’s been filing legal challenges against our holdings in Silver Lake."

I looked up sharply. "Who?"

"Don’t know yet. The filings are coming through shell companies. But someone’s trying to tie up our resources while we’re distracted here."

Someone. Always someone. Another enemy. Another problem. Another thing I had to deal with when all I wanted was to find Alicia and make her understand that whatever she’d heard, whatever had scared her, it didn’t change what we had.

Except we didn’t have anything anymore. She was gone. And I was here chasing revenge because I couldn’t chase her.

"Mavis," I called out. "Get in here."

My tech specialist appeared from the back room. "Yeah?"

"I need you to find out who’s filing those legal challenges. Trace the shell companies. Find the real person behind them."

"Already working on it. Should have something in a day or two."

"Make it one day."

"Malachi—"

"One day, Mavis. I don’t care what you have to do. Hack whatever systems you need to hack. Pay whoever needs to be paid. Just find out who’s attacking us financially."

She nodded and disappeared back to her computers.

I looked around the warehouse at my team. All of them looking at me with varying degrees of concern. All of them knowing I was operating on the edge of sanity but too professional to say it out loud.

"What?" I snapped. "Everyone has their assignments. Get to work."

They scattered. Left me alone in the main room with files and anger and the exhaustion that threatened to swallow me whole.

My phone buzzed. Text from Maurice who I’d left in Silver Lake to manage things there.

Pa Wood called a family meeting. Everyone’s supposed to attend. He specifically asked for you.

I typed back.

Tell him I’m busy.

He says it’s urgent. About the family situation.

I don’t care. I’m not leaving Dark City until Zhao is handled.

He’s worried about you.

He can worry. I have work to do. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

I threw my phone on the table. Pa Wood. Family meetings. All of it felt irrelevant compared to the rage burning in my chest.

Zhao Wei had attacked me. Had killed my people. Had stolen my shipments. Had challenged me in my own city. And I was going to make him regret every single decision that had led him to think he could come after a Blackwood.

But underneath the rage was something else. Something I didn’t want to acknowledge. Hurt. The kind of hurt that came from losing someone you’d planned a future with. The kind that made your chest feel hollow and your thoughts scatter and your control slip.

Alicia had left me. Had run to another continent. Had turned off her phone and disappeared like I was something to be feared instead of loved.

And maybe I was. Maybe those recordings she’d heard had shown her who I really was. The parts of me I’d tried to keep separate from her. The violence. The cruelty. The things I’d done in Dark City that I wasn’t proud of but had been necessary for survival.

I pulled out the ring. Stared at it. The symbol of a future that would never happen. The promise I’d been about to make.

I should throw it away. Pawn it. Do something other than carry it around like a pathetic reminder of what I’d lost.

But I couldn’t. Some stupid part of me still hoped. Still thought maybe I could find her. Explain. Make her understand. Convince her that what we had was real even if parts of me were dark.

"Boss." Rose’s voice pulled me back. "We’ve got movement. Zhao’s people are watching the warehouse."

"Let them watch."

"They’re being obvious about it. Want us to know they’re there."

"Good. Saves me the trouble of finding them."

"You’re not thinking of engaging already? We just got here. We don’t know the terrain yet."

"I know the terrain. I built my reputation in these streets. I know every corner, every advantage point, every weakness in their surveillance."

"That was five years ago."

"Some things don’t change."

Rose studied me. "You’re going to do something stupid, aren’t you?"

"Stupid or brilliant. Depends on your perspective."

"Malachi. I know you’re angry. I know you’re hurting. But charging into a fight right now, when you’re this tired and this unfocused—"

"I’m perfectly focused."

"You’re focused on the wrong things. You’re focused on destroying Zhao because you can’t have Alicia. That’s not strategy. That’s displacement."

I wanted to argue. Wanted to tell her she was wrong. But Rose had known me too long. Seen too much. Knew exactly what I was doing even if I didn’t want to admit it.

"What would you have me do? Sit here and wait? Plan for weeks while Zhao continues to operate with impunity?"

"I’d have you rest. Actually sleep. Clear your head. Then make decisions from a place of strategy instead of emotion."

"I don’t have time for rest."

"You don’t have time not to. You’re making mistakes. Small ones right now, but they’ll get bigger if you don’t take care of yourself."

"Noted. Now leave me alone."

Rose hesitated, then nodded and left. I knew she was right. Knew I was operating on fumes and fury. Knew I needed to sleep and eat and do all the basic things that kept a person functional.

But every time I tried to rest, I saw Alicia. Heard her voice. Felt the ghost of her touch. And the pain of her absence was worse than the exhaustion.

My phone rang. Unknown number. I almost didn’t answer. But something made me pick up.

"Malachi Blackwood." A voice I didn’t recognize. Male. Calm. "I’ve been expecting you to come to Dark City."

"Who is this?"

"Someone who knows things. About Alicia. About those recordings. About who sent them and why."

My grip tightened on the phone. "Talk."

"Not over the phone. Meet me tomorrow. Midnight. The old factory district on the west side. Come alone."

"I don’t take orders from strangers."

"You will if you want answers. If you want to know why Alicia ran. If you want to understand what she heard and who made sure she heard it."

"Why would you help me?"

"I’m not helping you. I’m giving you information. What you do with it is your choice. But if you want the truth, you’ll be there."

The line went dead.

I stared at my phone. This could be a trap. Could be Zhao setting up an ambush. Could be anyone trying to lure me out alone.

But it could also be answers. Real answers about why Alicia had run. About those recordings. About who had orchestrated her disappearance.

And I needed answers more than I needed caution.

Tomorrow. Midnight. I’d be there.

And whoever was playing games with me would learn that Malachi Blackwood didn’t scare easily.

Even when he was exhausted. Even when he was half-mad with grief and rage.

Even when he was barely holding himself together.

I’d be there. And I’d get my answers.

One way or another.