Chapter 143

• Author's POV
• Nightfall cloaked the city in shadows, its quiet streets humming with the distant sounds of engines, sirens, and murmured conversations. The neon lights from rundown buildings flickered like broken promises, casting distorted reflections on the rain-slick pavement. Tension hung thick in the air as Victor made his way through a narrow alley to a rusted steel door guarded by two heavily armed men.
• This was the Vipers’ base—an old, graffiti-covered warehouse on the outskirts of town. Inside, the air was heavy with smoke and sweat, the scent of oil and danger clinging to every surface. Armed men leaned against walls, playing cards or cleaning their weapons, casting wary glances as Victor passed through. No one questioned him—they knew who he was. More importantly, they knew who his brother had been.