Chapter 11 The Game Of Shadows

• "In the intricate dance of power, the mind must be as sharp as a blade and the heart as cold as ice."
• —Viktor Giovanni—
• I sit across from my father in his office, the air between us thick with tension. The room smells of rich mahogany and cigars, the scent mingling with the unspoken animosity lingering in the air. His Italian blood boils anytime the Volkovs are mentioned. My father—pure Italian, a ruthless strategist—has always prided himself on his control. But at the mere thought of the Volkovs, that control slips, and his anger flares.