The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 617

In Luxembourg, Logan sat alone in his office.

Night had completely taken over the city. The main lights were off, leaving only the sharp glare of the desk lamp to cut through the gloom. He slouched in his leather chair, a lit cigarette pinched between his fingers. He hadn't taken a drag in minutes. A long pillar of ash broke off and tumbled onto his dark trousers, but he didn't even bother brushing it away.

Files were strewn across his mahogany desk, yet he couldn't process a single word. Two massive crises pounded against his skull like sledgehammers—the plummeting stock prices and his son's mangled body. Mathis was still in the ICU, teetering on the edge of death. His wife was practically living at the hospital, sobbing so hysterically over the phone she could barely speak. He couldn't leave to be with them, and his company was burning to the ground around him, the heat practically scorching his skin.

A knock echoed against the door.

"Enter."

Adrian slipped inside, followed by a man in a dark jacket—one of the operatives they had stationed in Switzerland. The man stepped up to the desk and kept his head bowed respectfully.

"Mr. Astor, we've located Alissa."

Logan's fingers twitched. He ground the cigarette stub into the crystal ashtray and slowly looked up.

"Where?"

"London. An apartment complex in the suburbs. Our team has been tracking her for three days. We have positive visual confirmation."

Logan leaned back, a vicious smirk pulling at his mouth. It wasn't a smile—it was pure, glacial malice. Alissa. If it hadn't been for that bitch, Sebastian and Evelyn never would have tracked him down so quickly. Every piece of intel, every shred of evidence—she had handed it all over. He drew in a slow, ragged breath before speaking.

"Send in a heavier detail. Kill her. Keep it clean."

Adrian gave a curt nod. "Yes, sir."

"Do not let her slip away again. We missed our window in London last time. I will not accept another failure."

"Understood."

Logan pulled out another cigarette and lit it, inhaling deeply. Plumes of thick smoke spiraled into the dim light, casting shadows over his gaunt face.

"And Julian," he murmured, exhaling a grey cloud. "Put a team together. Find a way to end him. If you can't kill him, paralyze him. Make it look completely natural—no loose ends."

Adrian hesitated. "Julian is currently in New York. Operating stateside—"

"What about it? Are we suddenly incapable of working in New York?" Logan's voice cracked like a whip before dropping back into a menacing growl. "Keep it out of the public eye. Find a quiet street. A car accident, a mugging gone wrong, I don't care. I want him permanently silenced."

Adrian swallowed hard. "I'll make the arrangements immediately."

"Wait," Logan barked, flicking his ash. "Julian is sharp. The team you send needs to be entirely comprised of fresh faces. No one we've ever used before."

"Yes, sir."