The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 190 - One Hundred and Ninety

Chapter One Hundred and Ninety

Malachi’s POV

I could hear the fear in her voice through the phone.

"What does that mean? What are they planning?"

"I don’t know yet. But Emily wants revenge on the family. Zhao wants you. Together, they’re dangerous."

"So what do we do?"

We. She’d said we. Like we were a team. Like she was including me.

That small word did something to my chest.

"I’m going to Paris. I’m going to that meeting. And I’m going to end this."

"By yourself?"

"Maurice is with me. And I’m calling in Rose and Violet. They’re already on their way."

Silence on the other end. I could almost hear her thinking. Weighing options. Trying to decide if she should tell me not to go.

"Alicia?"

"I don’t want you to die."

The words were soft. Scared. Honest.

"I’m not going to die."

"You don’t know that. Emily knows you. She knows how you think. How you operate. And Zhao is smart. Ruthless. If they’re working together—"

"Then I’ll be smarter. More ruthless. I’ve been doing this my whole life, Alicia. I know how to survive."

"But what if—"

"No what ifs. I’m going. I’m ending this. And then you and the baby will be safe."

Another silence. Longer this time.

"Promise me something," she said finally.

"Anything."

"Promise me you’ll come back. That you won’t do something stupid and heroic and get yourself killed."

"I promise."

"I mean it, Malachi. Our baby deserves to know their father. Even if I’m not sure I want you in my life, they deserve that choice."

Our baby. She kept saying it now. Not the baby. Not my baby. Ours.

"I’ll come back. I swear it."

"Okay." She took a breath. "Be careful."

"I will. And Alicia?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For caring whether I live or die. Even a little bit."

"I care more than a little bit. That’s the problem."

She hung up before I could respond.

I stared at my phone. At the blank screen that seconds ago had connected me to her voice.

She cared. About me. About whether I survived.

That was more than I deserved. More than I’d hoped for.

Maurice walked into the hotel room. "Rose and Violet landed an hour ago. They’re getting equipment."

"Good. What else do we know about the meeting?"

"It’s at a private club. Expensive. Exclusive. The kind of place where rich people do business they don’t want public."

"Security?"

"Tight. But nothing we can’t handle."

"What time?"

"Tomorrow night. Nine PM."

Twenty-four hours. I had twenty-four hours to plan. To prepare. To figure out how to take down both Emily and Zhao without getting killed in the process.

"There’s something else," Maurice said carefully.

"What?"

"Dante. He’s been calling. Says he has information about Emily’s plan."

"And you believe him?"

"I don’t know. But he sounded desperate. Said if we don’t listen, a lot of people are going to die."

I thought about Dante. About the friend who’d betrayed me. Who’d funded Emily’s revenge plot.

Part of me wanted to ignore him. Let him rot in whatever guilt he was feeling.

But if he actually had information that could save lives...

"Fine. Put him on speaker."

Maurice dialed. The phone rang twice before Dante answered.

"Malachi?"

"Talk. You have two minutes."

"Emily’s plan. It’s bigger than you think. She’s not just targeting Pa and Mario. She’s targeting the entire family structure. Everyone."

"How?"

"She’s been collecting evidence. Financial records. Proof of illegal operations. Murder. Torture. Everything the Blackwoods have done for the past twenty years. She’s going to release it all. Destroy the family’s reputation. Get everyone arrested."

My stomach dropped. "When?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Soon. Maybe days. She’s been working with journalists. Lawyers. People who want to see the Blackwoods fall."

"And Zhao? Where does he fit in?"

"He’s the insurance. If the legal approach doesn’t work, he provides the muscle. He takes out key family members. Creates chaos. Makes it impossible for the Blackwoods to recover."

"And Alicia?"

Dante hesitated. "She’s leverage. Against you. Emily knows you care about her. Knows you’ll do anything to keep her safe. So if you interfere, if you try to stop the plan, Zhao takes her. Uses her to control you."

"Over my dead body."

"That’s exactly what they’re counting on. You getting yourself killed trying to protect her. Leaving the family vulnerable."

Maurice and I exchanged glances.

"What does Emily want?" I asked. "What’s her endgame?"

"Justice. Revenge. She wants Pa to suffer the way she’s suffered. Wants the family destroyed the way her family was destroyed."

"And you helped her. Funded this."

"I know. I’m sorry. I thought... I thought she deserved justice. I didn’t realize how far she was willing to go."

"You’re pathetic."

"I know that too." Dante’s voice cracked. "But I’m trying to make it right. I’m giving you information. Warning you. That has to count for something."

"It counts for you staying alive. For now. But Dante?"

"Yeah?"

"When this is over, you and I are going to have a conversation about loyalty. About what happens to people who betray family."

"I understand."

I hung up.

Maurice was already pacing. "If what he’s saying is true—"

"It is. Emily’s smart. Thorough. She’s been planning this for five years. Of course she has evidence."

"So what do we do?"

"We go to Paris. We stop the meeting. We eliminate both threats."

"And the evidence? The records she’s collected?"

"We find them. Destroy them. Make sure they never see the light of day."

"That’s a lot to accomplish in one night."

"Then we better be efficient."

My phone rang. Rose.

"We’re in position," she said. "Watching the club. No sign of Emily or Zhao yet."

"Good. Stay on them. I want to know the second they arrive."

"Understood. One more thing."

"What?"

"There’s chatter. About a big operation happening in Dark City. Tomorrow night. Same time as the Paris meeting."

My blood ran cold. "What kind of operation?"

"Unknown. But multiple sources mention the Blackwood estate. Your father’s house."

A distraction. Or worse. A coordinated attack.

Emily and Zhao in Paris. Another team hitting Dark City.

Divide and conquer.

"Call Pa. Tell him to lock down the estate. Maximum security. No one in or out."

"Already done. He’s moving the family to a secure location."

"Good. Keep me updated."

I hung up and looked at Maurice. "Emily’s attacking on multiple fronts. Paris and Dark City. Simultaneously."

"We can’t be in both places."

"I know. That’s the point. She’s forcing me to choose. Alicia or the family."

"What are you going to do?"

I thought about it. About Pa. About Travis and the rest of the Blackwoods. About the empire we’d built.

Then I thought about Alicia. About our baby. About the life growing inside her that I’d never even seen.

There wasn’t a choice. There never had been.

"I’m staying here. In Paris. Protecting Alicia."

"And the family?"

"Can protect themselves. They have resources. Security. They’ll survive."

"And if they don’t?"

"Then I’ll live with that. But I won’t risk Alicia. Won’t risk our child."

Maurice nodded slowly. "You’ve changed."

"Have I?"

"The old Malachi would have chosen the family. Would have put the empire first. No question."

"The old Malachi didn’t have a child on the way."

"Is that all it is? The baby?"

"No. It’s her. It’s always been her."

I pulled out my phone. Called Alicia.

She answered on the first ring. "Malachi?"

"I need you to stay at the estate. Don’t leave. Don’t go anywhere. Keep security close."

"What’s wrong?"

"Emily and Zhao are planning something big. Tomorrow night. In Paris and in Dark City. I don’t know all the details yet, but I need you safe."

"What about you?"

"I’ll be fine."

"That’s not what I asked."

"I’m going to stop them. Whatever they’re planning. I’m going to end it."

"Malachi—"

"I have to go. But I meant what I said. I’ll come back. I promise."

"Wait—"

"I love you, Alicia. Whatever happens tomorrow, I need you to know that."

I hung up before she could respond. Before I could hear her tell me she didn’t feel the same. That she was still scared. Still unsure.

Because right now, I needed to believe that maybe, eventually, she could love me back.

Even if I didn’t deserve it.

Even if I was about to do terrible things in her name.

Maurice was watching me. "Ready?"

"No. But let’s do it anyway."

We spent the rest of the night planning. Mapping the club. Identifying exits. Weaknesses. Ways in and ways out.

Rose and Violet arrived at midnight. We coordinated. Synchronized watches. Made sure everyone knew their role.

By dawn, we were as ready as we’d ever be.

I stood at the window of the hotel room. Watching Paris wake up. Watching the sun rise over a city that had no idea what was about to happen.

Somewhere out there, Emily was preparing. So was Zhao. Both of them thinking they had the upper hand.

They were wrong.

Because they’d made one critical mistake.

They’d threatened my child.

And there was nothing I wouldn’t do to protect what was mine.

Nothing I wouldn’t burn.

No line I wouldn’t cross.

Emily wanted a monster?

I’d give her one.

My phone buzzed. A message from Alicia.

I love you too. Come back to me.

I stared at the words. Read them three times to make sure they were real.

She loved me.

Alicia loved me.

I typed back with shaking hands.

I will. I promise.

Then I turned to Maurice, Rose, and Violet.

"Let’s end this."