Chapter 27: Breaking Point

 James entered the holding room, his gaze steely and unyielding as he fixed on Anna, who sat restrained, her posture defiant. The sterile silence of the underground bunker was only broken by the faint hum of a distant generator, and with each passing second, the weight of the room pressed down on them all. Sophia stood quietly by the door, her eyes keenly observing, knowing this was a part of James she had yet to fully understand.

James pulled up a chair, setting it directly in front of Anna. He leaned forward, just enough to close the distance between them, and held her gaze with a look of cold intensity. "I know you've been making moves, Anna. But I need names. I need places. And I need to know who you're working with."

Anna's eyes flickered, momentarily betraying a glimmer of hesitation before her mask of defiance slipped back into place. "And what makes you think I'll tell you anything, James?"

His lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "Because the person you're protecting isn't just my enemy, Anna. They're a threat to everything you stand for too."

She looked away, feigning indifference, but James could see the shift in her expression, the slight tremor of doubt. He pressed further. "You see, I know the Syndicate would never have gone to such lengths if it wasn't someone with deep connections and an old score to settle."

Anna laughed, though there was no mirth in it. "So that's what you think this is? Some old grudge?"

James tilted his head. "It's exactly what this is. And you know it too. Someone who has a vendetta against me, enough to bring you into their mess and leave you to face the consequences." His voice lowered to an icy whisper. "And when they're done with you, they'll throw you aside. You know it as well as I do."

Anna clenched her fists, her resolve wavering. The mention of betrayal, of being discarded, hit a nerve, and James could see it. He had spent years cultivating his influence, leveraging his knowledge of human weaknesses, and he could tell that Anna was reaching her breaking point.

"You were one of the best I had," James continued, his voice soft but unforgiving. "And yet, here you are, tangled in someone else's vendetta, ready to go down for someone who doesn't care if you live or die."

Anna's façade cracked, and she spat her response, "It's more than that, James. This is about power—the kind of power you think you can keep hidden behind your polished professor act."

He leaned closer. "Power you'll never hold onto, Anna. Not with allies like this."

She held his gaze for a long, silent moment, before finally exhaling in defeat. "Fine," she muttered, glancing away. "You want to know who's pulling the strings? It's Vincent Romano."

The name was like a shard of ice slicing through the room. Vincent Romano—an underworld figure who had been James's rival years ago. Romano had been one of the few to see James rise through the ranks, and it was no secret that he held a grudge after losing territories and allies to James's calculated maneuvers.

Sophia's eyebrows shot up, recognizing the name from James's earlier stories. "Vincent Romano? I thought he vanished years ago."

James's jaw clenched. "That's what everyone thought." He looked back at Anna, his expression cold. "How long has he been back?"

"Long enough," she replied, bitterness lacing her tone. "And he's not just back, James. He's amassed resources, built new alliances with others who hate you as much as he does. The Syndicate is just a piece of it."

A silence fell over them, the weight of her words settling in. Vincent Romano wasn't just any enemy. He was calculating, ruthless, and vindictive—a man who would stop at nothing to destroy James and reclaim his lost power.

James stood, his eyes cold with resolve. "Thank you for the information, Anna. I'll make sure Vincent knows you helped me."

Her eyes widened with sudden fear. "Wait—you're going to turn on me too?"

He leaned in, his voice deadly calm. "I'll give you a chance, Anna. But betray me again, and I'll make sure Vincent Romano is the least of your problems."

Turning away from her, James gestured for Sophia to follow him out. As they exited the room and the door clicked shut behind them, Sophia glanced at him, her voice barely above a whisper. "So, what now?"

James's expression darkened. "We end this. I'll take the fight to Vincent myself, but we're going to need all the information Anna just handed us—and a way to stay two steps ahead."

Sophia nodded, a mix of apprehension and anticipation tightening her chest. They were closer than ever to the end, but with a man like Vincent Romano now in play, she knew the stakes had never been higher.