Chapter 172 – Liam's POV
The city lights blinked faintly outside the high-rise windows of Liam's penthouse office. The skyline looked peaceful from this height—silent, harmless. But Liam knew better. Beneath the concrete calm of America's most powerful city, war was brewing.
He later informed Shadow and Raven to meet him in his penthouse and this time, he was done playing nice.
Liam stood with his back to the glass, arms crossed as Shadow finished laying out the intelligence their network had gathered.
"She's been seen near the Eastside district," Shadow said, his voice low, calm. "Same eyes. Same walk. Same tattoos. It's her. Valkyrie."
Liam's jaw tightened at the name, but he didn't flinch.
"She left a scar, didn't she?" Shadow continued, watching Liam carefully. "I can pull her in quietly if you give the word."
Liam shook his head slowly. "Not yet. She's bait. We use her—just like Marcus used her on me."
There was silence in the room, the weight of Liam's words lingering heavily in the air.
Four years ago, Marcus—his greatest enemy—had used his own sister, Valkyrie, to infiltrate Liam's inner circle. She didn't just sneak into the club's HQ; she wormed her way into Liam's heart. Sleek, skilled, seductive—she made it easy to believe in her lies. She played the role of a lover so perfectly, Liam never saw the knife coming.
And when the betrayal hit, it nearly destroyed everything.
A member of Liam's core team had been severely wounded because of leaked intel. Their safe house was compromised. Their missions, exposed. For months, Liam struggled to rebuild trust inside his team. His own leadership had been questioned.
He would never forget that.
And Marcus? He walked away untouched, unbothered, smiling like the devil he was.
But not anymore.
Now, Liam was done reacting. It was his turn to strike.
"We're going to do to him what he did to me," Liam said, voice low and clear. "We're going to send someone into his world. Close to him. Closer than even his own blood. And when he finally lets down his guard... we'll crush him from the inside."
Shadow raised a brow. "You want to send a spy?"
"Not just a spy," Liam said, walking toward the table where a map was spread open. "Someone who can pretend. Seduce. Manipulate."
"A woman," Shadow said flatly.
Liam nodded. "Marcus has a weakness for control. He thinks he owns everything and everyone around him. We'll send someone he won't see coming."
Shadow looked intrigued but cautious. "And where do we find a woman willing to play that part? To enter the lion's den and not flinch?"
Liam met his eyes, lips twitching slightly. "We already have candidates. Trained. Skilled. This time, it'll be our game."
Shadow stepped forward, pointing to one of the red pins on the map. "This is his latest location. A luxury villa just outside the city, disguised as a wellness retreat. We've seen guards. New vehicles. Increased surveillance."
"Perfect," Liam muttered. "We'll start there."
He leaned over the table, tracing a line between their last known safehouse and Marcus's stronghold.
"This isn't just revenge," Liam said. "This is justice. He turned my heart into a weapon, and nearly destroyed everything I built. Now, he'll feel what it's like to be violated from the inside."
Shadow folded his arms. "And Valkyrie?"
Liam paused.
"She's a loose end," he said finally. "But not one I plan to cut... yet. She'll lead us to Marcus if we're patient."
Shadow nodded. "You're colder than you used to be."
"I'm smarter than I used to be," Liam corrected, eyes still on the map. "This time, I won't get played."
He walked back to his desk, picking up his phone. There was a file already waiting in his inbox—profiles of their top female operatives. Trained assassins. Seduction experts. Fluent in deception.
He tapped through them one by one.
Not beautiful in a model-type way—but all had one thing in common: they knew how to get inside a man's world without him suspecting.
One of them would bring Marcus to his knees.
A soft knock sounded at the door. Raven, one of Liam's oldest operatives, stepped in with a brief nod.
"We've narrowed it to three agents," she said, sliding a folder across the desk. "But there's one I think you'll want to see."
Liam opened the folder. The woman in the file had sharp eyes and a quiet smile. Her record was clean. Her missions—successful. She had vanished from radar for two years, only to reappear recently with a clean slate and updated credentials.
He tilted his head.
"She ever worked undercover romantically?" he asked.
Raven smirked. "She's the reason two arms dealers ended up in prison. She had both of them convinced they were the only ones she loved."
Liam gave a small nod.
"She's the one," he said. "Prep her. Train her if necessary. I want her inside Marcus's circle within a month."
Raven's eyes lit up. "Understood."
As she left the room, Liam leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.
This wasn't about Valkyrie anymore. She had made her choice.
Now, it was Marcus's turn to lose everything—one piece at a time.
And Liam would be watching.
Smiling.