Chapter 194: Blood Against Blood-1
The basement smelled of iron and wet stone.
Marco Greco smiled, and the taste was rust.
+25 Points
The copper crust on his lip snapped when they’d dragged him down the stairs, fresh red leaking
over a jawline gone grey and hard.
He was lashed to a metal chair-wrists bound, ankles locked, one eye already clouding into a
purple knot.
He didn’t look like a victim. He looked like a man critiquing the service.
Across from him, Viktor Volkov sat, watching the show.
The single overhead light cut a sharp cone between them, the rest of the room swallowed in
shadow.
“You’re tougher than I expected,” Volkov said. His voice was mild, almost bored.
Marco rolled his jaw. It clicked, a dull spike of pain. He grinned anyway, his eyes fixed on the man
who shared half his blood and all of his father’s fortune.
“Thought you’d be louder,” Marco shot back. “For a man who just got embarrassed.”
Viktor leaned into the light, his shadow stretching long against the concrete. “Embarrassment is
for mistakes, Marco. Treason is a business decision. I simply didn’t think yours would be so cheap.
Marco spat a glob of thick, rusted red onto the floor. “Not cheap. Just overdue. I’ve been playing second chair to a ghost’s favorite son my entire life. I just finally decided to get paid for my work
and take what’s mine.”
Viktor laughed, a sharp, genuine sound that echoed off the damp concrete like he’d just heard a
punchline.
“That’s bold! Quite impressive!” Viktor leaned forward, the light finally catching the predatory edge in his eyes.
“You’re a stray, a half-blood mistake who doesn’t even carry the name. You’re the help that forgot its place. Tell me does the help really think it gets to sit at the table, or are you just happy to beg for the scraps I drop?”
Marco’s smirk didn’t just fade-it died.
16
000
O
r
Chapter 194 Blood Against Blood: 1
+25 Points
His jaw tightened so hard the bone looked ready to snap, and his breath hitched in a sharp, jagged hiss. He strained against the zip-ties until the plastic bit deep into his wrists, drawing fresh blood. His face flushed a dark, angry purple, and the eye that wasn’t swollen shut flared with hatred.
“The name is a leash, Viktor. A brand for cattle,” Marco spat, his voice trembling with a rage he couldn’t quite mask. “I’m the only part of this family with actual grit in his veins. You’re just a brand
name on a hollow box. I was bleeding for this family while you were being fitted for silk. I’m the one who built the throne you’re sitting on-name or no name.”
Viktor didn’t stop laughing. He leaned even closer, his voice dropping to a jagged whisper.
“Such passion! But grit doesn’t make a king, Marco. Legacy does. You speak of building a throne,
yet you forget who truly held the keys. If you were the architect you claim to be, you wouldn’t be
bound to a chair while I stand over you.”
Viktor straightened up, his eyes turning cold and dismissive. “The tragedy of your life is that you
mistake effort for worthiness. In this family, worth is decided by the blood that is recognized, not
the blood that is spilled in the shadows. You are a ghost in our history books, and ghosts don’t get
to wear crowns.”
Viktor’s laughter died down, his face smoothing into a mask of cold curiosity. “Enough with this
nonsense. Tell me, how did you do it?”
Marco’s grin widened. There it was. Pride. He lifted his chin slightly.
“You really think I’d hand that over?” he asked. “Took planning. Timing. Nerve.”
Volkov’s expression didn’t change. “Nerve,” he echoed softly. “Yes. You do seem… bold.”
Marco huffed a quiet laugh, wincing through the pain. “Maybe I just got tired of watching you pretend you’re untouchable.”
Volkov leaned back slightly. “Untouchable,” he repeated. “And yet, here you are.”
That earned him a flash of irritation in Marco’s good eye. A faint hum escaped Volkov as he stood
slowly, unhurried. The scrape of his shoes against the concrete echoed through the vault.
Comments
OO 16
Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.