Chapter 4 - The Ruin of the Castro Empire
The destruction of Julian Castro was not loud. It did not make the front page of the tabloids, nor did it involve the violent theatrics people associated with the mafia.
Nikolai Machado was an artist, and his medium was power.
I spent the next four weeks living in absolute luxury within the walls of Nikolai’s penthouse. My days were filled with prenatal yoga, working on my illustrations in a sunlit studio Nikolai had built for me overnight, and learning the quiet, intense man who came home every evening just to press his ear to my stomach and talk to our daughter in Russian.
But while I was resting, the shadow king was working.
It started with the supply chains. Julian’s family wealth was tied up in luxury real estate development and importing high-end materials. Suddenly, their cargo ships were delayed at the docks indefinitely due to "administrative errors." Their union contractors walked off job sites in the middle of the night, refusing to answer calls from the Castro management.
Then came the banks.
I was sitting in the library one evening, drinking tea, when Nikolai walked in, loosening his tie. He looked exhausted, but there was a dark, satisfied gleam in his eyes. He tossed a heavy manila folder onto the coffee table.
"What is that?" I asked, shifting my weight on the plush sofa.
"The deed to the Hartwell Grand Ballroom," Nikolai said casually, pouring himself a measure of amber liquid from the crystal decanter. "And the controlling shares of Castro Development."
I stared at the folder. "How?"
"Julian’s father was over-leveraged. When their supply chains inexplicably froze last week, they missed two major loan payments. A private equity firm bought their debt. I own the private equity firm."
Nikolai walked over and sat beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.
"Julian Castro is bankrupt," Nikolai stated, his voice devoid of pity. "His fiancée left him yesterday when the credit cards declined. His father is facing federal audits. They have been evicted from their penthouse."
I looked down at the folder, processing the sheer, terrifying magnitude of Nikolai's reach. He had dismantled an entire dynasty without firing a single bullet, simply because Julian had insulted me at a party.
"Nikolai," I breathed. "You ruined him."
"He looked at you, carrying my child, and asked if you gave up," Nikolai said, his gray eyes hardening to steel. "He humiliated you in front of the city. I simply ensured he will never have the platform, the money, or the breath to speak your name again."
May you like
He turned his head, pressing his lips to my temple. The anger faded from his voice, replaced by a fierce, possessing tenderness.
"Let him be a ghost. You have an empire to run."
