Ochieng sat in his office, the dim glow of the city lights casting long shadows across the room. His fingers drummed against the polished mahogany desk, his mind racing. The revelation from Sienna still echoed in his thoughts.
The Order of the Black Phoenix.
A name that had remained buried in the underbelly of power struggles, whispered only among the most dangerous circles. If they were truly making a move, then everything he had built—his empire, his influence, his life—was on the line.
A knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts.
Tobias, his most trusted confidant, entered, his expression unreadable. "We have a problem."
Ochieng leaned back, exhaling. "Of course we do. What now?"
Tobias handed him a file. "Three of our warehouses were hit last night. No survivors. And there was a message."
Ochieng opened the file, his gaze darkening at the symbol burned into the photographs. A black phoenix rising from flames.
It had begun.
---
The city was alive with chaos by the time Ochieng arrived at the scene. His warehouses, once a symbol of his dominance, were now nothing more than charred ruins. The air reeked of smoke and blood. His men stood in silence, the weight of the attack sinking in.
Tielen, his right-hand enforcer, clenched his jaw. "They didn't just hit us. They sent a warning."
Ochieng's gaze swept over the destruction. "They made a mistake."
Jeff, the mastermind behind their financial empire, adjusted his cuffs. "How do you want to handle this?"
Ochieng turned to them, his voice steady but lethal. "We're not playing defense."
Tielen smirked. "Then what's the plan?"
Ochieng's eyes gleamed with cold determination. "We burn their world to the ground."
---
As if the night couldn't get more complicated, Sienna was waiting for him at his penthouse.
She stood by the window, silhouetted against the city skyline, her presence as unsettling as ever.
"You saw what they're capable of," she said without turning.
Ochieng poured himself a drink. "And you expect me to believe you're not a part of this?"
Sienna turned, her expression unreadable. "If I was, you'd be dead already."
Ochieng studied her, his instincts screaming at him not to trust her. "Then why are you here?"
She took a step closer, lowering her voice. "Because the Order isn't just after you. They're after something bigger. Something hidden."
His grip tightened around the glass. "What are you talking about?"
Sienna exhaled, her emerald eyes meeting his. "Your father left behind more than just an empire. He left behind a secret that could destroy everything."
Ochieng's world tilted for a fraction of a second.
His father. The man who had built a dynasty, only to disappear under mysterious circumstances.
A secret?
Sienna's voice was barely a whisper. "And they'll kill you to get it."
---
Ochieng knew there was no turning back. The shadows were closing in, and the only way out was through blood and fire.
He set his drink down, meeting Sienna's gaze. "Then let's give them a war they'll never forget."
Outside, the city lights flickered.
The storm had arrived.
---