The Fears Of A Billionaire

Chapter 164: Chapter 165: The Edge of the Cliff

Alyssa's breath caught in her throat as she stared at Volkov, her pulse quickening. The docks stretched out around them, the massive cargo ship looming ominously in the background. Her mind raced. Volkov wasn't one to bluff if he said it was already done, that meant the deal was in motion, or worse, already complete.

But Alyssa wasn't ready to give up.

"Done?" she said, narrowing her eyes, her gun still trained on him. "What exactly is done, Volkov? You've got your shipment, but you're still here. That tells me you haven't won yet."

Volkov chuckled, his hands casually resting in his coat pockets. "Always so quick to think you have control, Alyssa. But this was never about control. It's about chaos. And I've sown enough of it to last a lifetime."

Alyssa's grip tightened on her gun. "What's on that ship? Where are those weapons going?"

Volkov tilted his head slightly, his eyes glittering in the dim light of the docks. "You've been so focused on stopping me, you never stopped to ask the right question. It's not where they're going... it's who's already taken them."

Alyssa's blood ran cold. She glanced toward the ship. The crew was working faster now, as if they knew time was running out. She couldn't see inside the containers from this distance, but her gut told her Volkov had more than weapons hidden away.

"Who did you sell them to?" she demanded.

Volkov stepped closer, his presence almost unsettling in its calm. "It's too late, Alyssa. The buyers are already in play. Governments will fall. The balance of power will shift, and by the time you realize the scale of what's happened, it'll be over."

Her heart hammered in her chest. She couldn't let this happen. She had to stop the ship, stop the deal but Volkov was still one step ahead. He always had been.

But maybe she could still turn the tables.

With a sudden movement, Alyssa stepped forward and grabbed Volkov by the collar, pressing the barrel of her gun against his chest. His men weren't nearby they were still caught up with Marcus and Eleanor at the warehouse.

"If it's too late for me to stop it," she said, her voice low and controlled, "then it's too late for you to walk away. Tell me who bought the weapons, or you won't be leaving this dock alive."

Volkov's smile didn't falter. "I think you know, Alyssa. Think about it. Who would want this chaos the most? Who thrives when everything else burns?"

Alyssa's mind raced through possibilities: rogue states, criminal syndicates, terrorist organizations but the truth hit her like a punch to the gut. She lowered her voice to a growl.

"You sold them to multiple buyers," she said. "You're starting a war."

Volkov didn't answer immediately, but the glint in his eyes was all the confirmation she needed. His plan wasn't just about selling weapons; it was about fueling a conflict that could spiral out of control. The buyers weren't just enemies of each other they were enemies of stability. Volkov was planning to light the fuse and watch the world burn.

"I'd shoot you right now," Alyssa hissed, "but I think you're too useful alive. Your buyers won't trust anyone but you."

She yanked him forward, her mind already forming a plan. If she could keep Volkov alive long enough, she might be able to turn his buyers against each other or at least delay the inevitable. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

But Volkov didn't resist. His eyes gleamed with the satisfaction of someone who had thought ten steps ahead.

"You think you're still in control, Alyssa," he said softly. "But you've already lost. I've been playing this game for far longer than you realize."

Before Alyssa could respond, a sudden explosion ripped through the air, shaking the docks. Alyssa and Volkov were thrown to the ground as fire and smoke erupted from the cargo ship, sending pieces of debris raining down around them.

Alyssa struggled to her feet, her ears ringing from the blast. She looked up in horror as the ship went up in flames, a massive fireball consuming the cargo containers. Her mind scrambled to understand had Marcus or Eleanor set off the explosion? Or had Volkov planned this as a backup?

Volkov coughed, pulling himself up slowly, his expression one of mild irritation rather than shock. "I told you, Alyssa," he muttered. "Chaos."

Alyssa grabbed him by the collar again, shaking him hard. "What the hell did you just do?"

But Volkov only smiled, his eyes flicking toward the burning ship. "Did you really think I'd let you have the satisfaction of stopping me? Even if you'd caught the buyers, the real prize was never the weapons. It was the chaos they'd creat and now that's unstoppable."

Alyssa's mind raced. The ship had been destroyed, but that wasn't the endgame. Volkov had planned this from the beginning, to cover his tracks, to make sure no one could trace the deals back to him. With the buyers scrambling and the weapons destroyed, there would be nothing left but suspicion, mistrust and war.

"I'm taking you in," Alyssa said through clenched teeth. "You're not walking away from this."

Volkov raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconcerned. "You're welcome to try. But I think you have bigger problems now."

As sirens blared in the distance, Alyssa knew he was right. Volkov had set a fire that couldn't be put out easily, and now the world was about to feel the consequences.

But this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

"I'm going to find a way to stop you," she said, her voice full of grim determination. "And when I do, there won't be anywhere left for you to hide."

Volkov's smile never wavered. "We'll see."

The sound of police cars screeched to a halt nearby, and Alyssa's grip on Volkov tightened. She had him now, but whether it would be enough to stop the storm he'd set in motion remained to be seen.

As the flames from the ship illuminated the night, Alyssa knew one thing for sure this battle was far from over.