Santiago's tone hardened. "I'm just saying we need to be smart. If we hit him hard, he becomes useless. We need him willing and ready to trust us. Rushing this could ruin everything we've built so far. He's fragile right now. One wrong move and he could shut down completely."
Viktor exhaled. "Fine. But don't take too long. If you can't win Leon back with charm and money, we will might consider kidnapping. If we can't get leverage through Leon soon, he might go for more direct methods. And you know what that means. He's already impatient. One more failure and heads will roll — literally."
Santiago's stomach twisted. "I know."
"Good. Keep me updated daily. And Santiago — if Silas confronts you directly, don't engage. Report back immediately, we can't afford a war with him yet. Stay sharp and don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. This is bigger than one boy."
"Understood."
