Chapter 7: Bloodied Bonds

A tense silence hung heavy in the atmosphere as Axe and Mr. Vincenzo got into the black car, the engine humming softly in the background, the two inhaling the scent of leather mingled with the faint aroma of cigar smoke.

In the silence, Axe's knuckles were raw and bloodied, but he did not attempt to tend to his wounds. His eyes were still ablaze with a fit of seething anger, his jaw clenched tight as he stared out the window, lost in his own thoughts. The events that had transpired had unleashed a storm within him, and it raged on, threatening to consume him entirely.

Sitting next to Axe, Mr. Vincenzo looked at him with a mix of concern and admiration. But silence stretched between them, the only sound the steady hum of the engine and the occasional distant honking of a car.

Finally, unable to bear the weight of the silence any longer, Mr. Vincenzo broke it, his voice gentle yet firm. "I am sorry."

"For what?" Axe asked gruffly, his gaze never leaving the road ahead.

"The life