𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 80 : 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫

𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬°°°

“…I’m outside her building.” Carlos’ voice crackled faintly from the speakerphone on the table.

“Say it again,” Lucas said calmly into the phone. “Where are you?”

“—I’m outside her building. Say the word.”

Antonio’s chest seized. He didn’t raise his voice, or threaten because it would only worsen the situation.

Lucas didn’t look at him. He lifted a finger instead, almost bored.

“Finish it clean,” he said mildly. Then he ended the call and face-down the phone.

The sound of it landing felt louder than a gunshot.

“Lucas—” Antonio took one step forward.

“Careful,” he warned. “You wouldn't want to do something stupid.”

“Call him back,” Antonio pleaded quietly but Lucas didn’t turn. “Call Carlos.”

“Carlos doesn’t like being interrupted.”

“Please,” the one ugly sound scraped out of Antonio's throat before he could stop it. “Not her. I’ll do anything”

“You forgot the rules— but I'm not punishing you” Lucas chuckled as if inconvenienced, “instead I'm only silencing her for your safety, you should be grateful.”

“She doesn’t know a thing,” he said desperately.

Then suddenly his knees buckled and before his egocentric bravado could save him, they hit the marble floor.

The sound cracked through the room but he gave zero care for his pride.

He crawled closer on his knees, and when he lowered his head, he made sure it touched the floor.

Seeing his venerable state, Grinch recoiled and signalled others out of the room.

“The woman in question doesn’t belong to our world.” he continued, voice breaking. “She has no idea who I am—what I am. Let her stay that way.”

Lucas finally turned but paused mid-step, eyebrow lifting just enough to acknowledge what he was seeing.

The room went silent at an instant only the chandelier and clock hummed and ticked.

This was his Blade— the one who never bent.

Now on his knees, head bowed pathetically.

Disappointment brewed inside him instantly.

His knuckles hardly bowed in respect but now he surrendered for a woman's sake.

“Stand up.” he growled hoarsely but Antonio didn’t move.

“I said stand—”

“No.” His voice cracked, but he held it together. “I know what this makes me, and I know what you’ll say, but I won’t beg standing.”

He lifted his head just enough to look at Lucas’ shoes. “If you’re going to take something from me— take me, my pride. Everything. Just don’t touch her.”

That did it.

Lucas exhaled softly, and crouched in front of him. “You said you would do anything?”

Antonio nodded, once. “Yes,” he whispered— broken. “Just name it.”

Lucas studied him like a cracked weapon. Then he stood, and reached for his phone — not because he cared, but because he wanted Antonio to see the extremities of his power.

He dialed Carlos again and leaned by the table, phone pressed to his ear, listening to the ring tone echo once… twice… three times.

Antonio watched the device, each buzz stuttering directly in his heart.

After the fourth echo, the call finally engaged.

“Carlos,” he said evenly. “Stand down. Leave the premises.”

Carlos’ voice barked incoherent words through the speaker and Lucas listened, looking down at Antonio —still kneeling.

“Just abandon it. Yes. Immediately” he pulled the phone away from his ear and ended the call.

Antonio’s breath collapsed out of him so hard like a sob he strangled halfway.

“Your kneeling doesn’t erase what you’ve shown me,” Lucas began, walking around the table slowly, until he stood in front of Antonio.

Without warning—he kicked him hard. Enough to make him stagger.

“Love is a disease that makes men predictable. Weak.”

“I accept whatever comes after,” Antonio reproached, swallowing blood. “Just let her live. Not just today.”

“You too should never forget what you pledged tonight.” Lucas turned towards the door.

“And get off the floor,” he added over his shoulder. “If anyone sees you like this. Your regime would be over”

-----

Across the city— Nevena slipped on her jacket and unlocked the door the second time.

True to her guess, the night air was chilling as it hit her.

She waved it off and continued, each step echoing loudly as she drifted closer, convinced that it was Antonio.

From her side of the lawn she peeked, the black SUV was still there.

Engine idling. Headlights off.

She crossed the street and waved. “Mr Hunt?” she called softly, stopping a few feet from the driver’s door

The silence made her take another step closer. Antonio always liked quiet entrances.

But the moment she stretched to knock on the tinted window, the engine roared.

The vehicle lurched backward, tires screeching just once before it shot down the street, slapping her hair back.

“What—?” Her voice trembled but the car already vanished around the corner like it had never been there.

She stood there, alone, the silence swallowing her whole.

Her phone buzzed her nerves back to reality.

>Go back inside.

A text from Antonio.

Her stomach dropped and she typed quickly. >Did something come up?

No further response came. She waited a little and glanced down the street again —then back at her house.

Not needing a soothsayer vision, she understood everything with terrifying clarity. That car wasn’t Antonio.

Something deep and instinctive propelled her back inside her house where she sat and waited for him.

-----

☆𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐬’ 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲☆

Antonio rose unsteadily like his body no longer trusted itself to stand straight.

His suit was still immaculate, but he was not.

He looked at Nevena's last message and pocketed his phone without replying.

When he reached the door, Grinch was waiting.

He didn’t look at Antonio’s face, rather he stepped aside without a word.

Antonio walked crooked. Not limping —just misaligned.

This was a man who had executed orders without blinking. Someone who had watched men beg and felt nothing.

Down the ship's deck, the guards saluted, pretending not to have heard the whispers of how he damned himself.

He didn't acknowledge them. Humiliation only dragged him down to their boat and Grinch steered off.

All through their journey back to the Hunt's Mansion, none of them said a thing.

They just focused on the invisible line he’d crossed. He had begged.

And the family would always remember.