Chapter 3-Blood on the Floor

Adriano Greco stood inside the Dalton mansion with six of his men behind him. The house was quiet, the kind of quiet that comes before something terrible happens. Mr. James Dalton stood across from him, his face pale, his hands shaking even though he tried to hide it.  

Adriano looked around the room slowly, his eyes fixed on the man he had hated for most of his life.“You thought I wouldn’t find you,” he said, his voice calm but sharp. “But everything you took from me… I’m here to collect it back.”

Mr. Dalton swallowed hard. “Adriano, listen to me—”

“No,” Adriano cut in. “You killed my parents. You made me suffer. And now I’m taking everything that belongs to you.”

Mr. Dalton raised his hands slightly, trying to defend himself. “It’s not what you think. That night—what you saw—it wasn’t the—

Adriano’s jaw tightened. “I saw enough.”

Mr. Dalton’s voice cracked. “Adriano, don’t do this.”

Adriano didn’t blink. “I was there. I watched you destroy my family. I watched you point a gun at my father’s head. I watched you make my mother cry and beg. And I watched you pull the trigger.” His voice sharpened. “There is no misunderstanding between us.”

James opened his mouth again, desperate now. “Your father— he betrayed—”

“Don’t lie to me,” Adriano cut in coldly. His men shifted closer, ready to fire at the smallest signal.

James realized talking wouldn’t save him. Fear crawled up his face. Slowly, he reached inside his coat, thinking he could get a chance, thinking he had even one moment left to change the outcome.

James pulled out a gun and pointed it at Adriano, but his hand was shaking too hard to aim. He didn’t even get the chance to breathe before two loud gunshots burst through the room. Adriano didn’t move. His guards fired first.

James Dalton stumbled backward, eyes widening in shock. He hit the floor hard, the gun falling from his hand as his breathing ceased in seconds.

Before the room could settle, another scream cut through the air.

Elena Dalton rushed in from the hallway. When she saw her husband lying lifeless on the floor, her voice broke into a cry of pure pain. She didn’t think, didn’t hesitate. She grabbed the fallen gun with trembling hands and pointed it straight at Adriano.

“You murderer!” she cried, tears running down her face.

Adriano didn’t flinch. He didn’t even step back. One of his guards fired before Elena could pull the trigger. The bullet hit instantly, and she collapsed beside her husband, her hand still reaching toward him even as life left her body.

The house fell silent again—dead silent.

Behind the large bookshelf, a faint sound trembled through the room. A shaky inhale. A quiet sob is being swallowed back. Max Dalton, Nora’s younger brother, pressed himself into the corner, his hand clamped tightly over his mouth. He had watched everything, every second of it. He was shaking hard, trying not to make a sound but unable to stop the trembling.

One of Adriano’s guards heard the small gasp and moved toward the noise. He grabbed Max by the back of his shirt and dragged him out from behind the shelf. Max stumbled, nearly falling, his face pale with shock and rage.

“Let me go!” Max shouted, jerking his arm, but the guard’s grip only tightened.

Adriano turned slowly and looked directly at him. For a moment—just a very brief moment—Adriano froze. Max’s expression, filled with fear and hatred, reflected the same expression Adriano had the night he became an orphan. It pulled up memories he had buried deep, but he pushed them away just as quickly.

Max glared at him with pure heartbreak. “You killed my parents,” he said, voice cracking. “You killed both of them. You’re a monster.”

Adriano stepped closer, stopping just a few feet away. “Your father destroyed my family first,” he said quietly. “Tonight is justice.”

Max shook his head again, furious and trembling. “You don’t know anything! You don’t understand—”

Before he could finish, the front door opened.

Nora walked in, exhausted from her shift at the hospital. She dropped her keys on the table and called out, “Mom? Dad? I’m home—”

Her words stopped abruptly.

Her bag slipped from her hand and hit the floor.

Her eyes widened in horror as she took in the scene—her parents lying lifeless in a pool of blood, and her brother held down by two guards. Her breath left her body in a sharp gasp as she stepped forward, knees almost giving out.

“No…” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Mom? Dad?” Tears filled her eyes instantly as she stumbled toward them, only for a guard to block her path. “Move!” she cried, pushing weakly against him. “Let me go to them!”

Then she saw Adriano.

Her heart dropped, and her stomach twisted painfully. “You,” she said, barely recognizing her own voice through the grief. “You… you killed my parents.”

Adriano didn’t look away from her. He kept the same calm expression he always wore. “They paid for what they did to me years ago.”

“They would never hurt anyone!” Nora screamed through her tears. “They weren’t killers! They weren’t criminals! Why would you do this?!”

“If you try anything foolish,” Adriano said quietly, “it will not end well for you or your brother.”

Nora froze.

The threat hit her so hard her knees wobbled.

Max cried out again, his voice breaking. “Nora! Don’t let them take me! Please!”

Nora tried to run toward him, but the guards tightened their grip on Max and blocked her again. “Let him go!” she sobbed. “Please, he didn’t do anything! He’s innocent!”

But Adriano did not care about innocence. He cared about revenge. And in his eyes, revenge was already long overdue.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a black business card. Nora didn’t reach for it, didn’t even look at it—she was too busy trying to break through the guards holding her back. Adriano let the card fall gently to the floor in front of her.

“If you want your brother,” he said, “come find me when you’re ready.”

He turned around and walked toward the door without looking back. His men followed, dragging Max with them. Max fought, trying to break free, screaming Nora’s name until his voice cracked.

“Nora! Please! Don’t let them take me!”

“Max!” Nora yelled back, trying one last time to reach him. The guards pushed her away, but she kept fighting, kept reaching, even though she was already too late. The door closed behind them, and the house fell into crushing silence.

Nora dropped to her knees beside her parents’ bodies, sobbing uncontrollably. Her whole world had been destroyed in a single night. Her parents were murdered. Her brother was kidnapped. Her life was stolen.

She lifted her hand to wipe her tears, but her voice came out low and filled with something stronger than grief—anger.

“I will get revenge,” she whispered through clenched teeth. “I will kill him with my own hands. Adriano Greco will regret this day.”

She looked at the doorway where Max had been dragged out. Her heart tightened even more.

“Max… I’m coming,” she said softly. “I’m going to save you. He won’t win.”