“Is he still alive?”Calm.Composed.Maria Santa De Leones.A socialite.The cold witch.Don Leon’s daughter-in-law.Her life now was defined by lavish parties.Custom-made jewelry.The sleek, expensive lines of her personal Bentley.Not from her husband’s pocket—but her own.She even bought Alvaro a new car recently.One that now sits, riddled with bullet holes in this very Hotel Valgrande parking lot.‘I’ll buy him a new one,’ she thought.But once—She’s known as ‘the wild heiress’.A princess from a small mafia family that no one took seriously.Not big enough to threaten.Not loud enough to remember.But they were loyal.To a fault.Their business?Heavy duty weapons.Missiles.RPGs.Anti-aircraft.Tanks.And their clients?Not street gangs.Not thugs.They catered to Russians.Arabs.Ukrainians.Military grade.Top shelf.Clean hands.It was something that Bernardo overlooked.Underestimated.Because ever since she married the soft spoken Leandro—She went quiet.Tamed.Or so it
Tony’s eyes narrowed at the dark-skinned woman standing a few steps behind Bernardo.Dressed in a beige office suit—a stark contrast from the red dress she wore before.Her face was blank.Emotionless.As if none of this had anything to do with her.‘Beth.’‘I fucking knew it.’His grip on Angel tightened.They were still sitting on the floor.‘I knew something was off about her.’His mind snapped back to a month ago—Beth’s convenient explanations.And the way she acted.It was all over the top—like she was reciting her prepared lines.‘Is Nick in this too?’Remembering Nick calling him about a higher up in the CIA that wanted to talk to him in Piazza Navona.Tony was more bitter at the thought of Nick—his superior—being one of them.Nick, who always invited him over for thanksgiving.The only one that Tony could call his friend.But then—Bernardo stepped forward, cutting into Tony’s line of sight like a curtain of arrogance.Beth disappeared behind him—not out of protection, but beca
“Now then.. go out with me..”The entire space inside the ruined restaurant of hotel Valgrande, stilled.Even the air seemed to hesitate.Tony’s voice wasn't even that loud.But somehow, the wind carried it, slicing clean through the blood, the bullets, shattered glass, debris and confusion.Angel could only blink, as did everyone else inside the restaurant..If only the earth could open and swallow him whole—Angel would gladly go down without a damn fight.‘This guy has nerves of steel! This bastard!’The silence, coupled with the stunned, almost comical expressions of the two witnesses, made Angel even more tongue tied and mortified.“W-wha..what?” Angel whispered.His face bloomed red, a furious red, like vivid roses.His fingers curled into the hem of his white dress shirt.It suddenly felt a thousand times too thin.Too short.Too transparent.Tony grinned, clearly enjoying the chaos he’d unleashed.Unbothered by the soft gasps and wide eyed stares, he leaned forward with a voice
‘Half brother? What kind of fuckery is this?’Tony’s face twisted in disbelief.It was written all over his expressions.But then again, this family was never normal to begin with.So.. it kinda makes sense. Or not.Don Leon coughed again.Choking on blood.Tony winced.He didn't want the Don to speak anymore.‘If it's Bernardo then it's Bernardo’s handiwork, and if he was actually the old man’s brother, then, he’s my grand uncle.’The hows and whys didn't matter anymore.Tony closed his eyes and buried the old memories that resurfaced.Like how he had always done.Then he opened his eyes and furrowed his brows.A storm brewed in his eyes.Bernardo had crossed the line.And that was that.‘He tried to kill the old lion. Even my father, Alvaro and.. me.’He forgot all about Don Federico.‘And that’s a great sin in itself—even if you’re family.’Tony’s jaw clenched.Remembering his betrayal before he ran away.‘Although I did the same in the past. Who’s calling the kettle black now?’T
Silence remained.It was deafening.“Urgh..”Then a groan.Tony scanned the surroundings as best as he could in his position.Silver eyes sharp and narrowing.Eyes went to the place where the bullets had come from—above the building across the streets.But he couldn't see beyond the pierced, shattered wall glass.‘They’ve become frosted from the cracks. What kind of fucking glass is it? Reinforced?’But he was thankful for that.Add the fact that there are high awnings and big umbrellas scattered outside the front entrance.It stretched up to the long and wide open courtyard of the hotel.And it ended before the open parking lot with tall high gates, cutting the streets.Alvaro was still under him—trembling like a leaf.Tony immediately pulled him in an angle where they couldn't be seen from above, taking with them a leg of a table, making it topple.Using it a shield.Hiding behind it.Out of the sniper’s visuals.‘Thank God for the useless decor.’In between the front wall glass ent
Bernardo’s POVIn a five star restaurant in the same area around Hotel Valgrande…The clink of a wine glass against the table broke the stillness.Dinner had come and gone.Plates cleared.Guests departed.But neither Bernardo nor his eldest daughter moved—nor talked.The lighting was dimmed around them.No waiters.No staff hanging about.Only the ghost of truffle oil and aged balsamic—a luxury clinging to the air like a secret.Like this undisclosed meeting.Bernardo swirled the last of his Barolo.Rei di vini—the king of wines.Fitting.For he will be king in a few minutes.A sardonic smile graced his lips.But his gaze was distant.His mind was on a certain hotel near where he was.Across from him sat Beth.The daughter that was born from a business trip in America—before his marriage with Alessandro’s mother.Before his burning ambitions turned ruthless.One of many.But the only one that he can use.A CIA agent.Useful.A specter of a past he never acknowledged.She’s quietly si