Eighteen

NOVARIA’S POV

The tension in the room was suffocating.

Fredo looked barely able to stand as he leaned heavily against the doorframe, one hand clutching his side while blood dripped steadily down his arm and onto the polished floor beneath him. His breathing came out rough and uneven, chest rising violently beneath his torn black shirt.

The moment Sylvester saw him, his chair scraped harshly against the floor as he stood.

“Fredo,” he called sharply, striding toward him. “What the hell happened?”

Collins straightened from where he sat, his expression instantly darkening. 

The atmosphere inside the room shifted so quickly it felt like the air itself had gone cold.

Fredo tried to speak, but a cough interrupted him first. He winced painfully before forcing the words out.

“I….It was Marcus…” he rasped. “His men ambushed me.”

Two men quickly rushed forward to support him before his knees could give out completely.

 Fredo groaned as they lowered him into a chair.

“I think they’ve been tracking me for days,” he continued weakly. “This wasn’t random. It was a warning.”

Silence followed. Heavy and Dangerous.

One of the men standing near the wall frowned. 

“But how? Nobody was supposed to know where you were staying.”

“That’s exactly the problem,” Collins muttered darkly, crossing his arms.

Sylvester’s jaw tightened.

Fredo was not just another soldier in the organization. He was trusted. Loyal. Practically family. After Marcus’ failed ambush weeks ago, Sylvester had hidden Fredo away personally to keep him safe.

Only a handful of people had known his location. Which meant, There’s a traitor.

A thick vein protruded from his neck as rage slowly consumed him. Then suddenly.

BAM!

His fist slammed violently against the table. Everyone flinched except Collins.

Glasses rattled. Papers scattered across the desk.

Sylvester’s breathing turned heavier, fury blazing behind his hazel eyes.

“We should’ve seen this coming,” one of the men muttered nervously.

Sylvester turned sharply toward him. The look in his eyes alone was enough to silence the entire room.

“Meeting’s over,” Sylvester ordered harshly. “Everything proceeds as planned.”

“Boss, but shouldn’t we…”

“I SAID GET OUT!”

His roar echoed through the room so violently that even Fredo tensed.

Nobody argued again.

The men immediately began filing out of the room while two others carefully helped Fredo to his feet.

“Get a doctor,” Collins instructed calmly. “Now.”

Fredo groaned as they carried him toward the hallway, still clutching his stomach.

“They kicked the hell out of him,” Collins muttered under his breath once the others were gone.

Sylvester said nothing.

That was worse. His silence was terrifying.

He grabbed the edge of the table, lowering his head briefly while trying to control the storm building inside him. 

Marcus was getting bolder and smarter. And now someone inside their circle was feeding him information.

That realization alone made his blood boil.

“Sylvester,” Collins called carefully, “we need to think clearly before reacting.”

Sylvester finally lifted his head. His eyes were murderous.

“We’re going home,” he said coldly. “Now.”

Without another word, he stormed out of the room while Collins followed behind him.

—--------

Meanwhile, I was still at the mansion. Not that I had anywhere else to be.

Ever since Sylvester and Chris told me the truth about their lives, things strangely became… softer between us. Nobody treated me differently afterward. If anything, they became even more protective. More affectionate. And More clingy.

And somehow, I had gotten used to it.

Used to Kelvin ruffling my hair. Used to Collins bribing me with cookies. Used to Chris secretly checking on me whenever Sylvester was away.

And Sylvester…I had become completely attached to him. Especially after the thunderstorm incident.

Every chance I got, I stayed close to him. Sitting beside him. Holding onto his arm. Resting my head against his shoulder whenever he worked. And he never once pushed me away.

But today he had left early for some meeting, and the mansion suddenly felt too quiet without him.

I sat curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around me while Kelvin sat across from me, flipping through paperwork on his tablet. The television played softly in the background, but I barely paid attention to it.

I sighed dramatically for what felt like the hundredth time.

Kelvin glanced up briefly.

“You’re pouting again.”

“I am not,” I muttered.

“You are.”

I huffed and crossed my arms tighter.

He chuckled softly before returning to his work.

Minutes later, the sound of the front door suddenly echoed through the mansion.

BANG!

I jumped slightly. The atmosphere changed instantly.

Sylvester and Collins walked inside wearing dark suits, both looking furious. Not annoyed.

Not upset. Furious.

Their faces were hard, cold, dangerous. Even the men behind them looked tense.

I slowly sat up straighter. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

“Chris!” Sylvester barked loudly. His voice echoed through the mansion.

Within seconds, Chris appeared from upstairs, immediately sensing the tension.

“What happened?” he asked seriously.

Sylvester ran a hand through his hair aggressively before slamming his keys onto the table.

“We have a damn traitor in our circle,” he growled. “Someone fed Marcus information.”

The room went silent.

Kelvin immediately stood from the couch.

“What?”

“Fredo got jumped,” Collins explained darkly. “Marcus’ men found him.”

Chris cursed under his breath.

I sat frozen on the couch, quietly listening while they discussed things I barely understood.

Traitor. Marcus. Attack. Warning.

The words alone made my stomach tighten nervously.

After several tense minutes, Collins and Chris headed upstairs together, leaving Sylvester standing alone near the dining area. His hands rested heavily against the table while his head remained lowered.

He looked exhausted. Angry. Broken. And for some reason… seeing him like that hurt me.

I hesitated for a moment before slowly standing from the couch.

Part of me was scared to approach him. But another part of me couldn’t leave him alone like this. So carefully, I walked toward him.

His breathing was rough. His shoulders tense beneath his black shirt.

I reached out slowly and placed my hand gently against his tattooed arm.

Sylvester flinched slightly at the contact. Then his eyes shifted toward me. The fury in them softened instantly. But not completely.

“Are you okay?” I asked quietly.

My voice came out softer than intended. He looked away almost immediately.

“Yeah,” he muttered roughly. “Just work problems.”

I frowned slightly. The answer felt forced.

“Can I help somehow?” I asked carefully. “I don’t really understand what happened, but maybe…”

Before I could finish, he suddenly looked back at me. His eyes burned intensely. The anger there startled me enough that I instinctively stepped backward.

“What could you possibly do?” he snapped.

The words hit me harder than expected. Not because he yelled. But because he sounded hurt. Like everything around him was collapsing at once.

The moment the words left his mouth, his expression shifted slightly, as if he instantly regretted it. But instead of apologizing, Sylvester clenched his jaw and turned away.

Without another word, he strode toward his office.

SLAM!

The door shut violently behind him.

I flinched hard at the sound. Silence filled the mansion afterward. Painfully quiet silence.

I stood there frozen in the middle of the living room, staring at the closed office door while my chest tightened painfully. Sylvester had never spoken to me like that before. And somehow… That hurt more than I expected.