All Chapters of The Price Of Us: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

ELIASLouis was changing to an entirely different person right before my very eyes.Gone was the soft-spoken, careful man I once knew. In his place stood someone else—someone that exuded confidence and authority. He strode into rooms as if he owned the space, his presence demanding notice and respect. It was unnerving how good he was at it, almost too good.From my vantage point on the upstairs balcony, I watched him move through the carefully kept garden below, engaging in what seemed like a casual conversation with one of the recently hired guards. The man appeared utterly captivated, his defenses crumbling before Louis’s effortless charm. With a nonchalant tilt of his head and a disarming smile, Louis said something that sent the guard into fits of laughter—a laugh that felt forced, as if he were about to bargain away a piece of his own humanity.An unfamiliar ache blossomed in my chest. It was a tangle of emotions—part pride at his newfound prowess, part fear for what this change

ELIAS"We’ll wrap up the project by next quarter, but I’ll need those permits approved beforehand—”“Where the hell is he?” I interrupted, a sharp edge of frustration cutting through my words.Mario blinked in confusion. “Sorry?”I cast another frantic glance around the opulent ballroom, its grand chandeliers casting a warm glow over the elegantly dressed crowd. Louis wasn’t here anymore.He had been standing right next to Luciano just ten minutes ago, a reassuring presence amidst the swirling chaos and now, there was no sign of him at all.My jaw tightened, and a muscle twitched.“I’ll call you later,” I said, already moving away, my instincts screaming for action.“Is everything all right?” Mario called after me, concern lacing his voice.I offered no reply, my hand already diving into my pocket to grab my phone.“Where is he?” I cornered Luciano against the dimly lit staff corridor, my voice low but filled with urgency.Luciano answered immediately. “He went after Rossetti."“What

LOUIS"Don't lose yourself," Elias told me but I didn't him an answer. Not because I didn't have one but because I didn't know which version of myself he meant.The next afternoon, Rosseti's men arrived at Allure at exactly 6:45PM.I was already seated in the bar lounge, dressed in something crisp but not very formal—enough to look reluctant, and casual enough to suggest I wasn't in the mood to engage in politics.Luciano passed through once, just to show he was within our radius.Elaine's voice crackled in my ear through the comms we'd rigged under the collar of my shirt."Don't push him,” she said. “Let him think he's in charge.""Copy," I whispered.The guard stepped forward. "Mr. Durant?"I stood. "And he’ll agree to meet with me without any hiccups?""He's not one to say no to a Durant," the guard said standing aside and I passed through.I was familiar with this part of the casino. It was the Rossetti suite and it was used only rarely and for speech-making at that. It was the ki

LOUISHe looked older now, though not in a way that suggested weakness. Jean Durant stood beneath the flickering alley light, a stark contrast to the darkness surrounding him. His graying hair was meticulously slicked back, and his coat was perfectly tailored, an immaculate shield against the chaos outside. He didn't look like the greasy old man who used to beat me up then, but as much as he'd changed on the outside, he was the same inside.In stark contrast, I stood there with a bloodstained shirt, a heavy gun gripped in my hand, and three groaning men sprawled on the cold pavement behind me, the evidence of a recent skirmish.Over time, I'd been going for shooting range practices secretly without Elias' knowledge. Guess the training paid off after all."You don’t even look surprised to see me," I remarked, my voice steady yet edged with violence.A small, almost playful smile flickered across Jean's face. "You always had a flair for the dramatic," he replied, his tone teasing, as i

LOUIS“That's it, isn’t it? I snarled, crashing into the study. "You negotiate, vote, and leave me out of it as if I'm just a mere furniture in your own home?"Elias's expression didn't change. He stood behind the table, papers and maps spread out on its surface, Cathan and Luciano flanking him.His voice was detached and almost indifferent when he finally decided to speak. "Who said?”“That’s all you have to say to what I just said right now?" I hammered my fist on the wood. "You voted Rosseti out. You took that choice away from me. You chose for me."Elias's expression hardened. "It wasn't your burden to bear, Louis.""My burden?" I laughed harshly. "Do you hear yourself at all? You brought me into this. You included me. I’ve already bled for you countless times, Elias, so you don't get to tell me whether or not it's my burden."He finally looked at me, and his eyes were hard and cold. "You don't know what it is to vote a man off the board,” he seethed. “It's not a game. It's death.