CHAPTER 121

The empire that Luca Valtieri inherited did not rise on noise.It rose on silence, on patience and on moves that no one saw until the results had already taken hold. It was built by Don Pietro Valtieri and one thing he had passed down to them is to have pieces to move that only one knows existed.And while Dominic gathered strength at Blackstone and Alessandro’s old network began to reawaken, Luca sat at the center of his own machine and began to move the pieces no one else even knew existed.The private war room beneath Luca’s compound glowed with a low, controlled light.Luca stood at the head of the central table and watched the rows of screens showed live feeds, financial dashboards, shipping routes, offshore accounts, and surveillance nodes that stretched across cities, ports, and borders. Nothing in Luca’s world was left unmeasured.Vittorio entered first, followed by Pablo Murdoch and two other senior advisors. A few seconds later, Aurelio walked in, the bruise on his jaw darke

Last Updated : 2026-02-23

CHAPTER 122

The third move came that night that was silent, surgical, and far more intimate than any strike before.At exactly 2:17 a.m., one of Blackstone’s external safehouses, discreetly repurposed as a medical relay station under Althea’s oversight, went dark.There was no explosion or any gunfire.No screams echoing through the comms.Only silence.By the time the first response unit breached the perimeter, the facility was already stripped of life. Medical carts were abandoned mid-use, half-filled syringe lay on the floor while tablets showing charts were blinking in idle mode.But the facility is empty.Every doctor.Every nurse.Every orderly.Gone. Taken. Alive.And left behind, mounted neatly on the central station wall, was a single message burned into the digital monitor. “You built a sanctuary. I turned it into a cage.”*Dominic stood in the operations room, shoulders rigid, eyes locked on the surveillance playback loop. Beside him stood Althea, who is pale, still, but upright.Comp

Last Updated : 2026-02-23

CHAPTER 123

The night inside Blackstone sharpened after the safehouse went dark.The estate seemed to draw a breath and hold it. Althea had noticed that every corridor became more alert, all lights are deliberate. The guards are moving with that heightened awareness that comes when a threat has stepped closer than comfort allows.Dominic stood in the central operations room, the darkened feed from the compromised relay still etched in his mind even after he had shut the screen off.Althea called it a night and told Dominic that she will be staying with Nicholas.“I’ll stay with Nicholas tonight.” She said in a low voice as she squeezed his hand gently. “If you can, please get some rest as well. You need it to clear your mind, Dom.”“I will.” He assured as he looked down at her carefully. He turned towards the others for a while and gave them a nod before ushering Althea out, accompanying her to Nico’s room. “Now, I want you to do the same thing, Thea. Get some rest.”Althea halted by his side.“I

Last Updated : 2026-02-24

CHAPTER 124

Inside the lower study, the room filled quickly.The long table that had once served as Alessandro’s quiet planning space is again alive again. Maps are lit, screens, and the presence of men who had not stood together in the same room for years.Dominic stood at the head.Antonio to his right.Roberto beside him.Across the table, Ulysees, Enzo and now Vincent.The air carried weight and purpose.Dominic wasted no time. “Luca took one of our medical relays.” He started, voice steady but edged with controlled fury. “Staff alive. No casualties reported. He wants leverage. They’re my wife’s people and we must get them back.”There was no hesitation in the room.Vincent nodded once.“We will.”Roberto leaned forward, both hands on the table as he studied the layered map projected in front of them. He studied the roads, elevation, abandoned compounds, rural checkpoints, satellite overlays.“We need the holding point.” He announced.“Your uncle for sure will not use his main compound.” Ulys

Last Updated : 2026-02-24

CHAPTER 125

The convoy rolled out without headlights. The engines are low and the tires drove through the service road in silence behind the old industrial district.The converted storage facility loomed ahead. The structure is windowless, silent, its corrugated metal skin reflecting the thin sliver of moonlight like a blade.Inside that building was the medical relay team that Althea supervises.Doctors. Field medics. Four nurses. A trauma tech.Civilians in the middle of a war they never asked for.Dominic swore to his wife that he is not going to lose them.He sat in the lead vehicle his eyes fixed on the structure as it grew larger with every meter. Beside him, Enzo adjusted the magazine in his weapon, making sure that he has several spares in his pockets and glanced over with a crooked grin.“You know,” Enzo said lightly, “for a ‘simple extraction’ discussed a while ago, you’ve brought half the arsenal.”Dominic didn’t look at him.“When I send you into danger, I don’t do it halfway.” He sco

Last Updated : 2026-02-25

CHAPTER 126

Back in the main warehouse, the tide of the battle shifted. From the shadows between the stacked containers, a new unit emerged. The group moved in perfect sync, cutting through Luca’s forces with surgical precision.They weren’t Dominic’s.They weren’t Luca’s.They were something else entirely.“Who the hell—?” Roberto muttered before taking down an advancing enemy with a clean shot.Dominic saw them and watched the way they moved.He studied it intently until he finally recognized the pattern.His eyes narrowed.“No f8cking way.” He muttered under his breath.The fight raged for what felt like hours which could only have been minutes. Several bodies hit the concrete. Bullets started to run out, and knives came out when guns finally came empty.Dominic’s men were being pushed back since Luca’s forces were heavier, more numerous.“Sir, we’re losing ground!” One of the men called out, breath ragged.Dominic wiped blood from his brows, which does not belong to him.“Hold the line!” He b