Chapter 4 - The Predator’s Wrath
When Leo received the call from a bloodied, barely conscious Marco, the air in the Moretti study turned sub-zero. The glass cup Leo was holding shattered in his grip, blood dripping from his palm unnoticed.
"Where?" was the only word Leo uttered. His voice didn't shake; it was entirely devoid of human emotion, replaced by a terrifying, hollow quiet.
Within thirty minutes, the entire Moretti syndicate was mobilized. Leo didn't care about secrecy anymore. He didn't care about the police, the rival families, or the treaty. He ordered his men to lock down every exit from the city. No boat, no plane, no car was to leave without his personal inspection.
He stood in the ruined café, looking at the pool of dried blood where Mr. Bianchi had been shot, and the discarded tracking earpiece that belonged to Marco.
"They took her through the subway tunnels," Francesca reported, her face pale, her hands trembling slightly as she bandaged Leo’s bleeding hand. "We lost their heat signatures near the old industrial sector."
"Bring me the Romano captains we captured five years ago," Leo ordered coldly.
"Boss, they are in maximum security federal prison—"
"I don't care," Leo snarled, turning to her with eyes that burned with absolute madness. "Break them out, buy the guards, or drag them out myself. I want names, I want locations, and I want them in five minutes. If Bella has a single scratch on her, I will burn this entire city to the ground, and I will start with anyone who ever shared the name Romano."
Meanwhile, in a damp, dimly lit underground warehouse, Bella slowly opened her eyes. Her head throbbed painfully, the remnants of the gas making her nauseous. She was tied to a heavy iron chair, her wrists chafed by rough hemp rope.
"Ah, the sleeping beauty awakens," a voice sneered from the shadows.
A man stepped into the light. He was young, with sharp, aristocratic features ruined by a long, jagged scar running from his ear to his jawline. He wore an expensive suit, but his eyes were those of a rabid dog.
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"Who are you?" Bella asked, forcing her voice to remain steady despite her racing heart.
"I am Julian Romano," the man said, bowing mockingly. "The rightful heir to the territory your fiancé stole while my family was forced into exile. And you, sweet Bella, are the leverage that will hand it back to me."
