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HE WAS BOUND TO A WHEELCHAIR FOR 12 YEARS BY A DEADLY LIE. THEN HIS DAUGHTER TOUCHED HIS KNEE AND UNLOCKED A MAFIA WAR! / Chapter 9 / 20

Chapter 9 - THE VENOM'S SHADOW

Luca froze, his thumb pulling back the hammer of the gun. "What did you say?"

"I was a lieutenant back then!" Marcus choked out, coughing up muddy water. "I didn't have the connections to source a military-grade synthetic neurotoxin! The order came from higher up! Someone who wanted you out of the picture so they could use your entire syndicate for international smuggling!"

"Who?" Luca demanded, pressing the barrel harder against Marcus's forehead.

"The package!" Marcus yelled in terror. "The anonymous package sent to Elena! Who do you think knew about your daughter before anyone else? It was Senator Robert Vance!"

Luca’s mind reeled. Senator Vance was one of the most powerful political figures in Illinois, a man who championed anti-crime legislation in public while secretly controlling the state's logistical infrastructure.

"Vance wanted your ports, Luca!" Marcus wept, completely broken. "He offered me control of the city if I kept you alive but paralyzed—a living trophy to ensure the syndicate didn't fracture into a bloody turf war! He's the one who's been pulling the strings!"

At that moment, young Tommy Reyes stepped out from the shadows of the dugouts, holding an umbrella over his head. His expression wasn't scared; it was cold, calculating, and mature far beyond his ten years.

Luca turned his head, looking at the boy in the dim light of the storm.

"Tommy?" Luca asked, his instincts suddenly screaming that something was wrong.

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The hangover hit Mateo like a freight train at sunrise. Sunlight filtered through the velvet curtains of the luxury hotel suite, burning his eyes. Beside him, Valeria was still asleep, smelling of cheap neon cocktails and expensive perfume. Mateo groaned, reaching for his phone on the nightstand.

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Tommy pulled a small, high-frequency encrypted transmitter from his pocket and pressed a button. The compound's floodlights suddenly flickered and died, plunging the estate into darkness, save for the flashing red emergency lights.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Costello," Tommy said quietly, his voice devoid of any childish warmth. "My real name isn't Tommy Reyes. My name is Thomas Vance. Senator Vance is my grandfather."

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