Chapter 5 - The Right-Hand SerpentI didn't flinch. I slowly turned my head, keeping my peripheral vision locked on Lorenzo.
My right-hand man. My shadow. The man who had stood by my side through every turf war, every execution, and every sleepless night for the past fifteen years. He held his weapon steady, the barrel pointed squarely at the center of my forehead.
His eyes weren't filled with hesitation. They were as dead and empty as a winter sea.
“Lorenzo,” I said, tasting copper on my tongue. “You.”
“Surprised, boss?” Lorenzo smiled, a sickeningly polite curve of his lips. “You were always brilliant at strategy, Victor. You could read a balance sheet upside down and spot a traitor from a mile away. But you always had one fatal flaw.”
“My loyalty,” I said softly.
“Your arrogance,” Lorenzo corrected, stepping closer, careful to keep out of my reach. “You thought because you trusted me, you owned me. You thought because I pulled you out of that alley fifteen years ago, I was your dog forever.”
“I gave you an empire,” I growled.
“You gave me a cage,” Lorenzo snapped, his voice finally cracking, letting the suppressed venom of a decade spill out. “You took all the glory, while I did the dirty work. Twelve years ago, I realized something: if the Vale family tree stayed intact, I would always be number two. So, I rigged the car. I switched the dental records with a couple of Jane Does from the county morgue. And when you went on your bloody crusade against the Rossis, I sat back and watched you clean house for me.”
Beatrice clutched Elena tighter, sobbing openly.
“Why keep them alive?” I asked, my voice dangerously steady. “If you wanted the throne, why leave my sister in this shithole instead of finishing the job?”
Lorenzo chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. “Because a dead family makes you a relentless king, Victor. But a living weakness? That makes you controllable. I needed you sharp, angry, and focused on external enemies. And lately? You were starting to get soft. You were asking too many questions about the finances, looking into early retirement.”
He tightened his grip on the gun.
“So, I let Beatrice slip. I knew she’d get desperate for food. I knew she’d take a job cleaning your mansion just to keep Elena alive. And I knew, sooner or later, your legendary paranoia would kick in, and you’d follow her right into my trap.”
May you like
Lorenzo’s finger began to whiten against the trigger.
“Any last words, boss?”
