Chapter 14 - The Price of BetrayalRico stepped forward, placing himself squarely between Clara and Salvatore. His towering height and icy glare made the older man flinch slightly, though Salvatore quickly masked it with a forced chuckle.
"You're trespassing on private property, Salvatore Vance," Rico said, his voice like grinding stones. "In my world, people who do that don't leave on their own two feet."
Salvatore raised his hands defensively, though his eyes darted greedily around the luxurious room. "Easy, Moretti, easy. I'm not here for a war. I'm here for family business. Clara has something that belongs to my syndicate—and to me."
"I belong to no one!" Clara shouted, stepping out from behind Rico, her eyes blazing with fury. "You sold my family out, Salvatore! You watched them burn!"
"Business is business, little girl," Salvatore spat back, his tone turning venomous. "And right now, you're sitting on a goldmine. Word on the street is that Moretti here has adopted your little bastard nephew. That kid is the sole heir to the shipping empire. Hand him over, and we walk away from your debt."
Before Clara could reply, the air in the room grew deadly quiet.
Rico didn't shout. He didn't draw a gun immediately. He simply tilted his head, watching Salvatore as a cat watches a trapped mouse.
"You think," Rico whispered, stepping closer to Salvatore until they were chest-to-chest, "that you can walk into my home, threaten my son, and bargain with my woman?"
Salvatore swallowed hard, his bravado finally cracking under the sheer weight of Rico’s murderous aura. "Moretti, wait—we can make a deal—"
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"The only deal you're making is with the undertaker," Rico said coldly.
With blinding speed, Rico drew his Sig Sauer, driving the barrel hard into Salvatore’s stomach. The older man gasped, doubling over in pain. Two of Moretti's elite guards stepped forward instantly, pinning Salvatore’s arms behind his back.
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