Cara’s brows furrowed as she stared at the image.
She stared again.
And stared some more.
It was enough to drill a hole into it but not to convince her. She looked at Adonis with wide, unbelieving eyes. “Are you saying that scrawny boy with a mischievous smirk is Death Eater?” she asked, incredulous.
Adonis didn’t answer immediately. His gaze was fixed on the photo, on Matthew’s face. The resemblance was faint, yet he saw it… the way he curled off his lips, the scar he had seen before, last night, in the ring.
“Yes,” he said finally, his voice low.
“Who’s Death Eater?” Cecelia voiced out curiously.
“He’s a fighter at an illegal underground ring,” Miguel answered, intently viewing the image. He pulled open a desk in his hardwood table and brought out a pair of glasses. “Go zoom in. I want a closer look.”
The guard didn’t need any extra words to know he was being referred to as his boss donned on his glasses.
Cara was shocked.
“Dad? You know Death Eater, too?”
“I know everyone and everything on Diavolo’s team.” He peered at the image.
“What does this have to do with Matthew?” Cecelia asked again.
“They think the ‘death eater’ guy is him. The word about him being a fighter makes me easily convinced. As I said earlier, he loved and did it with ease.” Jacob voiced his thoughts.
“But I don’t see the resemblance. He doesn’t look one bit like Sebestien or Sarah.” Cara argued.
Or was it because she didn’t get an up-close look at him last night?
Miguel sighed, taking off his glasses. “He has Sebastian’s eyes. How did I not see this before? It’s hard to see… but it’s there. The similarities between that scrawny boy and Death Eater, as you put it, Corazon.”
“How did Adonis see it and we didn’t?” She huffed.”Was that why you were acting so infatuated with the image?”
Adonis gave her a blank look.
“His facial features-it’s hard not to see it after a few stares. I just didn’t know that he’d be our guy.”
“Why is he working for Adrian? From your explanation last night, he’s one of his guys.”
“We’ll just have to wait and find out. It makes sense that Diavolo would be the author of the incident. I wouldn’t put it past him.”
“Then Diavolo is my guy,” Jacob’s hands clenched into fists. His jaw tightened, and a muscle twitched in his cheek.
He stared at the photo, his eyes searing, ready to explode any second. The easy-going demeanour he’d displayed earlier vanished, replaced by a hardened resolve.
How could Matthew have done this?
He had dreamt about this day every day for the past five years. The day he’d take revenge on the man who took his entire family away from him. He couldn’t wait… he was going to-
“I’m not handing him over.” Adonis burst his bubble, his voice hard.
His gaze flickered to Cara. He knew Diavolo was dangerous, capable of anything. He wouldn’t risk her safety, their safety, by letting Jacob rush in blindly. He had to control this situation and protect what was his.
“What?” Jacob was taken aback. “Are you going back on your word?”
“No.” He stressed. “I’d like to give him up as promised… watch you two battle it out, and how you end up in a hospital thirty minutes later, a funeral home in an hour-depending on your body’s surviving strength.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
Cecelia couldn’t just stand by and watch him insult her man, she took a step forward, annoyance flickering in her eyes. “Can you be any more rude? What is your problem?”
“Guys. Guys.” Cara jumped in to save the day, “Let’s be considerate. Jacob, I’m tired of saying this, but I apologise on behalf of my goat-headed husband and Adonis,” she glanced at him, “Behave! Now, what he’s trying to say is Diavolo is not an easy prey. He’s not even one-he’s a predator.”
“That doesn’t matter. I have the resources; I’d bring him to justice. He’ll rot in jail and-
A sharp, unamused laugh interrupted his rant.
“You must think this is a joke.” Adonis jeered. “He would squash you before you take a step. This is not your world, Jacob Maynard. This is our world, and here, things do not work that way. Didn’t Cecelia tell you?”
Cece shuffled on her feet.
“Were you going to bring the poor boy into our world without letting him know of the danger he’s into?”
“That’s not true.” She defended. “I’m here for Cara. Nothing else.”
He chuckled darkly, “For your sake… and… his, I hope so. Diavolo is insane. That’s coming from me who isn’t sane either. Do you know why I left my throne, why I’m hiding beneath my wife’s father? Why I haven’t walked up to him and torn out his limbs, gouged his eyes so he’ll regret crossing me?” His voice remained steady, getting darker as he spoke.
“Because I have to protect my family. He’s capable of destroying everything I have, and he’s already started. I may fall, but so what? I’d repeat this countless times if the stakes were zero, but they’re not.”
“Adonis…
“No Cara. He should know what Adrian is capable of. If you love Cecelia like you claim you do, then you’d tread with caution. I may have accepted you,” he blinked like it hurt to admit, “it doesn’t mean I would be so reasonable if a single hair on her head is touched, and Luca would be even less so.”
He straightened up, “Lay low, let us do the work, and when it’s all about to end, you get the power to decide his fate. Do we have a deal?”
Jacob could only stare dumbfounded at the information overload.
Did Adonis just call a truce with him? All while dishing out threats? He knew these people were different when he walked into their home. They all oozed a different type of power and class; the mention of the word ‘our world’ only added to his curiosity.
He and Cecelia had started this relationship on the ground that neither of them would pry until the other was ready to share. He couldn’t blame her for hiding this much information, and he didn’t even want to blame her.
A lot was still unclear to him, but he wasn’t going to ask. Honestly. He didn’t want to know. As long as they were safe and he got his revenge.
That was all that mattered.
Resolute, he took her hand in his, meeting Adonis’s hard gaze. “Fine. We have a deal.”
Cece looked away from the men, blinking away the tears that had pooled in her eyes. “I didn’t know you cared that much, Mr. Capo.”
“Shut up,” Adonis grumbled, peeking at his wife, who had been surprisingly quiet since his outburst. Her eyes were already on him, holding a simpering look.
“I’m proud of you.” She mouthed, making him feel uncomfortable. A tingle spread all over his chest at those words, and he didn’t know how to act.
Was he supposed to say something? If yes, then what?
She shook her head, a silent “I know” passing between them. He felt himself relax, his hand instinctively tightening over hers.
“If you all are done with your affection spree, can we get back to the matter at hand?”
They all turned to Miguel, cheeks flushing, except for Adonis, who grunted.
“As much as we are over 50% sure that Death Eater is Matthew and the child, we’d still need to run the test. Until we have conclusive results, everyone should remain calm and avoid rash decisions.” He called Adonis’s attention. “Remember, we need to get into the ring, so do your part as planned. How badly was he hurt?”
“Not too much.”
“Give me an accurate analysis.”
“Enough to stay in the hospital for a week-out of the ring for a month. My goal is to take out all of Diavolo’s men so he’d have no choice but to work with me alone.” He explained.
“That means you’d be fighting a lot in the near future?”
Adonis hummed. Miguel’s eyes drifted to Cara, who seemed to have found her feet more interesting than the conversation.
“Then Camilla was right. This might be too much for you.”
He frowned, “We have no other choice. I’ll be fine.”
“I understand that. So, I was thinking, maybe we could do full checkups every two weeks? Since you find it difficult to talk about your emotions, this could be a good way to make sure you’re okay.”
Adonis eyed his wife. “And does Cara have anything to do with this?”
“No comment,” Miguel replied. “If you agree with my proposition, you can go ahead with your next fight tomorrow night.”
With his eyes still on Cara, Adonis sighed. He should’ve known she had something cooking when she refused to accompany him. However, he didn’t want her to worry or stress, and if this was going to help, it wouldn’t hurt to do it.
“You should’ve told me.” He muttered.
“Really? You would never agree to it, Adonis.” She retorted.
“So you played the ‘father’s card’?”
“You do that to me a lot.” She stuck out her tongue childishly.
“I don’t have a choice.” He told Miguel. “Let’s do it.”
The elderly man smirked, “Good. Because I called Doctor Bruno a while ago, he’ll be expecting you for the first session tomorrow morning by 10am.” He rose to his feet.
“I believe we’re done here?”