Don Nico.
“The wedding day is set. Both families will become in-laws, meaning I’m now connected to the powerful Vance family. We’re both father-in-laws to our children,” Adam Smith said with a chuckle, raising his glass. His eyes twinkled as he smiled and took a sip of his wine.
I nodded with a blank expression as I took a casual sip from my glass.
“Yes, but the most beautiful part of all this is that both children will finally be together after having known each other since childhood. Isn’t it beautiful to see them reunited?” My wife replied and everyone instantly laughed.
“Mother, stop… you’re making me shy,” Jessica blushed, her hands quickly covering her flushed face. I couldn’t help but glance at the man sitting beside her-my future son-in-law, Luca Smith. I frowned when I noticed his emotionless expression, his gaze locked on his drink as though it were the most captivating thing in the room, or perhaps he’d rather be anywhere but here.
To be honest, that made two of us.
I took another slow sip of my wine and placed the glass back on the table, watching their exchange with a bored expression. My time was far too valuable to be wasted here. My daughter was getting married-so what? I didn’t care in the slightest. The only reason I was even sitting here was because the Smith family was one of the wealthiest in the country, and if it weren’t for their connections, I wouldn’t be putting up with this charade.
“I remember how little Jessica would always follow Luca around when they were young. I am truly happy to have such a beautiful and respectful daughter-in-law.”
“Oh my God, thank you, mother. Wait, can I call you ‘mother’ now since… I’m getting married to Luca?” Jessica blushed, her eyes flickering nervously toward Luca.
“Of course, my dear. I’m your second mother now, no need for formality,”
I narrowed my eyes, tuning out the chatter around me, my thoughts drifting to matters far more pressing.
For example, Alexander.
The corners of my lips curled into a cold, calculated smirk as I tilted my head, recalling the orders I had given just yesterday-to kill Emily Knight, Alexander’s wife. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to eliminate that roach, but his wife and child? They were the perfect targets. Breaking Alexander meant destroying the pillars that kept him standing.
At first, when I learned Emily wasn’t dead but alive, rage burned through me. My plan had failed, and failure wasn’t something I tolerated. But I wasn’t one to give up. If anything, the setback only made me more determined.
Alexander Knight-he was my only failure. The one man who stood above me, more powerful, more feared, and more respected in this ruthless business. That was a position I couldn’t allow anyone else to hold.
I had to be the best at everything I did. And if eliminating his family was the key to tearing him down, then so be it. I would stop at nothing to get what I wanted.
I had dispatched at least fifty highly skilled assassins to Alexander’s house with one mission: to kill Emily. I was confident that at least one or two bullets would have found their mark. There was no way Alexander could protect her. And if I received word that his child got caught in the crossfire? Even better.
A dark chuckle escaped my lips before I realized it. I casually reached for the wine, my mood lifting slightly, but as I raised my head, I was met with Luca’s icy stare.
I tilted my head slightly to the side as I stared at him, my smirk widening even more.
“Son, I heard you’re a cop now. Have you decided that’s what you want to do instead of taking over your father’s company?” I spoke up, straightening my posture. Almost instantly, the room quieted, and all eyes turned to me.
Luca didn’t respond, his expression remaining unchanging as though he hadn’t heard me. I frowned, narrowing my eyes into a sharp glare at the blatant disrespect. He merely scoffed and turned his attention back to the drink in his hand.
Hmm.
“Luca, don’t be disrespectful!” Adam quickly scolded his son when he noticed my glare. But Luca only spared his father a fleeting glance.
Adam sighed, forcing an awkward smile.
“O-of course not. Luca won’t be a cop forever. He’s just doing this to pass the time. He’ll return to the company soon-you know how youngsters are these days.”
I didn’t reply for a moment, keeping my gaze fixed on that disrespectful bastard. The atmosphere grew tense, thick with silence as if any movement or word would tip things over the edge. After five long seconds, I tilted my head back, a loud, resounding laugh breaking the stifling air.
“Of course, of course. I understand. Youngsters do have a lot of time on their hands, unlike us old folks who barely have time to breathe,” I said with amusement.
Everyone immediately exhaled a collective breath of relief, the atmosphere lightening up.
“Haha, you’re right! Imagine trying that at our age when we’re almost fifty,” Adam chimed in, earning hearty laughter from the crowd-everyone except Luca.
I nodded and opened my mouth, about to say something, but froze when Chris, my second-in-command, walked in. He gave a slight bow to everyone before approaching me and leaning in to whisper.
As he spoke, my mood darkened and my smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a frown.
I tightened my grip on the glass, fighting the urge to slam it against the wall.
Alexander.
“Nico, are you okay?” My wife, Marissa, asked, but I cut her off.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have matters to attend to. I apologize for leaving so abruptly,” I said, standing up from my seat and tucking my hands into my pockets.
“Of course, we understand,” Adam said with a nervous smile. I gave him a curt nod before shooting Luca a brief glance and walking out with Chris behind me.
Immediately, we were inside my study. I spun around and kicked his legs, sending him crashing to the ground. He groaned but didn’t dare speak, quickly scrambling to his feet and bowing.
“Forgive me, boss, I am sorry for-” he began, but I raised my hand and slapped him across the cheek with a loud crack.
“You’re sorry?” I growled, my voice cold with fury. “Did you say ‘sorry,’ you bastard? You fucking failure. How many times have you failed me? How many times have you let me down?”
I kicked him again, watching him fall to the floor for the second time. He closed his eyes, groaning, but quickly rose, his head bowed in submission.
“I told you to send the most skilled assassins!” I continued, my anger growing. “How the hell could fifty men fail to kill a woman? I know Alexander is difficult to kill, but Emily? She shouldn’t have been a problem. You’ve killed presidents, criminals, conglomerates and people with far more power, and yet you couldn’t even kill a woman. Useless!”
“Forgive me, boss,” Luca repeated, and I groaned, running a hand through my hair in frustration.
Fuck, I wanted to kill someone.
“Where is it?” I demanded, my glare sharp. “The head the bastard sent. You said there was a note inside. Bring it to me.”
Luca bowed and left to do as I asked. I sighed, walking to my seat, and reached for the bottle of alcohol. It was the only thing that could keep me calm and prevent me from losing control and killing that useless Luca. I couldn’t afford to do anything stupid, especially not with a cop in my home.
Moments later, Luca returned, holding a box wrapped like a present. My eyes narrowed as he dropped it on the table before stepping back.
I sighed again and opened the box, my expression cold as I stared at the severed head without flinching.
I calmly picked up the blood-stained note tucked beside the head, reading the words with a sneer curling on my lips.
Dear Nico,
Your gift was truly memorable, and I believe it would be impolite not to return the gesture. For now, I’ve sent you something in kind, as a token of my appreciation. But don’t worry-this is only a small part of what I’ll be sending your way next time.
One more thing, Nico… it seems your men need a bit more training. They were disappointingly weak and far too easy to deal with. It was almost a pity watching them fall so quickly.
Until next time.
Best,
Alexander Knight.
I gripped the paper in my head as I stared at the head in anger.
That bastard, how dare he?!