Alexander pov
“We have them surrounded, and the goods from the warehouse have been secured. What should we do with Nico’s men?” Adrian asked from behind me.
I didn’t turn around. My eyes remained fixed on the scene below-twenty, maybe thirty of Nico’s men, all forced to their knees, hands bound behind their backs. Some trembled, others glared defiantly, but they all knew their fate.
They were going die either by me or Nico.
I exhaled slowly, the smoke swirling around me before speaking. “No loose ends, Adrian. You know what to do.”
“Understood, boss,” Adrian responded with a bow before turning to carry out my orders.
“You really are ruthless, aren’t you? Not even a shred of mercy,” Xavier remarked from behind me as he strolled to the railing, casually leaning against it with a smirk.
I took a slow drag from my cigarette, inhaling deeply, but didn’t bother responding.
I watched as Nico’s men were forced to their knees, roughly lined up as if awaiting execution. No- they were about to be executed.
“What is the use when they are going to die either way” I said. “Nico is going to kill them for failing to protect his warehouse and I am simply making it… quick”
Xaiver’s gaze settled on me, his smirk widening as he noted my lack of reaction. My expression remained cold, indifferent. If anything, I was growing bored, slightly impatient. I was already late, but I couldn’t possibly attend without bringing a gift first, could I?
“True, true but I expected more of a reaction from you, Alexander,” he said, turning around and leaning casually against the railing. His gaze flickered with something unreadable-curiosity, maybe amusement.
“I mean, you’ve finally gotten what you wanted. You found one of Nico’s warehouses, uncovered his stash. Shouldn’t you be celebrating?” He tilted his head, studying me. “Or maybe… you’re happy, but you just don’t know how to show it anymore. You’ve become a robot at this point”
My gaze flickered to him, and I frowned, tilting my head slightly to the side as I debated whether throwing the idiot over the railing would be worth the trouble.
He talked too much.
“Happy?” I echoed, my voice flat. But instead of looking at him, I shifted my focus back to the scene below, where my men cocked their guns, aiming at the backs of the lined-up hostages.
“I haven’t even started yet,” I murmured, my gaze locked on the scene below. “That bastard is still breathing, and this warehouse? It’s nothing-just a minor piece in his empire. The only reason I’m bothering with it is to send him a gift and keep him busy for a while before the day arrives”
Xaiver laughed at my words.
“I’m really curious about something, Alexander,” Xavier said, his sharp gaze fixed on me.
“I haven’t seen you attack Nico directly, unlike him, he never hesitates to strike at you or your family. Instead, you operate from the shadows, pulling strings, orchestrating his losses. Why? Don’t you want him dead?”
I turned to face him, finding genuine curiosity in his expression. Without a word, I dropped my cigarette to the ground, crushing it beneath my shoe before slipping my hands into my pockets.
“I do want him dead,” I admitted. “But not yet. Killing him outright would be too easy and too merciful. I want him to suffer first. I want him to lose everything he’s built, everything he holds dear. I want him to know what it means to feel true loss and regret. To wake up every day consumed by nightmares, drowning in his own downfall. Only then will I take his head.”
Xavier’s smirk faltered slightly. “You don’t seem to understand Nico,” he said after a pause. “That man doesn’t care about anyone but himself. If you’re planning to target his family, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
I scoffed and stepped forward, resting my hand on the railing. My lips curled into a smirk of my own.
“Who said anything about his family? The bastard doesn’t give a damn about them. The only thing he truly cares about is his empire,” I murmured. “And that’s exactly where I plan to strike.”
Xavier’s eyes widened for a brief moment as he stared at me, and then he began to laugh, the sound echoing- something that didn’t match the grim atmosphere below.
He nodded almost approvingly and muttered something along the lines of, “Remind me never to make you my enemy.”
I ignored his words and raised my hand in the air, signaling Adrian to proceed. The moment I did, his voice rang out.
“Shoot!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots echoed through the air, followed by the dull thuds of bodies hitting the ground. I didn’t flinch, and neither did Xavier, who merely observed the scene with an indifferent, almost bored expression.
Lowering my hand, I glanced at my watch with a slight frown.
8 PM.
I wondered what that girl was up to-how she must be feeling, returning to a place both unfamiliar and familiar. She was probably a mess right now, yet I had made her attend just to prove to myself that I didn’t care what happened to her.
Sure, she might be a distraction, and the sex had been incredible, but that was all. I didn’t care.
Yet, why was I so impatient to leave right now.
___
Valentina pov.
“So, you’re saying when you were in an accident, you fell into a coma, and lost your memory when you woke up?” Luca asked, his tone filled with skepticism.
I sat on the bed while he stood a few feet away, watching me like I had just sprouted a second head.
I simply nodded, adding a cheeky smile for good measure. His eyes widened in utter disbelief, as if I had just confessed to being an alien.
“You really can’t remember anything? Is that what you’re trying to tell me-that you don’t remember me or anyone else from before the accident?” Luca asked, his voice laced with frustration.
I nodded again. “I really can’t remember anything before the accident… Did we have a close relationship? Were we friends?”
He scoffed at my words, his jaw tightening as he ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he let out a sharp breath before pacing back and forth. This time, he stopped just inches away from me, his gaze piercing.
“You can’t expect me to believe that, Emily. You can’t expect me to believe you don’t remember me.” His voice dropped. “If this is just another attempt to push me away like last time, then you’re even crueler than I thought.”
Cruel?
But I really couldn’t remember anything.
To be honest, I’d had a bad feeling about this man from the start. Something about him unsettled me. How should I put it? I didn’t like the way he looked at me back at the club and even now. It felt… intimate.
That wasn’t how you should look at a married woman.
Hell, even Alexander always looked like he wanted to kill me, while this stranger the one I supposedly couldn’t remember looked like he wanted nothing more than to hold me.
“Emily…”
I froze.
Luca had moved closer without me realizing, now crouching in front of me. His face was just inches away, and before I could react, his hand tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze.
I swallowed nervously, my gaze locked on him. He was attractive, I wouldn’t deny that but I really didn’t like this proximity.
Alexander would get mad if he saw me like this with another man.
“Emily…” Luca murmured again, his voice low and almost pleading. A shiver ran down my spine at the intensity in his eyes.
“W-what are you doing?” I stammered. “Please, can you move back a bit? You’re invading my personal space-”
“You really don’t remember?” He cut me off, his grip on my chin firm. “You really don’t remember that we were lovers-”
“What the hell are you doing with my fiance?!”
A high-pitched voice interrupted him, and both our heads snapped toward the door.
A woman stood there, her sharp eyes burning into me with such intensity that I couldn’t help but shiver.
Fiance?
Slowly, I turned my gaze back to Luca. His attention was fixed on the woman, his expression suddenly cold, and I felt his grip tighten slightly around my chin.
This… this didn’t look good.