The gunshot echoed through the speaker. A split second of dead silence followed. Dino’s breath caught in his throat. His grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned white. Then—a soft groan. Elena. She was alive. Alejandro’s chuckle followed. “Relax, hermano. I only grazed her. I wouldn’t kill her… yet.” Dino’s jaw clenched so hard it ached. “Do you know what your problem is, Dino?” Alejandro continued, his tone mocking. “You think you can play my game. But you’re predictable. You care too much.” Dino inhaled slowly, controlling the storm raging inside him. “And you think you’re untouchable.” Alejandro hummed. “I am.” Dino exchanged a look with Vincent. Alejandro was arrogant, but he wasn’t careless. He wouldn’t have fired that shot unless he knew he was secure. He was somewhere heavily guarded. Dino needed to be smarter. Alejandro sighed dramatically. “I’ll make this simple, hermano. Stop interfering with my business, and I’ll return Elena… mostly intact.” Di

The warehouse was silent—except for the faint hum of electricity in the flickering overhead lights.Alejandro stood frozen, his usual smirk wiped clean from his face.Across from him, the one man he never expected to see again stepped forward.Sanchez.His father.A man everyone believed was either dead or permanently exiled from the criminal world.Alejandro’s grip tightened around his gun. His fingers twitched, but he didn’t raise it yet.“You should be rotting in some gutter,” Alejandro spat, his voice sharp.Sanchez chuckled, slow and deliberate, stepping further into the room. His men fanned out behind him, weapons raised, taking control of the space.“I taught you better than this, Alejandro,” Sanchez mused. His deep, gravelly voice sent a shiver down Elena’s spine. “You’re slipping.”Elena watched every movement between the two men, her mind racing.This was new. Unexpected.Alejandro had always been ruthless. But Sanchez? He was the monster who created him.Alejandro took a sl

The handshake was a declaration.Dino watched as Capello sealed his deal with Sanchez, his fingers gripping Elena’s wrist like she was nothing more than a bargaining chip.For a split second, the world around Dino faded.He had come here to end this.But Capello had changed the rules.Elena’s eyes met Dino’s, wide with confusion, then betrayal. He was here. Why wasn’t he stopping this?Because if he moved too soon, everyone would die.Dino clenched his jaw. Not yet.Not until he knew exactly what game was being played.---A Son BetrayedAlejandro was still on the ground, panting, clutching his bleeding shoulder.His father—**his own flesh and blood—**had turned on him.The warehouse lights flickered as Sanchez’s men repositioned, their guns lowering now that the hierarchy was restored.Sanchez turned away from Alejandro as if he were nothing more than an afterthought.“You’ve served your purpose,” he murmured.Alejandro’s breathing shook.“Screw you,” he spat, voice hoarse. “I bled f

Dino sat across from Sanchez in the dimly lit study, the air between them charged with unspoken threats. A chessboard sat between them, though neither had touched the pieces.Sanchez studied him with the sharp eyes of a predator. “You understand what’s at stake, don’t you?”Dino didn’t blink. “I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”A slow, approving smile spread across Sanchez’s face. “Good. Then you won’t hesitate when I give you your first task.”Dino’s fingers flexed beneath the table. He had expected this. Now came the real test.Sanchez leaned forward, his voice dropping. “There’s a man in Naples causing problems for me. I want you to get rid of him.”Dino kept his face neutral. “You have plenty of men for that. Why me?”Sanchez chuckled. “Because I want to see if you have the stomach for real power.”A direct hit.Sanchez was testing his willingness to kill in cold blood.Dino’s mind raced. If he refused too quickly, Sanchez would suspect him. If he accepted too easily, he might be forc

Dino’s hands were still clenched into fists.The night air was thick with tension, the scent of gunpowder lingering in the alley. Sergio’s betrayal burned deep, but there was no time to process it. Elena was still trapped, and Alejandro was still pulling the strings.Dino reached for his phone, dialing the only person he trusted right now.Tomas.The call connected instantly.“Talk to me.”Dino’s voice was sharp. “Sergio’s flipped. He led me into an ambush.”A pause. Then Tomas exhaled. “Damn. You good?”Dino wiped the blood from his lip. “I’m breathing. But Alejandro has Elena, and now I know one thing for sure.”“What?”Dino’s jaw tightened. “He’s expecting me.”There was a silence before Tomas spoke again, his tone edged with caution. “Then we make him think he’s right.”Dino’s eyes darkened. “I want every resource tracking Alejandro’s movements. I don’t care what it takes.”Tomas hesitated. “Dino, this isn’t just about Elena anymore. If Alejandro has Sergio, who else has he turned