Warbound: Rise of the Street General

Chapter 5: The Price of Power

Enzo stood in the middle of Rossini's compound, and the room was full of tension. The walls, which used to be strong and safe, now felt like a trap. Matteo Rossini, the man who had planned Damon's death and controlled every move in this war, stood across from him.

Rossini's smirk made me mad, like a man who knew he had already won. "You thought you could get me down, Enzo? You were never anything more than a piece on my board. His voice was cold, but his eyes showed that he was having fun. "Damon was weak, but you... you were always helpful."

Enzo's fists were tight, and his body shook with rage. Every fight he had fought and every step he had taken had brought him to this point. But Rossini's words hurt more than any blow. A pawn.

"You killed him," Enzo said, stepping forward. "You killed Damon to get in charge." And you thought you could just leave it behind?

Rossini shrugged, as if the death of a man who had once been his equal didn't matter. "It's a dog-eat-dog world, Ghost. You should have known that by now.

Enzo's hand shook, and he couldn't help but want to pull the trigger. But he knew he couldn't go back now. I'm just as bad if I kill him. He was so angry and wanted to get back at the person who hurt him that the truth hit him like a punch to the gut. This was no longer about justice. It was a matter of life and death. And how much did that cost? He couldn't afford to pay that much.

Enzo's mind raced as Rossini's words weighed heavily on him. The room felt like it was closing in on me. With each passing second, he could feel his humanity slipping away.

Bianca, who was standing nearby, saw that he had changed. She moved closer and spoke softly. "Now is the time, Enzo. You have to take charge or you'll die. There is no middle ground.

Enzo looked at her, his eyes hardening but also showing that he was torn. "I didn't want this. I never wanted any of this. But you are right. It's up to me to choose.

Bianca looked at him, but her face was blank. "Then do it."

Enzo looked back at Rossini, the man who had ruined everything Damon had worked for and made him look like a fool. He could feel the darkness closing in on him, tempting him to pull the trigger and put an end to Rossini's reign of terror once and for all. But what would that mean for him? Another dictator? Another man who had been taken over by power?

He tightened his jaw. "I'm done with this."

Bianca's eyes went to the gun in Enzo's hand, and she spoke softly. "Are you not going to kill him?"

Enzo said, "I'm not like you," with a bitter tone. "I'm not like Rossini."

But Enzo's choice had effects that weren't good. Rossini's eyes shone with victory as soon as his gun went down. "You really think you won, Ghost?" Rossini made fun of. "You still follow rules that don't exist in this world." "I've already won."

Enzo's grip on his gun got tighter, and even though he was still determined, his body was tense as he realised he had been playing right into Rossini's hands. Rossini was right: every move and every plan had brought him to this dead end. He was now just another pawn.

Enzo stepped closer and said, "I don't think you get it." "You don't have power over me anymore."

Enzo looked at Bianca, who had been strangely quiet during the conversation. Her calculating eyes locked onto his, as if to say without words that this was the moment when everything would change.

The door behind them suddenly flew open. Luca Moretti, the crime lord Enzo had thought about teaming up with, walked into the room with armed guards on each side. Luca said, "I see the little Ghost is still trying to be a hero," in a smooth, condescending voice.

Enzo's heart stopped for a second. He didn't need another enemy, especially not Luca Moretti. "Have you been working with Rossini?" Enzo asked in a low voice, "What?"

Luca's smile got bigger. "Did you really think you could kill Rossini without me knowing? Ghost, I've been in charge of things behind the scenes for a long time.

Enzo didn't let on that he was hurt by the betrayal. He had worked too hard to let it get to him now. He thought, "Don't trust anyone."

Before anyone could do anything, a shot rang out. The noise echoed in the room, and it made Enzo's heart race with fear. He turned around just in time to see Serena Voss, the hacker who had helped him before, fall to the ground with blood spreading beneath her.

"No!" Enzo yelled and ran towards her. He knelt next to her, and his hands shook as she looked at him in shock.

Bianca, always the smart one, moved closer. "You're too late, Ghost."

Rossini smiled and kept his hands up in fake surrender. "It's too bad, really. You were almost in charge.

Enzo gritted his teeth as anger coursed through him. But when he looked down at Serena and saw the blood on her clothes, he knew how bad things were for him. Everything, even power, was too expensive.

Serena coughed and her breath was short. "You... you have to... kill him, Enzo," she whispered, her voice weak but urgent. "Don't let him win."

Enzo's heart hurt. He knew what he had to do. But the thought hit him like a punch: He would have to give up everything to stay alive.

The door to the room slammed open again before Enzo could say anything. This time, it was Carmela Santillo, and she wasn't by herself. Tristan Rocco, the city's financial genius, stood next to her with a smug look on his face.

"Tristan?" Enzo's voice broke with disbelief. "Why are you here?"

Tristan didn't say anything. He nodded towards Luca Moretti instead, his smile tight. "Ghost, this is bigger than you think." And you've been on the wrong side the whole time.

Enzo's world turned. Betrayal. It was all over the place. And he was right in the middle of it all, in the middle of the crossfire.