2025-11-24 17:31:13Enzo looked out over the city from the roof, where the cold wind pulled at his coat. He was shaken to his core by Bianca's betrayal. She had been more than just a friend; she was the one he had turned to when everything else had gone wrong. Now, she had turned her back on him and sided with Carmela Santillo and the very people Enzo had worked so hard to bring down.
There was a bad taste in his mouth. He had seen betrayal before, but not like this. Not from someone who had been there for him through everything. The loss wasn't just a matter of strategy; it felt personal, like a wound that wouldn't heal. Bianca's voice broke the silence. "I thought you would be here." Enzo didn't look at her. She was right behind him, and even without saying anything, it was clear she was there. "Bianca, what do you want?" Enzo's voice was steady, but it had a sharp edge to it. He kept his eyes on the city below. Bianca said in a sharp voice, "I want you to understand." "This isn't personal. It's about staying alive. You keep playing the game like there's a way out. No, there isn't. Finally, Enzo turned, and his eyes were cold. "Survival, huh?" He laughed bitterly. "That's funny; I thought we were trying to do more than just stay alive." But that might just be me. Bianca came closer, and the space between them got smaller, but the emotional gap felt like it was miles wide. "You're still the Ghost of Havencroft." You think you're fighting for a good cause, but all you've done is make enemies and burn bridges. "And you think you're different?" Enzo snapped, and his fists got tighter. "Bianca, you're just like everyone else." Get out for yourself. Just another person in a city that eats people and spits them out. Bianca's eyes got darker, but she didn't move. "You can't keep acting like you're different, Enzo." You've been in this game longer than you realize. You didn't know it until now. There were a lot of things they didn't say to each other in the silence. Enzo's stomach was churning. In a way, Bianca was right. The rage and the desire for revenge had taken over his life. He was getting deeper and deeper into a world he had always tried to stay away from with every step he took to get Havencroft back. There was a lot of greed and betrayal in the city. And now he was a part of it. He had to face it. He thought about Serena, who was captured and weak. The woman who had betrayed him once and then came back when he thought all hope was lost. But even now, when he thought of her, he wasn't sure. Could he count on her? Would she really be able to help him? Or was she just like Bianca, playing her own game? Enzo's jaw tightened. He couldn't completely trust anyone. Not anymore. "Carmela has the guns." And what about Rossini? Enzo mumbled. "I can still see him." Letting him live is too risky. Bianca nodded. "Then we do what we do best." Bring him down. But we do it the way I say. No more games and no more chances. "You're either with me or against me." He felt the weight of her words. Bianca had already made her choice. Enzo had to figure out if he was still on the same team or if he had finally gone too far. The door to the safe house creaked open as Enzo fought with his thoughts. Serena Voss walked in, her face pale but determined. It was clear that she had a plan. And she wasn't going to let Enzo's doubts stop her. Enzo said, "You're still alive," in a clipped voice. He didn't try to hide his shock. He thought she would be long gone, caught, or worse. But there she was. Serena said, "I'm still here," and their eyes met. "And I'm not done helping you yet." Enzo looked at her with suspicion. He wasn't ready to trust her again, not after everything that had happened. But he had to admit that Serena was one of the few people who had made it through this game alive. Even though they didn't know what she wanted, her skills as a hacker gave them an edge. Bianca, who was standing by the wall with her arms crossed, gave Enzo a sharp look. "Enzo, she wants something." Remember that. Enzo sighed and rubbed his temples. He said quietly, "I know what she wants." "But we need all the help we can get right now." Serena stepped forward and spoke in a calm voice. "You want Rossini to leave, and I want him to leave. We can get into his operations because I have the access we need. For months, I've been keeping an eye on him. I know what he's not good at. This time, we know what we're doing. Enzo and Bianca looked at each other for a moment. He could tell she was unsure, but she didn't say anything. She had already made up her mind and wasn't going to change it. "Okay, Serena. Enzo finally said, "We'll do it your way," but his voice sounded a little reluctant. "But you won't get away with it. When this is over, we're done. No more tricks. Serena nodded slightly, but her eyes stayed on him. "Got it." The plan got started right away. The weapons shipment was already on its way, and Enzo, Bianca, and Serena knew this was their best chance. Enzo wasn't going to let the mercenaries stop him from getting the shipment. They would get through, steal the guns, and then go after Rossini. But as they got ready for the attack, Enzo couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He couldn't trust anyone completely. Serena, who promised to be loyal, also seemed to be hiding something. It felt like the walls were getting closer. "Let's make this quick," Enzo said as they got ready, his voice tight with concentration. "We get the guns and leave." But as they got closer, the unmistakable sound of engines revving filled the air. Rossini's men were already there, waiting for them. They were ready and weren't going to take any chances. The ambush was quick, and gunfire filled the air as Enzo's crew ran for cover. As Enzo took aim, his heart raced and his finger tightened on the trigger. But before he could act, Luca Moretti stepped out of the shadows and into the light. "Did you really think you could have it all?" Luca's voice was smooth, but it also had a mocking tone. Enzo's heart skipped a beat. "Luca," he said, the word barely a whisper as the gun in his hand shook. Luca sneered, "I told you this city would be mine, Ghost," his eyes cold. "Now, let's see if you can make it through the game." Gunfire broke out, and Enzo barely had time to react before everything around him went black.
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Chapter 61: Rebirth or Ruin
Enzo stood in the middle of it, with cold sheets of rain falling all around him, making the skyline and the rubble below his feet hard to see. The air was full of smoke, and the distant sounds of gunfire reminded him that the city, the very thing he had once fought for, was slipping through his fingers. He couldn't save it or destroy it anymore.He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of every choice he had made, every betrayal, and every alliance. Serena, Bianca, and Luca had all pushed him to this point. And now that everything was falling apart, he had to choose between fighting for the throne or giving it all up.His men were spread out across the city, fighting to stay alive, but Enzo knew that the city would never be the same, no matter how many people died. He could feel it in his gut: the cost of power and the price of redemption. He heard his name whispered in every corner of Havencroft, but in the back of his mind, he wondered if it was too late to save anything, even hims
Chapter 60: The Price of Power
Rain fell in thin, stubborn sheets, making Havencroft's main square look like a mirror with broken lights and muddy water.Enzo stood under the broken awning of an old bank and watched his men take up positions on the roofs and in the alley mouths. Their numbers were fewer now, and their faces looked older than they were.Marco came up behind him with a low rifle. "We're too spread out," he said. "People who work for Serena are dug in by the fountain." Bianca's crew is acting like they're not taking sides, which usually means they're overthinking things.Enzo said, "Bianca always thinks too much." "That's why she's still alive."Marco thought about it. "Are you sure we want her here at all?"Enzo said, "No, we don't." "We need her guns." There is a difference.Bianca stepped out of the shadows on the other side of the square. Her coat was dark with rain, and two of her men were behind her. She raised her hands to show that they were empty.She yelled, "You really made the place look n
Chapter 59: The Heart of Darkness
The rain on the roof of the warehouse made a loud, steady noise that drowned out the sounds of the city outside.Enzo stood on the floor, not the catwalk, with his boots planted in a loose circle of chairs. His men stayed in the shadows along the walls. Bianca was sitting to his right, with her back straight and her fingers loose on the armrest."This is like the part in a bad movie where everyone dies," she said."Then let's try to make the script mad," Enzo said.The door on the side opened. Three of Luca's former lieutenants came in with Serena. No masks. No attitude. Just tired eyes and hands close to their holsters.She stopped in front of him. "You chose a nice place," she said. "Romantic in a way that comes after the end of the world."He said, "It has been the cause of most of our problems." "Sit."They grabbed their chairs. The lieutenants stayed standing and watched everyone.Serena said, "You wanted to talk." "Talk before someone changes their mind.""You built a council an
Chapter 58: Broken Bonds
Havencroft had stopped yelling, but it still didn't know how to talk quietly.Enzo watched a line of people go around a relief truck from the window of the old tax office. His men kept the peace, keeping their eyes on the crowd and their hands on their rifles.He could hear Bianca's voice coming from the table behind him."You see faces that are hungry," she said. "I see leverage."He looked back. "You always knew how to make love."She put the reports all over the table. "Food goes out with our stamp on it." Medicine moves along our paths. People complain, but they know who to ask for help when they need it.Enzo said, "They also whispered Luca's name." "Until they spat on it."Bianca looked up and laughed. "Scared of becoming him?"He said, "I'm afraid of becoming someone worse and not knowing it."She walked over to the window and joined him. "Take it easy. You still jump when the bodies start to stack up. That means you're still here."Comforting," he said softly.Marco stepped in
Chapter 57: A Crown of Ashes
In the morning, Havencroft seemed smaller.Enzo looked out the broken windows of what used to be a tax office and was now his headquarters. He saw smoke still coming from two blocks away. The sirens screamed and then stopped. Someone yelled from the street below, then went quiet.Marco, one of his oldest officers, stood at the table with coffee and maps on it. "You have the city, boss," he said. "What's left of it?"Enzo didn't take his eyes off the window. "I have rubble that answers to my name." That is not the same thing.Marco said, "You wanted the throne." "Now it is yours."Enzo said, "The throne is a broken chair with bullets in it." "Sit on it wrong, and it kills you."Marco laughed half-heartedly. "Some men kill for seats that are less comfortable."He got serious and tapped a mark on the map. "The south blocks are on edge. Stores were robbed and kids were running around. "Who is in charge now that Luca and Carmela are gone?" people are asking.Enzo turned around. "Tell them
Chapter 56: The Ghost's End
Havencroft was almost silent.Enzo watched smoke drift over the river road from the top floor of the broken office building.Serena was behind him, one hand on the wall and the other on her stomach. She said, "It's almost over."Enzo asked, "For who?""Everyone," she said. "Luca. Carmela. You. Me. This spot.He kept looking at the skyline that was on fire. "Luca is still alive." "It's not over until he stops breathing."Serena said, "You could just leave." "Tonight." We get in a car, go through the tunnels, and then we vanish. No more crowns. "Stop painting the streets red.""And leave him here to fix all this," Enzo said. "Let him raise our child according to his own rules."She said quietly, "You already chose war after you found out about the baby." "Don't act like this is a sacrifice for us.""I stopped acting like I was innocent," he said. "That's it."She got closer until he could feel her breath on his shoulder. "You say you're doing this for our child. But what's the point of
