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As I turned and walked away, Mr. Gilbert called out my name, but I paid no heed to his pleas.
I felt a pang of sympathy for my group members, who hadn't been privy to my plans to quit. I hated leaving them in such an abrupt manner, but I had no choice. I couldn't stay at a firm that had lost sight of its principles.
What was fortunate was that no one paid much attention to the file I clutched in my hand.
Heading towards the exit, I noticed Enzo standing there, his expression a mix of surprise and amusement. Without breaking stride, I walked past him, letting him know it was time to leave.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter 38
Emilio
Thescenethatgreetedme and my team as I approached the mansion was nothing short of a horror show. The once stately building was now a chaotic mess. Inside, broken furniture and shattered glass lay scattered in nearly every room, and bloodstains adorned the floors and walls.
The bodies of our men lay strewn across the building, some injured and groaning, others ominously still. It was an onslaught, a calculated assault on our territory. My heart clenched at the sight of the carnage.
My brother was nowhere in sight, and the uncertainty hurried me on as I assessed the situation. Instructing my men in rapid Italian, I ordered them to rid us of these intruders, the urgency in my voice a reflection of the dire circumstances.
Aiming with my weapon, I focused on the enemies. My mind honed solely on the task at hand. Gunfire echoed on various floors throughout the mansion. I maneuvered through the chaos, my movements guided by a mixture of rage and determination to protect what was rightfully ours.
The minutes stretched into an eternity as the confrontation escalated. I could practically taste the tension in the air, charged with the scent of blood and gunpowder. My muscles tensed with each shot; every movement was calculated to ensure the safety of our family and our domain.
The attackers seemed to recognize that our defense was no pushover, and they soon started to retreat, much to my relief. I wasted no time in instructing my men to pursue them, determined to extract every bit of information possible about the person or persons responsible for this audacious assault.
Amid the turmoil, my thoughts remained fixated on finding my brother. Carlo’s well-being was all that mattered at this moment. With each room I cleared, my apprehension grew, already fearing the worst as I called out his name each time, desperately hoping for a response.
My heart skipped a beat when, finally, I stumbled upon him lying in one of the corridors on the second floor. His form was huddled against the wall at an odd angle. Rushing to his side, I gently gathered him in my arms, my concern palpable.
"Carlo, are you alright? What happened?" I asked, my voice laced with urgency and worry washed over me at the sight of him.
Helping Carlo sit up, I leaned in with a furrowed brow.
"Carlo, what's going on?"
He muttered a frustrated Italian curse under his breath. Carlo's eyes revealed the seriousness of the situation.
"Uncle Luigi," he began, "he planned this. He's behind the attack."
I staggered back, my voice barely a whisper.
"Uncle Luigi? What are you talking about, Carlo? You must be mistaken."
My disbelief was evident. Despite my strained relationship with our uncle, I found it hard to fathom that he would give the order for this destruction.
Carlo's face contorted into a snarl as he elaborated.
"He wanted to seize control of the entire Fiore empire. He even joined forces with the Mancini family, but when you killed Crino, he changed sides. He formed an alliance with Riccardo Esposito, but as soon as you inherited the title of Don, Uncle Luigi turned on Riccardo and took control of the Esposito family, merging their forces with ours."
My mind raced with the implications of his words.
The revelation sent a shiver down my spine. The level of betrayal left me reeling.
"Riccardo?" I hissed, trying to process the unexpected turn of events.
Our uncle allied himself with Griselda’s father. But for what? His father was already dead, so what else did Riccardo want?
Carlo's expression darkened. "Yes, he did. I heard he manipulated the circumstances to merge the two families."
