AllFreeNovel
Share Us
In close quarters, I was a force to be reckoned with. I deflected punches with the grace of a martial artist, responding with well-placed blows that stunned my opponents.
My trusty blade was an extension of my arm, finding its target with precision and ending threats in silence.
My senses were finely tuned to the chaos around me. I sidestepped sneak attacks and turned ambushes into opportunities.
With each foe I dispatched, I inched closer to the mansion's core, where the showdown awaited until I made it through the doors.
However, as I stood there, flanked by my allies, facing off against Francisco and his armed henchmen in the grand foyer of the mansion, I couldn't help but feel a sense of astonishment.
We had planned for the element of surprise, yet we were outnumbered and at a standstill.
Francisco wore a sardonic smile as he aimed his gun squarely at me, his eyes glinting maliciously. My gaze bore into his with seething anger, but I remained silent, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of a response.
"Did you think you could outsmart me, Matteo?" he taunted, his voice dripping with mockery. His words hung in the air, a challenge that stoked the fire of my rage.
I clenched my jaw, muscles tensing with fury, but I held my tongue. The situation was clear, painfully obvious. Someone among our ranks had betrayed us.
My eyes darted to my supposed allies, suspicion coursing me as I tried to identify the turncoat.
Interrupting the tense standoff, Francisco lowered his gun with disdain, his lips curving into a twisted grin. "Enough of these childish games," he declared, his voice dripping with condescension.
My guard remained high, but my attention shifted, my eyes narrowing as I scrutinized the faces of those who had stood with us. Which one had betrayed our cause?
I needed to find out, but before I could act on my suspicion, a single gunshot shattered the silence.
The searing pain in my leg was unbearable, and I collapsed to the floor with a harsh, involuntary grunt. Francisco's men moved swiftly, closing in on me as I writhed in agony on one leg.
It felt like every nerve ending in my body was on fire. I clenched my teeth, trying to suppress the guttural cries threatening to escape.
Francisco approached, his footsteps echoing ominously as he loomed over me. With a twisted sense of triumph, he uttered his chilling ultimatum, "Don't worry, Matteo. I won't let you die. Not until you sign over the company to me."
Francisco then ordered his men to deal with the traitors. "Get rid of the traitors," he commanded.
"Wait, you can't do this to me. I helped you get him." I heard one of my allies say as he stepped out of the group.
I looked up to see no other than Antone Moretti. We have known each other for years. Both of our fathers were close when they were alive. So he was the traitor.
Everyone around him hissed as he continued to plead for his life.
"Look, I could be useful to your still," he continued, but Francisco quickly put his hand up, silencing the pathetic traitor.
"You did your job and are no longer useful. Besides, you're a rat. If you are willing to betray a friend you have known for years, why would I want someone like you in my organization?"
With that, Francsico looked at his men and nodded his head.
Gunshots immediately filled the air as his loyal henchmen followed his orders. The room descended into chaos as the violent echoes reverberated through the grand foyer.
I could hear the panicked shouts of my allies and the desperate pleas of those who had once stood by my side.
But I was in no position to look around, to assess the rapidly unfolding carnage. I was immediately hauled off the ground, my captors showing no mercy or concern for my injured leg.
The pain intensified with every jolt of movement, but I clenched my jaw and refused to cry out.
Desperation surged within me, and I struggled against their iron grip. A fierce blow to the back of my head abruptly extinguished my resistance as I fought to break free.
Darkness closed in, and my consciousness slipped away. Sophia was the last person that crossed my mind before I passed out.
Chapter 41
