Chapter 51
Ten years had passed since the Russo family found their true peace on the beautiful island of Sicily. Dante Russo, now in his fifties, still maintained the muscular build and deadly composure of a man who once stood at the pinnacle of underground power. Sophia was now a radiant eighteen-year-old, preparing to enter a fine arts university in Florence, while Hope—the little angel who brought light to the family—had grown into a sharp, stubborn nine-year-old, mirroring her father. Maya still ran Sweet Haven, but it was no longer just a small shop in Brooklyn. It had become a renowned artisanal pastry brand across Italy, complete with a culinary academy for orphaned children. They lived a completely clean life, honoring the vow Dante had made under the autumn sunset years ago. However, this fragile peace was shattered on a gray winter afternoon. Matteo, whom Dante had trusted with the entire legitimate logistics empire in America, suddenly appeared at the gates of the sandstone villa. His scarred face was lined with extreme tension. He didn't come alone; he carried an intricately carved cedar box. "I didn't want to break your peace, Dante," Matteo said, his voice gravelly as he sat in Dante's private study. "But this... I couldn't handle this alone." Dante frowned, his cold, pale gray eyes returning. "What happened in New York?" "Not New York. Rome. The DIA special task force just sent me a top-secret ultimatum." He pushed the wooden box across the desk. "Antoine escaped." Dante gripped the armrest tightly. Antoine—the brutal leader of the Corsican syndicate whom Dante had defeated and handed over to the Italian police years ago—was serving a life sentence in a fully isolated maximum-security prison off the Tyrrhenian Sea. His escape was virtually impossible. "What’s in the box?" Dante asked, his voice devoid of emotion. "A message," Matteo replied, opening the lid. Inside lay a half-burned pearl hair clip. "It was found on Sophia’s bed in her Florence dormitory this morning." Dante shot up, a terrifying, murderous aura erupting from him, dropping the room's temperature below freezing. "Where is Sophia?!" "She's safe. I had Alpha team secure her and move her to a safehouse on the outskirts of Florence the moment I received this," Matteo rushed to reassure him. "But Antoine doesn't just want revenge against you. He has allied with an organization far more terrifying than our past."
