Chapter 5 - The Poisoned Alliance
The heavy iron gates of the Falcone estate were blown inward with a deafening explosive charge.
Victor’s tactical convoy surged through the entrance, tires screeching against the wet cobblestones. Over twenty Bellandi soldiers dressed in dark body armor poured out of the vehicles, disarming the outer perimeter guards with lethal, overwhelming force.
Victor walked through the smoke of the courtyard like an invincible warlord. He held his heavy sidearm at his side, his broad chest rising and falling with steady, lethal rhythm.
He entered the grand foyer of the gray-stone mansion.
Don Falcone stood at the top of the marble staircase, holding nine-year-old Leo firmly by his shoulder. Four heavily armed Falcone enforcers stood beside them with weapons raised.
"Victor!" Falcone shouted down the stairs, his voice echoing off the high ceilings. "You're trespassing on sovereign territory! One step closer and my men open fire!"
Victor didn't stop. He walked slowly to the base of the staircase, stopping on the first marble step. His dark, piercing eyes locked onto the small boy standing beside his enemy.
Leo looked down at Victor with wide, curious eyes, sensing no threat from the towering man in the dark coat.
"Release my son, Falcone," Victor said, his deep voice shaking the quiet foyer. "And I might let you leave this house alive."
Falcone let out a cruel, mocking laugh. "Your son? He doesn't know who you are, Victor! I raised him for eight years! He carries my name, he knows my rules, and tomorrow night he signs the Council trust documents as my legal heir!"
"He carries my blood, Falcone," Victor replied coldly. "And paperwork doesn't change blood."
Before Falcone could order his men to fire, a sudden commotion echoed from the upper hallway behind him.
Marcus and three Bellandi enforcers, who had breached the estate through a secondary roof access, stepped out from the shadows, their weapons trained directly on Falcone’s guards.
In a split second, Marcus neutralized the two lead guards with precise, suppressed shots.
Falcone panicked, grabbing Leo to use him as a human shield, but Victor moved with terrifying, explosive speed. Victor was up the marble staircase in two seconds, grabbing Falcone’s wrist and twisting it back until the old crime lord dropped his weapon.
Victor slammed his broad palm into Falcone's chest, throwing him back against the marble wall, and swept nine-year-old Leo safely behind his broad frame.
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Leo looked up at Victor, his fair, rosy face filled with wonder. "Are you... my real father?"
Victor dropped to one knee, gently placing his broad hand on the boy's shoulder. His dark eyes softened completely. "Yes, Leo. I'm your father. And you're coming home."
