Twisted Fixation

『 Chapter 20 』

As more enemies appeared, she ducked behind cover and reloaded her gun, taking careful aim before firing again.

"Signorina!" She looked at where the voice came from and saw Aleksei, who was standing on the other side of the room, his appearance a complete mess. He was about to run in her direction when she saw an enemy aiming a gun in his direction.

Without a second thought, she quickly pulled out her own weapon and fired a shot, taking down the enemy. Aleksei ran towards her, grateful for her quick thinking and bravery. They both took cover behind a nearby desk as more enemies flooded into the room.

Yuri winced as a bullet whizzed past her arm. She gritted her teeth through the pain as she continued to fire at the enemies. Her heart raced with adrenaline as she dodged bullets and returned fire. Sweat dripped down her face as she moved from cover to cover, trying to gain an advantage.

The battle raged on for what felt like an eternity, but finally, the last enemy fell to the ground with a thud.

Aleksei was dumbfounded while looking at her with a newfound respect and admiration, while the others yelled out as they emerged victorious.

***

"It's just a scratch; do not bother me. There are some who were more seriously injured than me, so tend to them instead," Yuri said, dismissing the doctor.

After establishing contact with the others, those who were gravely injured were taken to the hospital, but those with minor injuries like her were escorted back to the villa instead. 

She couldn't help but think about how lucky she was to have escaped with just a scratch.

"Signorina, please put this on," it was the same man who told her the address and gave her a plain shirt. That's when she realized that she was still half naked. She quickly put on the shirt, feeling grateful for the man's kindness.

"I heard from the others that you fought fiercely. I couldn't thank you enough for arriving just in time. If you did not come, who knows what could have happened."

She took a cigarette from her pocket and lit it. She does not frequently smoke unless she feels the need to do so after a long, hard day. The smoke curled around her fingers as she took a long drag, the nicotine hitting her bloodstream almost instantly.

"I do not want to be indebted to your boss, so while I am here, I decided to do what I can, and it happens that fighting is what I am good at."

"So, you are indeed the angel of death they were talking about."

She smirked at that.

Before the man could react, there was a knock on the door and it revealed a comrade. Just by looking at his face, Yuri has a rough idea already of the news he bears.

"The boss has arrived, and he's furious."

The two exchanged looks before walking towards the door. Even without facing Giancarlo yet, they could already feel the murderous aura filling the air. As they stepped outside, the tension only grew thicker.

She thought that they were going to the office, but they were led to the living room, where the heads of the others, even the maids, were bowed down.

Giancarlo sat in the middle, his eyes fixed on them like a predator stalking its prey. Without saying a word, he rose from his seat and began to approach them slowly. His movements were deliberate and calculated, like a snake preparing to strike. As he drew closer, she could feel his anger radiating off of him like waves.

"Ho detto solo una cosa," (I only said one thing) he started.

"Non ho avuto scelta. Stava per tagliarsi la gola." (I had no choice. She was about to slit her throat.)

Even though she doesn't understand it, she assumed that the man told Giancarlo about her attempt to cut her own throat as the mafia boss glanced at her neck; he even touched it.

"All along I thought that you were working for me. Then why can't you follow a simple instruction?"

"Your men are dying out there, Giancarlo. What do you want me to do? Stop treating me like I am your woman."

A shadow loomed over his face, but she despised the fact that, despite risking her life, the mafia boss was still making her feel as if she had done something wrong.

"I did not ask you to do that for me. I promised your mother that I would keep you safe as much as I could and not drag you into another danger."

She took a step back and scowled at him.

"If I am not allowed to do that, then why am I even here? Do you intend to just have sex with me whenever and wherever you want? Is that all I am to you? Is my end of the bargain here to just wait for you to come home?"

Giancarlo remained indifferent. "I just want you here, and nothing else matters. Do you understand that?"

Instead of responding, she averted her gaze somewhere else, fighting every urge to punch him in the face. She knew that violence was not the answer, but his condescending tone and arrogant demeanor made her blood boil.

"Alright then. Just come to my room whenever you feel like it."

She turned on her back and went to the direction where she came from.

Giancarlo just looked at her retreating figure. He couldn't help but feel a pang in his chest as he watched her walk away.

"Cosa ho fatto di sbagliato?" (What did I do wrong?)

***

Yuri was still drenched in anger as the conversation between her and Giancarlo kept replaying in her mind.

Even though sex with him had always been great, she never considered that it was all that mattered to him. Or perhaps the mafia boss just wants to make sure that he has the upper hand?

"Signorina, it is me, Favio. Is this a good time to talk?"

"Come in."

The door opened, and an apologetic Favio came in with what looked like a first aid kit. Yuri pressed her lips into a thin line as she gathered herself up from the bed.

"I was told that it's only a scratch, but it could still lead to infection, so please allow me to dress your wound."

In agreement, she raised her wounded arm in his direction and allowed him to do his work. After cleaning it, he even injected her with an antibiotic.

"I am certain that you completely misunderstood, Giancarlo. You know, these things are new to him."

"What do you mean? This isn't the first time that she is going to deal with a woman like me."

Favio sighed heavily. "The Costas have this principle that women in the family need to be protected and should not be involved in the crossfire."

She has no response to that. She couldn't help but find it amusing, considering how many women in the Costa family were involved in the family business and how people in Sicily treated them like royals.

Even the CFO of Costa Group is a woman who is the younger sister of Giancarlo.

"It may not look like it, but he just cares about you and your pursuit of justice. He's not just good with his words, especially that he hasn't been with a woman who is as interesting as you."

"With that face and power, I highly doubt that you are telling me the truth, Favio. I even stole from one of his women."

Favio laughed at that. "Believe me, you are different from the rest. Did you know that Giancarlo doesn't like a woman with black hair?"

She wiggled her eyebrows at that. "What does it have to do with him? Does he have an ex-lover who hurt him?"

It was meant to be a joke, but Favio didn't even crack a smile.

"Giancarlo killed a woman with black hair before."