The Phantom's Game | 18+

Chapter 23

Two days later...

"You've got to be fucking kidding me, right?" Vincent sneered, glaring at none other than his older brother, a handgun raised directly at the other's forehead.

His brother, with an unapologetic grin, replied, "I see you're still as stubborn as ever, Vincent. But I have to admit, your new partnership with Isadora has been quite impressive."

Vincent scoffed, "Oh please. What were you thinking?"

"Do you really want to know my intentions, brother? Fine, I'll give you that," Valentine argued with a smirk. "I did all this just to bring down the whole empire, including yours. Actually, I wanted to wipe out all existing mafia there is in the entire world, Vincent, so no one has to suffer."

"So you want to see our father's legacy crumble down to ashes? After everything he had worked hard for? You're selfish, Valentine. Or should I call you by your first name, Giovanni?"

"I had to do what had to be done, Vincent," Valentine retorted with a subtle huff.

"Must you resolve to this, brother? You could have easily turned your back on this instead, you just committed an ultimate betrayal," Vincent grumbled, his nostrils flared in anger.

Valentine raised an eyebrow, a scowl forming on his lips. "You really think so, Vincent? You were always the naive one. You've been so caught up in your own little world, haven't you? This is bigger than our father, bigger than our family. It's about serving justice to the public."

"Serving justice? Don't give me that bullshit."

Valentine rolled his eyes, his face twisting into a mixture of frustration and disappointment. "You're always so quick to judge, Vincent. You've been living in your bubble this entire time, never bothering to see the world outside our family. You're blinded by your loyalty to our father, it robs your sight from the bigger picture."

"Whatever do you mean?!" Vincent glared at his brother, fists clenched at his sides, as the flame from the fireplace reflected in his eyes.

"My plans are more than just revenge, Vincent," Valentine said, his voice low and steady. "The mafia has been a blight on society for far too long, and I'm going to do everything I can to dismantle it at its core. This isn't about vengeance, like I said."

"Why? Why do you persist on taking this route, brother?"

"Because I want the others to perceive me in a different light, but I cannot say the same about you, Vincent. You've grown too quickly in our father's footsteps, and where did that lead him? To death."

Vincent snorted, clearly not impressed with his brother's argument. "And you think that by tearing down the entire mafia, you'll be able to save people from the dangers you've lived with your entire life? You forget that the world is filled with evil, Valentine, and it will remain that way even if we passed on to the hands of death."

"I'm doing this for the greater good, Vincent."

"Then you are selfish, Val. You almost took your own brother's life in that ballroom, if I may remind you," Vincent retorted with gritted teeth. "Have you been negligent in that matter?"

Valentine paused for a moment, contemplating his brother's words. His gaze lowered, reflecting on their shared past and the darkness that weighed on his soul. "You're right, Vincent," he said softly, meeting his brother's eyes once more. "But I've come to realize that we must be the change we wish to see in the world. I can't do this alone... but knowing you, you won't change a damn thing about it."

"You bet. This is the life I have ever lived and there's no way out of it either. You and I both know that too well, brother."

"If we can't see eye to eye, then I suppose it is best we never see each other again," Valentine proposed, a deep frown etched onto his face.

"Perhaps it is for the best, Val," Vincent replied, mirroring his brother's actions, lowering his weapon with a subtle sigh.

"Then I suppose our paths end here, Vincent," The other man replied with a light frown. "But I must admit, I've had a good run."

"Sure you do. Anyway, I got you a ticket back to Sicily, and if you ever show up here again, there are no places on earth that can shield you."

Valentine nodded, accepting the ticket and the ultimatum. "I understand your decision, Vincent. It's just a shame that we can't put our differences aside for the greater good."

Vincent shrugged, his expression hardened. "You know as well as I do, brother. I'm afraid that it had to be this way."

As he walked away, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. For so long, they had been bound together by blood, by fate, by a shared destiny that seemed to have been written in the stars. But now, as they stood on opposite sides of the line, he knew it was time to let go of that which had once bound them together.

Valentine wondered if their lives would have been different if Vincent had not chosen the same path of revenge and violence. Yet, here they were, no longer as brothers but strangers with different ideologies.

But he knew, deep down, that it was too late for regrets. With a heavy heart, he turned to exit the room and the building altogether, leaving nothing but memories behind with his brother, and a lingering sense of what could have been.

Perhaps, that would be the last time Vincent saw his brother... or not.