I smirked, enjoying the fear in the man's eyes as I pulled him "You're right, you will never do that again. Because if you do, I won't be so merciful next time. And let's just say, my mercy doesn't last long." The man's pleading turned to terror at my words. He desperately tried to jerk free from my grip, but it was pointless I was too strong and too powerful. The man was at my mercy. My smile faded, replaced by a cold, menacing expression. I leaned in close to the man and said with low and deadly voice "You're not going anywhere until I decide what to do with you. And believe me, I have plenty of options." " Please don't kill me i have a family " I chuckled darkly, amused by the man's pathetic plea. I leaned even closer, my gaze piercing through his soul. "Oh, please. Spare me the sob story. You knew the risks when you decided to mess with me. And now you're asking for mercy?" My grip on his collar increased, my fingers digging into his flesh. "Mercy is for the weak. And I'm not weak. I'm the one in control here. And I make the decisions. And right now, I'm deciding that you need to suffer the consequences of your actions." My smile widened as I saw him trembling in fear. I slowly applied pressure on the trigger, my finger almost touching it. I relished his fear. It was satisfying to see him so terrified, so helpless. But suddenly, another voice interrupted the scene. "𝗗𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗻 " My head snapped up, getting irritated and I could recognize that voice anywhere. It was my second-in-command, Luca. I reluctantly turned around, still holding the man by the collar. " I don't think we can fix the damage by killing him " I narrowed my eyes at Luca, clearly not pleased with his interruption. But he knew he had a point. "And what do you suggest then, huh? Just let him go free?" " We have to.... " I grunted in annoyance, but I knew he was right. Killing the man right then and there would cause more problems than it would solve. "Fine," I finally relented, reluctantly releasing the man's collar. The man stumbled backwards, gasping for breath as his eyes darted between me and Luca. He had expected to be killed, and now that he was being spared, he was confused and terrified. " What are you waiting for? Do you want us to end your life? Leave before he change his plan. " The man didn't need to be told twice. He stumbled away, stumbling over his own feet as he frantically ran away. I watched him go, a scowl on his face. I then turned to Luca, with dark and cold gaze and said "You better have a good reason for stopping me." " The weapons stolen from Russia have now arrived in Italy. Francesco discovered that the weapons were being sent to France and managed to stop the transfer just in time. " I was furious at his words and I clenched my fists. "And what is this Francesco planning to do with the weapons? Send them to a charity organization?" I asked "Sir... He is one of our business partner we should trust him " My jaw tightened at Luca's remark. "Trust is a luxury in this world. And I never trust anyone completely. Not even our so-called business partners. " Luca rolled his eyes at my response. He knew I was a paranoid man, but sometimes I took it too far. "You're too paranoid for your own good. Francesco has been a valuable asset to us. He's never betrayed us before. Why would he start now?" My gaze remained fixed on him "Because people are unpredictable. They can change on a dime. And I don't want to take any chances. We've worked too damn hard to get where we are. I'm not risking everything just because we trust some guy." "Fine. What do you propose then? Should we kill Francesco just to be safe?" He stops arguing with me he knows that arguing with me would be pointless . My lip curled up in a dark frown . "Of course not. But we need to tread carefully. Keep a close eye on Francesco. And make sure he's not up to anything suspicious. If he makes one wrong move, I'll be the first to deal with him. Understood?" Luca nodded, knowing better than to argue with me . "Understood. I'll keep an eye on Francesco. And I'll report anything suspicious to you immediately." I nodded, satisfied with Luca's response. I trusted him implicitly. Though I would never admit it, I knew that Luca was one of the few people I could rely on in this world. Even if he did question my decisions from time to time. "Good. Keep me updated on any new developments."
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I sat in the office of my villa, my mind racing with thoughts of Madeline . I couldn't get her out of my head . Everything about her intrigued me . I leaned back in my leather chair, steepling my fingers as I replayed the memories of my encounter in my mind. I could still picture her face . I'm worried she'll be upset because I abruptly left her to take an urgent call and left from there without saying anything. I was used to getting what I have wanted, and I wanted her . I couldn't just barge into her life and claim her as my own. No, I had to bide my time, to observe her from the shadows, to find the right moment to make my move.
