As Matteo Amorielle's birthday dinner came to an end, the atmosphere in the dining room had turned into a tense silence. Laughter and lively conversations had been replaced by cautious glances and whispered words. It was as if everyone was aware of the imminent battle between Matteo and Vittorio.
Matteo, seated at the head of the table, slowly stood up, his gaze firm and determined as he surveyed the room. As the murmurs around him subsided, he raised his glass in a solemn gesture, capturing the attention of everyone present.
"I want to thank all of you for being here on this special night," Matteo began, his voice resonating through the room. "This has been a celebration dinner, but it is also a reminder of our strength and unity as the Amorielle family. I thank every one of you for the support and loyalty you have shown."
As Matteo's words echoed in the hall, gazes crossed among the family members. Some showed signs of concern, others of suspicion. But everyone remained silent, aware that Matteo's words were just a prelude to something bigger.
When Matteo placed the glass back on the table, his gaze fixed on Vittorio, his nephew, who was seated among the other family members.
Gradually, the relatives bid their farewells at the mansion's entrance, leaving only Matteo, Vittorio, Carmela, and Ellis.
"I'm going to bed now," Carmela announced as she planted a sweet kiss on her husband's cheek.
"Vittorio," Matteo called out, his voice containing a tone of authority. "Come meet me in the office. There are matters we need to discuss privately."
"Of course, uncle. I would love to have a conversation with you. After all, this is my last night here," Vittorio revealed with a forced smile.
"Oh, are you leaving already? What a shame..." Carmela commented as she approached her nephew. She hugged him tightly and then Ellis. "It was really nice having you here."
Ellis returned the gesture but cast a confused and curious look at Vittorio, who remained serious. Carmela took her leave, and Ellis returned her gaze to observe the interaction between Vittorio and Matteo. She tried to ask Vittorio about the surprise trip, but he interrupted her.
"Ellis, my dear, you seem a little dizzy. Come, I'll take you to our room."
Ellis found herself walking down the hallway, closely followed by Vittorio. Her heart was racing, and a sense of apprehension consumed her. She felt uncomfortable with the sudden and mysterious way Vittorio had led her there, away from the rest of the family during Matteo's birthday dinner.
As they continued walking toward the room, Ellis finally gathered the courage to question Vittorio about what was going on. Her voice sounded slightly trembling.
"Vittorio, what's happening? Why did you disappear? Why did you lie and say I was feeling dizzy?"
"Enter the room, settle in, and rest. We'll be heading back to New York early in the morning," Vittorio said, looking straight ahead with a serious expression.
Vittorio's laconic and evasive response left Ellis even more perplexed. She felt rejected and confused, unable to understand the sudden change in behavior from the man she had married.
"But Vittorio, I don't understand! You've been acting strange since earlier," Ellis said, frustrated. "Why won't you tell me what's going on?"
"There's no time for explanations now, Ellis," Vittorio said, looking at her sternly.
Ellis stared at Vittorio intently. It was then that she realized the man standing before her was Vittorio in a rage. Before the brunette could say anything else, Vittorio slammed the door shut, leaving her bewildered and concerned.
***
With firm steps, Vittorio entered the office. The room fell into a tense silence as they prepared for a conversation that could irrevocably change the course of their lives and the entire family dynamic.
In the office, shadows danced on the walls, echoing the darkness that hung over the Amorielle family. Now, more than ever, Vittorio needed to confront his uncle about his father's death and everything else he had discovered.
"Vittorio, I'm glad you agreed to come here so we can talk. It's time for us to resolve our differences," Matteo said.
"Indeed, Matteo," Vittorio agreed with a cold and determined voice. "The time has come for you to pay for everything you've done."
***
***
Ellis sat on the edge of the bed, lost in her own thoughts. She couldn't help but think about how Vittorio had changed, becoming distant and cold. The short and evasive words he had spoken to her echoed in her mind, fueling her restlessness.
As she tried to gather her emotions, Ellis began packing her things in the suitcase. She carefully folded her clothes, but her concentration was interrupted by a sense of unease. She knew something was not right.
While contemplating her next move, Ellis realized she had forgotten her cell phone in the dining room. Determined to retrieve it, she left the room and began walking back down the hallway, heading towards the living room where Matteo's birthday celebration had taken place.
As she approached the dining room, she noticed that the office door was slightly ajar. Curious and somewhat suspicious, Ellis decided to hide in the shadows and eavesdrop on the conversation happening inside. She pushed the door gently, enough to get a glimpse of what was inside the office. The scene in front of her momentarily stunned her.
Vittorio and Matteo were sitting in front of the office desk, speaking in hushed but audible tones, deepening the mystery and arousing her curiosity:
"You're tampering with forces you don't understand, Vittorio. This revenge will only bring more destruction and pain to our family. Don't listen to your mother," Matteo said.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't care about the consequences, Matteo. And my mother has nothing to do with any of this. Nothing you say will stop me," Vittorio replied.
"I'm not trying to stop you, Vittorio. I just think you've had enough revenge. You killed my men, burned my vehicles, destroyed my ships..."
"I freed your merchandise," Vittorio reminded him with a satisfied smile. "How many people were in those warehouses, uncle? I lost count..."
"Seven thousand people," Matteo replied, frustrated. "Anyway, you've proven your point. I've lost, Vittorio. You've broken me! You made me lose 30 million euros, and the people behind the business will come after me! You can stop now!"
"Oh, Matteo, you don't understand," Vittorio began calmly. "Every passing second, my thirst for revenge grows stronger. Your dark businesses cost my father his life, but now it's time for you to pay."
"Fine, I'll pay," said Matteo, nervously fumbling with his phone. "Tell me how much you want... Just let me continue..."
"Hahaha, you're funny, uncle," Vittorio laughed. Then his face turned angry. "Nothing you offer me will make me accept that atrocity happening again."
"Atrocity? It's just business, Vittorio. You don't understand what it takes to maintain our power and influence," Matteo replied, disdainfully. "This new generation of mobsters doesn't understand that we do what is necessary for the family."
"Human trafficking has always been something we don't negotiate. Especially when it involves our own. My father never accepted that kind of business."
"Your father was weak, and he put a weakling to lead us," Matteo said contemptuously. "Actually, no, your father was less weak than you. Your father would understand that it's just business. If you had died in his place, I undoubtedly wouldn't be sitting here listening to a sermon about how wrong it is to sell people... Besides, he wouldn't go around burning my things like a misbehaving child."
Ellis observed Vittorio walking over and standing by the fireplace, appearing pensive. He was lost in his own thoughts, but then he glanced towards the door and seemed to notice the presence of the brunette, who took two steps back, hoping not to have been seen. When she looked again, he averted his gaze, and his expression momentarily tensed.
"You know, I can understand why you joined forces with Tommaso," Vittorio began, approaching the drinks table. He picked up one whiskey and then another, carefully considering them. "It must have been terrible for you to see the deal you worked so hard on fall apart, and we all know the Kurganskaya Bratva isn't easy to deal with. Russkies!"
"Russkies!" Matteo agreed, still seated with his back to Vittorio, who remained near the drinks table.
"A cube or two of ice?" Vittorio asked, heading to the ice machine.
"No ice," his uncle replied. "What are you doing?"
"Choosing a whiskey. Macallan or Dalmore?" Vittorio asked his uncle. "You should have some Chivas Regal here..."
"Chivas? No, it's too sweet," Matteo spoke with disdain. "Pour the Macallan."
"Very well," Vittorio agreed, grabbing the bottle of Macallan. "As I was saying, I understand why you insisted on doing business with Tommaso. After all, the Russians wouldn't take no for an answer..."
Ellis felt her heart tighten as she noticed Vittorio reaching into the inner pocket of his black suit. He pulled out a vial with orange powder. Something was wrong, but before she could process anything, her eyes focused on Vittorio pouring the entire powder into one of the glasses.
"In addition to being quite a lucrative business," Vittorio continued, stirring the whiskey glass. "A heart costs, what, $50,000?"
"$120,000," Matteo replied. "A healthy kidney can fetch no less than $300,000... A liver goes for $180,000..."
"In a healthy state," Vittorio added, stopping in front of his uncle with the glass. He extended one to his uncle and continued, "Right?"
"Right," his uncle replied, taking the glass from Vittorio's hand.
"Good money. The more I earned, the more I desired to amass more wealth... Ambition is what drives a man," Vittorio admitted before sitting next to Matteo. He smiled at his uncle and continued, "And, of course, that violated the request of the Capo, my father, Don Marco. So you had to eliminate him. Obviously, you couldn't let me live..."
"I'm glad you're reasoning, my nephew," Matteo commented, relieved. "The sooner you realize it's all just business, the easier your acceptance will be. You know, I suffered a lot after your father's death, but then I accepted that it was for the best of our business. That's how an Amorielle should think."
"I know," Vittorio agreed. Then he scratched his head and furrowed his brow, displaying certain indignation. "What I can't understand is why you wanted to kill Ellis... I mean, you didn't even know her..."
"Ah, so all of this is because of her?" Matteo questioned with disdain.
"Oh no, Matteo. This is all because of everything you've done, plus thinking about killing my wife," Vittorio corrected, serious. "Drink. It's a farewell gift."
Matteo hesitated for a moment but ended up taking the glass and downing the entire whiskey in one go, feeling the warm and lingering finish.
"You're weak, Vittorio. Always have been. You can't even pull the trigger once," Matteo said. "Just like your father. You're nothing but a boy playing mobster."
Vittorio maintained his impassive expression as he watched Matteo's arrogant smile gradually fade. His uncle began to wriggle in the armchair, clutching his chest in pain.
"What... what have you done?" Matteo groaned, asking.
Vittorio slowly opened his suit, pulled out his golden pistol, and held it close to his uncle's face.
"I've given you a gift, uncle. A gift that reflects your true self."
Matteo tried to speak, but his voice was weak and trembling.
"It's not... not strychnine..."
"Oh, no. Neither cyanide nor Brodifacoum, let alone Amatoxin," Vittorio calmly said as he took the glass from Matteo's hands, causing him to groan in pain at the touch. "This is a new product the Colombians sent me. They said it's found on the skin of an orange frog, or something like that. It attacks your body, making it fragile and sensitive... so sensitive that a simple touch causes the same intensity of pain as a bullet entering your body, but without leaving any trace."
Vittorio pressed the tip of his gun against Matteo's neck, causing him sharp pain. His uncle screamed in agony, unable to defend himself.
"It also causes paralysis, and it's not a quick death," Vittorio explained. "Each touch will be torture for you, just as it was for my father."
Sweat dripped down Matteo's forehead, his eyes filled with terror as he saw Vittorio look at him sadistically.
"Each touch you feel now is a bullet piercing my father's body. Forty bullets, Matteo. I only endured 15 shots because he threw himself over me, just to protect me. Forty bullets," Vittorio calmly informed him. "And my weak father didn't die instantly; he agonized. Forty bullets tore him apart as I watched helplessly, seeing him slowly die. I watched him fade away bit by bit, felt his body tremble with each bullet, the blood, and grow cold..."
Matteo screamed in pain as Vittorio continued poking him repeatedly in the abdomen, his gaze filled with hatred.
"Seventeen shots in the abdomen," Vittorio said in his uncle's ear. "Are you keeping count, Uncle? You see, I don't want to lose track, so help me..."
Vittorio approached Matteo's shoulder and pressed the gun harder, making him groan louder.
"Two bullets entered together right here," Vittorio continued, going to the other shoulder and pressing four times. "Four on this side."
As the pain consumed Matteo, Vittorio slowly moved away, observing him in his agony. The mobster approached slowly, watching Matteo's suffering with a mix of pleasure and bitterness. He held the uncle's head back, making him cry out in pain.
"Shhhhh... Don't cry now, Uncle," Vittorio whispered, pressing the gun three times against his throat. "Be calm, because it's going to get worse."
Vittorio continued poking Matteo's face with the gun, causing more pain and suffering.
"Four bullets were found in my father's face. How many have we counted, Uncle?" Vittorio asked.
"Pl... pl... pl... plea... se... pleas..."
"No, Uncle. Count with me," Vittorio ordered.
His uncle begged for mercy, but Vittorio remained relentless, while Ellis's eyes widened in terror at everything she was witnessing. Each grunt of pain from Matteo engulfed her in a whirlwind of emotions. Anger, sadness, confusion, fear, and helplessness mingled inside her.
Matteo's body could no longer bear the immense pain inflicted upon it, and he succumbed, falling to the ground, as observed by Vittorio. The mobster crouched beside his agonizing uncle, then turned him over to face him.
"The fortieth bullet was extracted from my father's heart," Vittorio said, pressing the gun with all his strength against Matteo's chest.
The pain caused by the pressure of the gun against his chest was so intense that Matteo started convulsing until his body became paralyzed. His face turned towards the door, and Ellis saw life fade away before the cold, icy blue eyes of Matteo Amorielle.
She realized that she had plunged into a dark and dangerous world far beyond anything she could have imagined.