The car ride back to the estate was shrouded in silence. Dante sat in the passenger seat, his face hardened, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the seat. Luca, barely holding himself together, was driving with one hand while the other pressed against his blood-soaked side.
"Boss," Luca finally broke the silence, his voice strained. "We lost too much tonight. Vincent…he…" His voice cracked, unable to finish the sentence.
Dante didn't respond immediately. His mind was spinning, reliving every moment of the ambush. The betrayal, Vincent's death, and Mateo's chilling words all swirled in his head like a storm.
"I know," Dante said at last, his voice low and strained. "Vincent gave his life for me. Mateo will pay for every drop of blood spilled tonight."
As they approached the estate, Dante turned to Luca, his eyes dark with rage. "You're going straight to the doctor. No arguments. I need you alive, Luca. You're the only one I can trust right now."
Luca nodded weakly, the pain etched across his face.
*Back at the Estate*
Amelia stood by the large window in the living room, her hands nervously wringing together. She hadn't slept since Dante left. Something didn't feel right. The air around her seemed heavier, as if the universe itself was trying to warn her.
When the sound of tires crunching on the gravel driveway reached her ears, her heart leaped. She rushed to the door, her anxiety morphing into an urgent need to see Dante.
The sight of him stepping out of the car took her breath away. His shirt was torn, his face bruised, and his expression haunted. Behind him, Luca staggered out, supported by one of the guards.
"Dante!" Amelia ran to him, her voice filled with worry.
He stopped her with a raised hand, his usual stoicism crumbling for a moment. "I'm fine," he said, his voice harsh, almost defensive.
"No, you're not!" she countered, her eyes scanning his injuries. "What happened? Where have you been?"
Dante didn't answer. Instead, he brushed past her, heading straight for his study. Amelia followed him, determined not to let him shut her out this time.
*In the Study*
Dante poured himself a glass of whiskey, his hand trembling as he lifted it to his lips. He drained it in one gulp, the burn barely registering.
"Dante, talk to me," Amelia pleaded, standing in the doorway. "You can't keep shutting me out like this."
He slammed the glass down on the desk, the sound echoing through the room. "I don't want to talk about it, Amelia!" he snapped.
She flinched at his tone but refused to back down. "You don't have to carry everything on your own. I'm your wife. Let me help you."
Her words cut through him like a knife. He turned to face her, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Do you know what happens when you trust someone, Amelia?" he asked, his voice bitter. "They betray you. They put a bullet in your back and leave you to die. That's what trust gets you."
Amelia stepped closer, her heart aching at the pain in his voice. "Not everyone, Dante. Not me."
Her words hung in the air, a quiet promise that he wanted so desperately to believe.
"I can't lose you," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Not you."
Amelia closed the distance between them, her arms wrapping around him. For a moment, he resisted, but then the dam broke. He buried his face in her shoulder, his body trembling as he let out the pain he had been holding in.
*The Next Morning*
Dante woke early, the events of the previous night still heavy on his mind. Amelia was still asleep, her face peaceful in the soft morning light. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face, a rare tenderness in his touch.
He slipped out of bed quietly, heading to his study to make plans. Mateo's betrayal could not go unanswered, but he couldn't afford to let his emotions cloud his judgment. This wasn't just about revenge; it was about survival.
***********
Meanwhile, Elsewhere
Mateo sat in his opulent office, a satisfied smirk on his face. The ambush had gone exactly as planned, and Dante's empire was now vulnerable.
But Mateo underestimated the fire burning within Dante Moretti. And he would soon realize that his betrayal had set in motion a chain of events that would shake their world to its core.....
****A week later***
The first light of dawn bathed the Moretti estate in a faint glow, but Dante couldn't shake the darkness weighing on his chest. Standing on the balcony of his study, he surveyed the empty grounds. Half his men gone. His most trusted lieutenant, Vincent dead.
Every loss was a knife to his gut, and he knew Mateo would exploit every weakness.
Downstairs, Luca was still recovering from his injuries. Adriano, a tech-savvy recruit who had proven invaluable in the last year, had taken over handling the logistics Vincent used to oversee.
"Boss," Adriano said, entering the room hesitantly. "I've got some leads on Mateo's next move. But we're stretched thin. If we push too hard…"
Dante cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand. "We don't have the luxury of holding back. If we wait, Mateo wins."
Reinforcements and Strategies
Knowing he couldn't fight this war alone, Dante turned to his political allies. His meeting with Senator Agnelli was a calculated risk one Dante knew could backfire.
"I need men," Dante demanded, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Trained operatives. We're outnumbered, and I won't lose more of my people because of Mateo's games."
Senator Agnelli took a long drag of his cigar, his gaze sharp. "You're asking for ghosts, Moretti. That's not an easy request."
Dante leaned forward, his voice deadly calm. "You owe me, Senator. Or do I need to remind you of what I've kept out of the public eye?"
The senator exhaled slowly. "Fine. You'll have them by week's end. But tread carefully, Dante. Mateo's not the type to forgive or forget."
Dante's jaw tightened, but he gave a curt nod. "I'm not looking for forgiveness. I'm looking for victory."
A week later, a convoy of unmarked vehicles arrived at the estate. Twelve men stepped out, each bearing the scars of their past missions. They were elite operatives, handpicked for their loyalty and precision.
Dante addressed them personally in the courtyard. His words were cold and commanding. "This isn't just about revenge it's survival. Mateo took half my men and a man I considered a brother. I won't lose anyone else. If you're here, you fight like your life depends on it because it does."
The men didn't flinch, their silence a testament to their discipline.
Adriano stepped forward after the briefing. "Boss, they'll be ready. But we're running out of time. Mateo's already making moves."
Dante nodded. "Then we'll strike first."
Adriano worked tirelessly to hack into Mateo's financial networks. With Dante's guidance, they drained Mateo's accounts, redirecting the funds to charities and anonymous accounts, leaving a digital trail that implicated Mateo in tax fraud and embezzlement.
Luca, still recovering but refusing to be sidelined, reached out to disillusioned members of Mateo's crew. His charm and reputation as a survivor made it easy to plant seeds of doubt.
Dante's men targeted a key smuggling hub under Mateo's control. The mission was brutal but swift, ending with the destruction of millions in contraband.
While Dante planned his counterattack, Amelia couldn't ignore the changes in him. He barely spoke to her, his once tender moments now overshadowed by his relentless drive for revenge.
Eva noticed Amelia's unease and tried to reassure her. "He's doing this for you," Eva said, setting a cup of tea on the table.
Amelia shook her head. "He's doing it because he feels he has to. But I can see it's destroying him."
Eva sighed. "Love is complicated, Mrs. Moretti. But you have to trust that he knows what he's doing."
Amelia stared out the window, her heart heavy. She wanted to believe that Dante would come back to her not just physically, but emotionally.
*The Ambush*
The first strike was a success, but Mateo retaliated swiftly. He ambushed Dante's men during a supply run, leading to another bloody confrontation.
Dante barely escaped with his life, but the price was steep. His favorite soldier, Rocco, was gunned down, and several others were critically injured.
Back at the estate, Dante paced the study, his rage barely contained. Luca, pale and weak, sat nearby, offering what little counsel he could.
"We underestimated him," Luca admitted. "Mateo's more ruthless than we thought."
Dante slammed his fist onto the desk. "No more mistakes. No more losses. We hit him where it hurts next and we don't miss."