The next day,
The luxurious Carrington mansion was thick with tension, the silence in the grand hallway broken only by the echoes of John Carrington's furious shouts. The lavish decor, the gleaming marble floors, and the priceless paintings lining the walls all seemed to mock the chaos of the moment.
John, the infamous ruthless billionaire with a reputation for getting what he wanted, had never been this rattled. His usually controlled demeanor was shattered, replaced by an unhinged rage that filled the entire house. The rest of the family and Lily's friends were faded in the background as he continued his rant.
"What do you mean she's gone?!" Richard bellowed at the guards, his fists clenched in fury.
He then paced back and forth in the opulent living room, his dark suit now rumpled from the stress of the situation. His piercing blue eyes were wild, his face flushed red with anger.
"How the hell did you let this happen?! You were supposed to protect her!"
The guards stood frozen, clearly afraid to speak. They had failed him—failed to protect his daughter, Lily, from whatever danger had befallen her. They had allowed someone to abduct her right from under their noses, and now they were paying the price for their incompetence.
In the corner of the room, Emma, Lily's younger half-sister, was curled up in a ball, sobbing uncontrollably. Her small body shook with grief as her tear-streaked face remained buried in her hands. She was too young to understand the full weight of what was happening, but she knew one thing — Lily was gone, and she had no idea whether her sister would ever come back.
"I can't lose her!" Emma cried through her sobs, her voice low and desperate. "Please, Daddy, help her!"
John barely acknowledged her. His attention was solely on the guards, his anger blinding him to his daughter's pain.
"How could you let this happen?" he repeated, his voice rising in volume, his fists trembling with fury. "Whoever did this is going to pay."
But instead of receiving a response from the guards, there was a sudden, eerie silence. The door to the room swung open with a force that rattled the walls, and in walked Giovanni Rossi, Richard's older brother. The mafia don had an aura of cold, ruthless authority that filled the room the moment he stepped inside. His dark tailored suit fit him perfectly, his movements controlled and deliberate. His piercing black eyes locked onto John with a gaze that could freeze anyone in their tracks.
John's face softened with a mix of relief and fear as he turned to face his brother. Giovanni had always been the one to take control in situations like this, and John knew better than to try and handle things on his own... which was why he called him. Giovanni was the only one he knew who could fix this.
"What's going on here, John?" Giovanni's voice was low, smooth, and chilling.
The room seemed to hold its breath as he strode in, his every step exuding power.
John opened his mouth to speak, but Giovanni silenced him with a simple wave of his hand. The guards, still standing in shock, couldn't meet Giovanni's gaze. He didn't need to say anything more. His mere presence was enough to command respect.
"These guards are incompetent, Richard," Giovanni said coldly, his eyes scanning the room.
Without another word, he reached into his coat and pulled out a gun. The sharp click of the weapon being drawn echoed through the room. In a single motion, he fired. The first guard collapsed with a splash of blood, his body hitting the marble floor with a sickening thud.
The second guard barely had time to react before Giovanni shot him too. The others, paralyzed with fear, stood frozen in place.
"Pathetic," Giovanni muttered, his eyes narrowing as he turned to John. "You can't even keep your own house in order."
John's face paled. He had always known that his brother was ruthless, but the brutality in Giovanni's eyes sent a chill down his spine. He could feel the weight of Giovanni's presence bearing down on him, his own authority slipping away.
Giovanni walked over to the bloodied guards, inspecting them with a cold, indifferent gaze. "This is what happens when you fail me, John." His voice was ice-cold, devoid of emotion. "But no more. I'm taking control now."
John swallowed hard, but he didn't dare challenge Giovanni. Instead, he lowered his head, his pride too shattered to fight back.
Giovanni turned toward the rest of the room, his eyes sweeping over the others, including Sophia and her children.
Bryce and Brody, identical twins with athletic builds and chiseled features, were casually scrolling through their phones, completely uninterested in the drama unfolding around them. Ava, their half-sister, sat at the edge of the couch, flipping through a magazine with a bored expression on her face, her piercing green eyes barely glancing up.
Giovanni's gaze flicked to them for a brief moment before he continued, his voice cutting through the silence.
"This family is falling apart, and I'm going to fix it." Giovanni turned to John, his eyes hardening. "I want you to announce Lily's death."
Richard blinked, his throat tightening. "What?" His voice cracked. "No, she's still alive! We can't just—"
"You don't have a choice, John." Giovanni's voice was as sharp as a blade. "Lily is gone. It's the only way to save this family from further humiliation. If you don't announce her death, the media will turn this into a circus. The only thing that matters right now is protecting the family name."
There was a long, tense silence. Everyone in the room was too scared to speak, too scared to challenge Giovanni's authority. Even Sophia and her children, who had always held their own power in the Carrington family, were silent.
Bryce and Brody continued to scroll through their phones, their indifference palpable. Ava didn't even look up from her magazine.
Giovanni turned back to Richard. "It's not just your reputation at stake, it's the Carrington legacy." His words were cold, final. "You'll announce Lily's death, or I'll do it for you."
John swallowed, his face drawn and pale. His hands were shaking as he picked up the phone. His eyes were filled with defeat, but he knew there was no other option. The weight of his brother's words crushed him. He dialed the number that would seal his daughter's fate.
"I… I'll do it." John whispered, his voice barely audible.
As he began to make the call, Emma, still sobbing uncontrollably in the corner, looked up at her father with tear-filled eyes.
"No, Daddy! Don't!" she cried, her voice desperate as she was held back by Chris. "Please, don't do this! She's not dead!"
But it was too late. Giovanni had already made the decision, and the rest of the family was too frightened to speak out.
John's voice was hollow as he began to speak into the phone.
"I… I'm announcing Lily Carrington's death..."