A few days ago
Dante opened his eyes to a familiar white ceiling. The sharp scent of antiseptic drifted from his bandaged wounds, sothing he was not used to. He inhaled slowly and grimaced.
This was embarrassing.
His first real mission and he had failed miserably. How was he supposed to face his grandfather now? The capos already doubted his abilities and he had just given them more reason.
He dragged a hand over his face, ssing up his hair in frustration.
"If that Giant hadn’t shown up, I would have won," he muttered.
The door opened at that exact mont and the Hound stepped inside.
"You awake? The doctor said the bullet left a hole in your bone, but you will be fine." He lit a cigarette without hesitation.
"Smoking in the hospital is prohibited."
"Seriously? I co from a mafia group. Why would I care about rules?" He raised a brow as if Dante had asked the strangest question ever.
"Never mind," Dante sighed. "You are not letting Vincent go, right?"
The Hound dragged a chair closer and sat down.
"We let them go for now. Direct order from the Don."
"What? Why?"
"Sothing about the Lioness, and sothing about him not surviving out there anyway. The Don said to leave him to die." The Hound exhaled a long stream of smoke.
"Honestly, we should kidnap Lucien back. The whole atmosphere feels off. The capos are still not used to the way Salvatore operates. Neither am I. He never communicates properly."
"Isn’t that because he threw a glass at you?" Dante rubbed his temples.
"I am following my grandfather. He may be old and have strange thods, but he is also the reason Lucero beca this powerful."
"I should have known better than to debate with his grandson." The Hound shook his head and took another drag.
"As long as the famiglia stays intact, I guess we can tolerate a few questionable decisions."
Before he could finish, the door burst open and a woman stord inside. Her heels echoed sharply and her long brown hair swung behind her as she lifted her sunglasses, revealing piercing athyst eyes.
"You useless son. Who did this to you? I will kill them."
The Hound jumped to his feet. "Lioness."
Veronica De Luca commanded the room effortlessly. Daughter of Salvatore, CEO of the massive tech conglorate Futuress, and a woman so ruthless in business that people whispered she owned her own private island with an army on standby.
She dismantled rivals financially instead of killing them, which still counted as rcy by mafia standards.
"Where is your grandfather? I need to speak to that old man," she demanded.
Dante groaned. "Stop it, Mom. I am an adult. And you kicked out of the house, rember?"
"Because you wanted to join the mafia," she snapped back. "I will forget everything you said to , baby. Just leave this life behind. It does not suit you."
She marched toward him while glaring at the Hound, who wisely bowed and escaped the room.
"What do you know about what suits ?" Dante’s voice sharpened. "This is the life I want. End of story. You cannot convince otherwise."
"And where did this path lead you? Straight into a hospital bed after being held hostage and broadcasted on national television?"
Veronica turned on the room’s TV, which imdiately displayed footage of Dante held at knifepoint by Victor.
Dante’s face blanched. He snatched the remote and shut the screen off.
"You know what, forget about . Go focus on your golden firstborn like you always did."
He looked away. "I am not part of your past or your future. Please, Mother. Leave. You are the last person I want to see."
Veronica’s eyes softened with sothing fragile and painful. She lowered her head.
"I understand."
She reached into her bag and handed him a black card. "Use this. I refuse to owe your grandfather anything."
She touched his shoulder gently. "Take care, Dante. I will go."
She left the room with steps that were heavier than her pride would ever allow. The sight twisted guilt in his chest, but he pushed it down.
He had chosen his path. And so paths demanded sacrifice.
The door opened again, but this ti it wasn’t his mother.
It was Salvatore.
"Dante, you alright? Those bastards really took you hostage? I should have killed Vincent when I had the chance." His voice bood through the room, full of outrage and rough affection.
"Calm down, Grandpa. I’m fine. And... I’m sorry I couldn’t catch them."
Dante lowered his head, only for Salvatore’s hand to ruffle his hair the next second.
"Forget it. Everyone sses up sotis, even Lucien. Rember how I panicked when he didn’t show up where he was supposed to?"
He laughed loudly. "But everything turned out fine, didn’t it?"
"I know, but still... Do you really think I have a place in this famiglia?"
"Anyone who isn’t a rat or the child of an enemy always has a place." Salvatore grinned.
Behind him, Obscura shifted as if he wanted to speak but shut his mouth again.
"If you have sothing to say, then say it."
"That’s—"
Obscura and Dante started at the sa ti. Salvatore turned toward Obscura with a strange look.
"This one is actually important," Obscura said. "Vincent is in Sabbia Bianca."
"Tch. That rat is impossible. He refuses to die or give up." Salvatore’s jaw tightened.
"But, Don... he was kidnapped. And you need to see the car that took him." Obscura handed him a photograph.
Salvatore’s eyes widened the mont he saw the plate number.
"Z14567ABY... Abyss."
---
"Do I have a choice?" Vincent asked. The air inside the car dropped to a freezing stillness.
Ulrich leaned toward him, eyes sharp.
"Of course. Yes or dead, that is."
Vincent’s expression tightened. Even toward his own grandson, there was no rcy.
"Then... I’ll do it." He shut his eyes as Ulrich burst into delighted laughter.
"Good, good boy. I knew you’d say yes." Ulrich smacked his shoulder hard. "We’ll give you instructions. All you need to do is follow them."
"I’m proud of you, Vincent."
The words should have felt warm, but coming from Ulrich, they sounded like a curse. Vincent smiled anyway, though his heart twisted in the opposite direction.
’I need to find a way out of this. Or at least gain sothing from it,’ he thought.
’I already promised myself I’d be better.’
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