Chapter 163 SLOPPINESS.
\~~~LUCIANO.
Eight months she'd been gone, slinking in the shadows, and now this bold strike.
My mind reeled back to the reports of Talia's movements tracked loosely, and alliances forming with lowlifes like Marco. I'd underestimated her and didn’t expect she’d attack this way.
Stupid. Deadly stupid.
Viktor's eyes narrowed, his posture shifting to all business. “Talia? The sister? How…”
“Upstairs,” I cut him off, pointing toward the stairs. “She is up there, acting like she owns the place. She said Marco has Raina. If she doesn't check in by morning, he'll kill her. So, we can’t touch her!” The words tasted like ash.
I could picture Raina’s face, those eyes that saw through my walls, must now be widened with fear because of me, because I hadn't seen this coming.
Gabriel slowly lifted a hand to his mouth and wiped away the thin line of blood on his lip. His fingers trembled slightly as he looked back up at me. The shock of the punch had not fully left his face, but something else quickly replaced it and it was guilt.
Deep, heavy guilt.
“Boss…” His voice cracked before he could finish the sentence.
He swallowed hard and straightened his posture, though his shoulders still looked tense.
“Boss, I swear… she looked just like her,” he said again, more quietly this time. “Exactly like Madam. The same face, the same voice… everything.”
He ran a shaky hand through his hair, frustration flashing across his face.
“I picked her up from the usual office pickup point,” he continued. “Just like every other day. She got into the car without saying much, and I drove straight here. No stops, no detours, and nothing strange on the road.”
He paused, lowering his eyes for a moment.
“But…” he muttered.
His jaw tightened.
“There were… small things.”
My gaze sharpened instantly.
Gabriel exhaled slowly, clearly blaming himself now.
“She was colder than usual,” he admitted. “Her responses were short. When I tried to make small talk like I normally do, she shut me down immediately.”
He clenched his fists.
“I even thought it was strange. Madam is usually polite even when she’s tired. But today she snapped at me and told me to mind my business and just drive.”
His voice grew weaker.
“I should have realized something was wrong right there.”
He shook his head slowly.
“I just thought maybe she had a bad day at work. Maybe something stressful happened at the office. I didn’t want to annoy her more, so I kept quiet.”
Another breath left him.
“When we got here, she… acted differently too,” he added. “She made me carry her bag inside. Then she ordered me to take her to the bedroom. She was probably trying to find her way like that. God!” His eyes finally lifted again to me.
“I remember thinking Madam never talks like that,” he said quietly. “It felt… off.”
Regret filled his face.
“But I didn’t question it. I thought maybe she was just in a bad mood.”
His voice broke slightly now.
“This is all my fault, boss.”
Gabriel lowered his head.
“I should have seen it sooner. I should have known something wasn’t right before bringing her into this house.”
I paced the foyer, the marble cold under my feet, mind spinning strategies. “The swap had happened before you brought her here,” I said, trying to make him feel better.
“Viktor, get the team. There is a lockdown on the house from now. No one comes in or out without my say. Track Marco's last known location. Any warehouses, or safe houses, just anywhere he could have been spotted. And pull every camera feed from the company and to wherever. There has to be a switch point.”
Viktor nodded sharply, already pulling out his phone.
“On it, sir. I will have Marco's phone triangulated within the hour.” He glanced at Gabriel, then back to me. 'What about her? Talia?'
I stopped pacing, staring up the stairs where her laughter still echoed faintly in my memory.
“She stays put for now. She is our link. But watch her every move. If she tries anything, subdue her. No killing yet. We need more info,” Deep down, though, the urge to end her burned hot. She had touched what was mine and threatened the woman who held my soul.
But Raina came first. Always.
Gabriel stepped forward, fists clenched.
“Let me make this right, boss. I will lead the search for her myself.”
I eyed him, the punch's sting still fresh on my knuckles, but loyalty won out.
“You will. But if this was sloppiness on your part, Gabriel.' I trailed off, the warning clear. He nodded, understanding.
As Viktor barked orders into his phone, rallying the shadows of our empire, I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes for a brief moment.
Marco was a ghost from my past, a survivor I'd left breathing by mistake. Now, he'd pay for crossing into my present.
The house buzzed with the sudden activity of men arriving, doors securing, and screens lighting up in the security room. I grabbed a jacket from the hook, slipping it over my bare torso, the fabric grounding me.
This wasn't just a game, it was war. And I'd burn the world to ash to bring her home.
The night stretched ahead, dark and unforgiving, but I was no stranger to it. I would walk through hell if that's what it took. And Talia? She'd learn soon enough that there are some games you just don't get to walk away from.