Chapter 97: Deal.

Chapter 97: Deal.
Just as they arrived in Italy and the jet was about to land, Victoria turned to Steven, who seemed engrossed in his phone. "Where will we lodge?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
"My house, of course," Steven replied absently, barely glancing up from his screen.
Victoria raised an eyebrow. "The cooking and house chores? I'm really not in the mood for any of that," she said, trying to nudge him in a different direction.
Steven scoffed lightly, finally tearing his attention away from his phone. "You think you're the one who’s going to do all that?" he shook his head, bemusement creeping into his expression. 
Victoria leaned back in her seat, her frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "Let’s lodge in a hotel instead," she suggested, her tone growing more insistent.
"Why would I when I have a house that’s much better than any hotel?" he countered, an eyebrow raised in challenge.
Victoria huffed, “Why should I travel with my best friend who is a billionaire and not stay somewhere extravagant? It’s Italy, for crying out loud!” 
A soft chuckle escaped Steven at her reasoning, and with a decisive tap on the seat of one of his men, he ordered, "Ask the pilot to land at the nearest exquisite hotel with an aircraft landing space."
Victoria’s lips curled into a wide smile. "That’s more like it!" she winked appreciatively at him, but he simply rolled his eyes.
As they chatted on the flight, Victoria dominated the conversation while Steven listened. At one point, she sighed dramatically, interrupting her own flow of words. "Are you even listening to me?" 
Steven met her gaze with an all-too-serious expression. "Do I look like I’m not?"
"At least say something! Contribute to the conversation," she pressed, exasperated. "It wouldn't hurt you to speak a little more!"
“Seriously, how does your wife put up with you?” she asked, genuinely curious.
"How did you cope with me before I married her?" he shot back, leaving her momentarily speechless. Stunned, she scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief.
Steven chuckled quietly to himself, reflecting on how Dua was the only person to successfully draw him out of his shell. "You've really changed me, Dua," he mused silently.
After arriving at their hotel, they all checked into their rooms. Just as Victoria was about to sink into the plush embrace of her bed, a loud knock interrupted her moment of comfort. She opened the door to find Steven standing there with an intense look in his eyes.
“Are you ready? We set out now,” he urged, his voice filled with urgency.
“What?!” Victoria exclaimed, disbelief washing over her. “We just got here!”
“Are you really that eager to go back home to your wife?” she huffed, her irritation bubbling to the surface. “I left my husband and son too!” Though she continued to protest, Steven brushed away with a determined stride.
“Ah! Why did I even become your friend?” she grumbled, sulking as she picked up her things and followed him out.
As they made their way through the hotel, Victoria struggled to keep pace with Steven's long strides. His unwavering focus on their destination only fueled her frustration. "Can’t a girl just catch her breath after a long flight?" she grumbled under her breath, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she hurried to catch up.
They slid into a sleek black SUV, which was waiting idly for them. The interior was plush and inviting, but the atmosphere felt heavy—charged with expectation. Steven settled in with an air of authority, while Victoria crossed her arms in protest as she sat beside him.
Before long, they arrived at the imposing gates of the Mafia Lord's residence. Victoria finally caught her breath, momentarily awed by the grand estate before her. It loomed like a fortress—its architectural beauty balanced with an undercurrent of foreboding. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement mixed with apprehension.
As they exited the vehicle, the guards in the compound eyed Steven with a mix of fear and respect; even though they served Salvatore, the Mafia Lord, they understood Steven's reputation. It seemed even the strongest could be intimidated. 
Walking into the house, Steven settled himself gravely into a chair, crossing his legs with an icy look on his face.
Salvatore, the notorious Mafia Lord, stepped into his opulent living room, exuding an aura of power and dominance. He was met by the fearless Mafia King, Steven, who had made himself comfortable, not showing an ounce of reverence for him. Victoria  stood and bowed slightly as Salvatore entered, then quickly turned to give Steven a wary look. She shook her head, wondering what storm was about to unfold.
As Salvatore took his seat, Victoria followed, her eyes darting back and forth in anticipation. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit from you, Steven?” Salvatore finally broke the silence, his tone tinged with skepticism.
“Can’t a subordinate visit his superior?” Steven replied coolly, a hint of mischief in his voice.
Salvatore scoffed, his laughter echoing off the high ceilings of the lavish room. “Steven Levi a subordinate? You jest."
Indeed, the term ‘subordinate’ was a misfit; even Salvatore felt a pang of unease in Steven’s commanding presence. 
“Get to the point, Steven,” Salvatore commanded, his patience wearing thin.
“I’m here to take your life,” Steven said with a chilling smirk that sent shivers across the room.
Salvatore roared with mock laughter. “You believe you can just walk in here and do that? Do you think I’ll just sit here and let you?”
“Any last words?” Steven asked in a tired tone.
“Go to hell!” Salvatore spat, indignation flaring within him.
With a scoff, Steven calmly drew a gun from beneath his coat and aimed it at Salvatore. Instinctively, Salvatore's men responded, brandishing their weapons in unison, ready to defend their boss. 
Salvatore smirked, but Steven gave an even wider smirk as a standoff occurred—Steven’s men, hidden and prepared, now emerged and outnumbered Salvatore’s crew. Victoria also aiming at Salvatore with her gun.
The smirk on Salvatore’s face morphed into a fierce glare, while Steven remained unperturbed. 
The tension in the room thickened as both sides aimed their guns at each other, a moment caught in a heartbeat.
“So, what do you say?” Steven proposed coolly, “We settle for a negotiation— or you and your men die like chickens. Your choice.”
Victoria admired Steven's poise, her heart swelling with pride at his audacity. 
With clenched fists, Salvatore reluctantly ordered his men, "Drop your weapons." They did so, though Steven's men maintained their aim, fingers poised over triggers, ready for any sign of betrayal.
"It was never my intention to kill you," Steven began, his voice steady but laced with tension. "But a certain fool wants you dead so I can become the next Mafia Lord—and then he’d be free to kill me. All of this hangs on my wife's life if I don’t comply. By pretending to yield to his plans, I intend to ensnare him in his own web." He leaned forward slightly, intensity etched on his face. "So, here's my proposition: Would you prefer to remain low for a while and allow me to act as the Mafia Lord, or shall I take your life myself?" Steven presented the ultimatum just as Dua had instructed.
A moment of silence stretched, weighed down by a mix of disbelief and contemplation. To everyone’s surprise, Salvatore finally responded, "Deal!"
"And not a word about this should leave these walls," Steven added, his tone firm.
"It won't," Salvatore assured, albeit with a hint of hesitance.
Victoria couldn’t help but exclaim silently, "Wow," at the unexpected turn of events. Just as Steven was about to speak again, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and felt a rush of warmth at the sight of Dua’s name. "Hi, darling," he answered, but his cheerful tone was quickly dampened by a sharp sense of dread.
"It's not Dua; it's her friend, Maya," a frantic voice responded.
"Dua is missing," Maya revealed, and in that moment, time seemed to freeze for Steven as he processed the shocking news.
"Hello? Steven?" Maya’s anxious voice brought him back to reality.
"When did this happen?" he asked, his heart racing as urgency flooded through him.
"This afternoon. We were in the school canteen, and she went to the restroom... She hasn't returned for over two hours. Her bodyguards are scattered everywhere looking for her." Maya explained, her distress palpable.
Without a word, Steven charged out of the house, leaving everyone bewildered behind him. Victoria quickly followed, concern etching deep lines on her face. "What happened?" she demanded, catching up to him.
"My wife has gone missing," he revealed, anguish tightening his chest. Victoria's eyes widened in horror.
With a roar of the engine, Steven sped out of the compound, a determined glint in his eye. The vibrant cityscape rushed by in a blur as he navigated through the winding roads, arriving at the hotel within minutes. He made a beeline for the sleek private jet, its polished exterior gleaming under the sun.
As he prepared for takeoff, Victoria rushed behind him, her heart racing. "Tell me you're not about to do what I think you're about to do," she called out, a mix of disbelief and concern flooding her voice.
“It is,” Steven replied, his tone resolute as he stepped into the cockpit with a confident stride. 
Caught off guard, Victoria hesitated for just a moment, watching him with wide eyes before her instincts kicked in. She took a deep breath and followed him onto the jet, her heart pounding in her chest. As the door closed behind her with a soft thud, she could feel the tension in the air.
Steven settled into the pilot’s seat, his fingers deftly maneuvering the controls as he prepared for takeoff. With a powerful thrust, the jet soared into the sky.