Chapter 93 THE DEADLY NIGHT
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AUTHOR’S POV
Elena’s eyes widened in horror as she gazed at Luciano.
She quickly adjusted herself, her hands fumbling to fix her dress, as she scrambled to stand up, her face twisting with panic.
“T-This isn’t what it looks like,” she stammered, her voice shaky, desperate.
Luciano only smirked.
His dark eyes gleamed with amusement and disgust, his posture relaxed, yet exuding pure danger.
“I know exactly what it is,” he said, his tone mocking, sharp as a blade.
“I knew all along, Elena. You’re nothing but a whore.”
Elena flinched, her face draining of color.
Leonardo, still lounging in his seat as if the confrontation was an everyday occurrence, scoffed.
“What are you doing here?” he asked lazily, swirling the whiskey in his glass.
Luciano sighed dramatically, stuffing his hands into his pockets before tilting his head with a smirk.
“Didn’t expect to see you here, either.”
Then his expression turned cold.
“Why did you kill Ricardo?”
The question hung in the air like a gunshot.
Adeline’s heart plummeted.
She snapped her head toward Luciano, glaring daggers at him.
What the fuck was he doing?
This wasn’t the plan.
She wanted to kill Leonardo, to make him suffer. She had spent months preparing for this moment, and now Luciano was throwing it all away.
A slow, wicked smirk crept onto Leonardo’s lips.
His sharp gaze flickered toward her, amusement dancing in his eyes as he leaned back.
“Why don’t you show yourself, Adeline?”
Adeline’s breath hitched.
Her blood ran cold.
Elena whipped her head around, eyes darting wildly, pretending to search for her as if she hadn’t been part of this all along.
Even Luciano seemed momentarily taken aback.
But Adeline knew there was no use hiding anymore.
With a slow, controlled breath, she stepped forward.
Then, with a steady hand, she reached up and tore off her wig.
The moment her dark locks cascaded down, Leonardo’s smirk deepened.
“Here to take revenge, sweetheart?”
Luciano’s jaw tightened.
His hands curled into fists, his glare locked on Leonardo as he took a step forward.
“Watch your mouth when you talk to her.”
Leonardo sighed dramatically, as if bored, before smirking again.
“Well,” he mused, setting down his drink,
“now that I’ve been caught, why don’t I tell you everything?”
Adeline’s brows furrowed.
Why was he being so… cooperative?
Why wasn’t he scared?
Before she could react, Leonardo grabbed Elena by her hair and shoved her off him.
She yelped as she hit the floor, her expression a mix of pain and shock.
Leonardo let out a low chuckle.
“I was hungry,” he said smoothly.
“Greedy. For wealth, for power. For everything your father had, Adeline.”
Adeline’s stomach twisted.
Leonardo exhaled a slow breath, a smirk still playing on his lips.
“And after him, everything belonged to you.” His gaze darkened. “But I could never let that happen. How could a naive and stupid girl could handle the empire So I did what needed to be done.”
Luciano’s eyes burned with fury.
Adeline could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.
Leonardo leaned back, completely unbothered as he continued,
“I succeeded. I took over what was mine but that bastard gave everything to Luciano to protect till you and Vladimir were of age to handle. His empire. His legacy. His wealth. And of course…” He turned slightly, smirking at Elena.
“His wife was an easy target”
Elena looked away, her face pale, but Leonardo just chuckled.
“I had to wait for the perfect moment. And when I got the chance…”
He looked straight into Adeline’s eyes, voice laced with cruelty.
“I killed him.”
Adeline’s breath shook.
But Leonardo wasn’t finished.
He tilted his head, grinning, before adding,
“But of course, I needed someone to take the blame. I had to make sure all doubt fell on the right person.”
Luciano’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
Leonardo smirked.
“ so i put all blame and made Luciano a suspect and it was right target. It was because of your breakup with Elena.”
Elena’s eyes snapped toward him in horror.
“I-I have nothing to do with this!” she protested.
But Leonardo just laughed.
“Oh, but you do,” he said, his voice filled with amusement.
Then he turned his gaze back to Luciano.
“Your best friend, Ricardo, wanted to separate you two. And you know why, Luciano?”
Luciano’s jaw clenched.
Leonardo chuckled darkly.
“Because this bitch was betraying you.”
Luciano stilled.
Elena froze.
Adeline’s fists clenched tightly.
“She was always working with us,” Leonardo continued smoothly.
“To take over the empire your father built. She’s been playing both sides all along, and in the end… she was involved in your best friend ’s murder.”
Luciano’s breathing turned sharp.
Elena took a step back, shaking her head.
“That’s a lie!”
But Adeline didn’t miss the way her hands trembled.
Leonardo ignored Elena, turning his attention back to Adeline.
“And as for your mother?” His expression turned darkly amused.
“She was naïve.” He exhaled.
“Naïve to think i loved her, and hungry for the same power we all craved.”
Adeline’s entire body went rigid.
“She wanted to sit on the throne,” Leonardo said lazily, swirling his drink.
“Even though she was already next to the king himself.”
His voice lowered, his smirk widening.
“But the world is greedy, sweetheart. And so are we all.”
“ then what about me ? “
Charles voice rung from the dark as he started walking down the stairs.
The moment those words left his lips, Elena’s eyes widened in horror.
She slowly turned to face him, her body trembling, her lips parting as if she had been caught in a nightmare.
Charles’s dark gaze never left her.
It was cold.
Unforgiving.
A glare so deadly that even Luciano took a step back, watching in silence.
Adeline, however, remained emotionless.
She had no sympathy left for the woman who had betrayed so many.
Elena’s voice shook as she whispered,
“What… What are you doing here?”
Before anyone could answer, Leonardo’s amused laughter echoed through the room.
“Ah, Charles. Welcome, my friend.” He smirked, stepping forward.
“I have a story for you too.”
Elena’s entire body tensed.
Her eyes darted to Leonardo in sheer panic, and she shook her head rapidly.
“No. No, don’t—please!” she begged, crawling toward him.
“Don’t say it. Don’t—”
Leonardo’s grin widened.
He ignored her desperate plea and turned to Charles.
“She used you.”
The words hit the air like gunfire.
Charles’s face remained stone-cold, but the flicker of pain in his eyes was unmistakable.
Leonardo continued, his voice mocking, slow, deliberate.
“She used you and Luciano, drifting two best friends apart, because you were a threat to her plan of ruining Luciano.”
Elena shook her head violently.
“No! That’s not true! I love you, Charles! I love you!”
Tears spilled down her face as she crawled toward him, sobbing.
Adeline watched in silence as Elena reached out, grabbing Charles’s pant leg, her grip desperate, shaking.
“Please, baby, listen to me!” she choked out.
“I never meant to hurt you! I swear—”
Bang.
The gunshot echoed through the room.
Elena’s body froze.
Her lips parted slightly, eyes widening in shock as blood slowly trickled down her forehead.
For a moment, there was nothing.
Then, her body collapsed onto the cold floor.
Charles kicked her away without a second glance.
Adeline’s heart pounded violently.
Even though she knew Elena had been a traitor, a liar, a murderer, seeing someone die right in front of her sent a chilling shiver down her spine.
Tears burned in her eyes.
Her heart ached.
Not for Elena.
But for the sheer brutality of it all.
Luciano, however, did not even flinch.
Instead, he slowly lifted his gun, aiming it directly at Leonardo’s head.
Leonardo only chuckled.
“Will you kill your own brother for someone else?”
His smirk never wavered, his expression filled with arrogance.
Adeline’s breath caught in her throat.
Brother?
She turned to look at Luciano, but he didn’t react.
Charles, however, stepped forward.
And in a voice cold as death itself, he said, “If he can’t, I will.”
He raised his gun, ready to pull the trigger.
But before he could—
Luciano stopped him.
Charles’s eyes snapped to him in fury.
Adeline, too, stared at Luciano, stunned.
Was he… saving Leonardo?
Why?
Leonardo smirked, as if victorious.
But Luciano’s next words sent a shiver down Adeline’s spine.
“He can’t die this peacefully.”
His voice was low, venomous.
His grip on his gun tightened.
“He needs to feel every pain.”