Chapter 135 The Gathering
Third Person POV
The evening air in Colombia was thick with humidity and tension.
Gavin walked through the corridors of Zeus's estate with Kane one step behind him. His face was a mask of calm, but his hands were clenched into fists at his sides.
He'd been summoned. The Five Families had gathered.
And Zeus had promised him Melissa.
The grand hall loomed ahead. Massive doors stood open, revealing a space that looked more like a throne room than a dining hall.
Inside, they were all waiting.
Gavin stepped through the doors.
The hall was enormous. Vaulted ceilings. Chandeliers that cost more than most people's houses. A long table that could seat fifty people comfortably. And at that table sat the heads of the Five Families.
Giovanni Moretti. Young, handsome, impeccably dressed. He looked up as Gavin entered, his expression cold.
Dmitri Volkov. Was older and harder. His eyes followed Gavin with open hostility.
Chen Wei. Was calm watching everything with sharp intelligence.
Rashid Al-Hashim. Regal. Dangerous. His hand rested casually on the table, but Gavin knew he was armed.
And at the head of the table, in a chair that looked exactly like a throne, sat Mateo Valdez.
Lord Zeus.
Looking frailer than he had that afternoon, but his eyes were still sharp. Still burning with that terrible intensity.
Gavin ignored all of them.
Walked straight to Zeus at the head of the table.
"You promised me Melissa," he said. His voice was deadly calm. "Bring her out."
Zeus smiled. "Good evening to you too, my son."
"I'm not your son. And I'm not here for pleasantries." Gavin's hands were still clenched. "Bring her out. Now."
Kane stepped up behind Gavin. Zeus's smile widened. He gestured to someone standing in the shadows.
A massive screen descended from the ceiling. Technology in an old-world palace. It flickered to life.
And Malissa was on the screen. His Melissa.
Gavin's breath caught.
She was tied to a chair. Rope around her wrists, her ankles. Her head was bowed, dark hair falling forward to hide her face.
But he could see enough.
She looked pale. Sick. Like she hadn't slept or eaten properly in days.
"Melissa," he breathed.
On the screen, her head lifted slightly at the sound of his voice. Like she'd heard him somehow.
Then Stephan walked into frame.
Gavin's entire body went rigid.
Stephan moved behind Melissa's chair. His hands came to rest on her shoulders. She flinched at his touch.
"Father," Gavin said. His voice was shaking now with barely controlled rage. "What is this?"
"I promised you your precious girl," Zeus said calmly. "And there she is."
"Bring her here. To me. Now."
"All in good time." Zeus leaned back on his throne. "First, we have some matters to discuss."
Giovanni Moretti stood abruptly. "Discuss?" His voice was sharp with anger. "You think we're here to discuss anything? This bastard took my ports! Decades of infrastructure...gone!"
He pointed at Gavin. "You think we'll let you go happily after what you did? You must think you're untouchable!"
"Giovanni," Zeus said quietly.
The younger man sat down. But his eyes never left Gavin, burning with fury.
Zeus turned his attention back to Gavin. "Your first warning was to never fall in love with a weak outsider. But you didn't listen."
"She's not weak," Gavin said through clenched teeth.
"She's human. Fragile. Vulnerable." Zeus's expression hardened. "And she's made you weak. The son I raised would never have abandoned his family for a girl."
"The son you raised died twenty years ago when I left this place."
"Did he?" Zeus gestured to the screen. Melissa tied to a chair with Stephan's hands on her shoulders. "Then why are you here?"
Gavin said nothing.
"You're here because despite everything...despite your empire, your legitimate life, your precious morals...you're still mine." Zeus's voice was soft. Dangerous. "And the only thing that can teach you that at this point is pain."
On the screen, Stephan's hands tightened on Melissa's shoulders. She whimpered. The sound was small and terrified.
It cut through Gavin like a knife.
"Don't," he said. "Don't you fucking dare..."
"Stephan," Zeus said calmly. "Teach your brother a lesson about loyalty for me."
On the screen, Stephan moved. His hand slid from Melissa's shoulder down her arm.
She was trying to pull away. Trying to speak. The audio was muted but Gavin could see her mouth forming words.
Please. No. Stop.
Stephan's hand found her forearm.
"No!" Gavin lunged forward. Kane caught him. Held him back even as Gavin fought to get free.
The other Family heads were watching. On the screen, Stephan's fingers wrapped around Melissa's arm.
She was shaking her head frantically now. Eyes wide with terror.
Looking directly at the camera like she could see Gavin watching. Stephan's grip tightened and the sound of a crack filled the room.
Then Melissa's scream.
It was raw and agonized. The sound of someone in unbearable pain.
It echoed through the hall. Through Gavin's skull. Through his entire soul.
"MELISSA!" He was fighting against Kane now. Actually fighting. "MELISSA!"
Her screams continued. Broken sobs. Pleading words that were barely coherent.
"Stop it!" Gavin roared at Zeus. "STOP IT!". Zeus just watched him calmly
"This is what happens when you forget where you come from," he said quietly. "When you forget who you belong to."
Melissa's screams finally faded to whimpers.
Gavin stopped fighting. Went completely still in Kane's grip His face was pale. His eyes were wide. Unfocused.
He looked like something inside him had shattered.
"Bring her here," he said. His voice was hollow. Empty. "Now. Please. Bring her here."
"Will you stay?" Zeus asked.
"Yes."
"Will you take your place as head of this family when I die?"
"Yes."
"Will you marry Sophia as you were promised?"
Gavin closed his eyes. "Yes. Anything. Just bring her here. Please."
Zeus smiled. "See? Pain is an excellent teacher."
He gestured to someone. "Bring the girl to the medical wing. Set her arm. Make her comfortable."
"And Gavin?" Zeus's smile widened. "Welcome home, my son. For good this time."
Gavin didn't respond. Didn't move.
Just stood there with Kane's hands still on his shoulders.
His eyes fixed on the black screen where Melissa had been.
Where her screams still echoed.