Chapter 196 Pay Her Respect

Chapter 196 Pay Her Respect
Serena’s POV

For a second—

Nothing happened. Time seemed to stand still, just like before.

And as everything went still, his body jerked back.

A sharp, violent twitch ran through his body, his eyes widened, then his hands flew to his throat, fingers pressing hard against the wound like he could force it closed.

A bloody wet, choking sound escaped his lips.

I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. I just watched.

He staggered back, one step… then another with his body shaking harder now, like something inside him was breaking apart piece by piece.

Blood spilled through his fingers, thick and fast, slipping past his grip no matter how hard he pressed.

His knees buckled slightly—but he didn’t fall. Not yet.

He tried to stay on his feet, tried to hold on.

His mouth opened, like he wanted to say something—but nothing came out except a broken, choking breath.

His hands dropped weakly to his side as the strength in him seemed to fade.

His legs gave way completely this time and he dropped hard on his back. But even then—he didn’t die immediately.

His body shook against the ground, weaker now, slower… each movement smaller than the last. His fingers twitched once… twice…

Then—

Nothing.

Silence dropped on everyone as all left now was to stare at him.

At the man who had stood there moments ago like he owned everything.

But now, gone. Just like that.

My hand loosened slowly, letting the knife slip from my fingers and hit the floor with a quiet, hollow sound.

And suddenly, everything felt… too loud. Too close, like the world had exhaled and forgotten to take in air again.

I swallowed.

Luca. Him. All in one night.

My chest tightened as something sharp and overwhelming rose up from deep inside me.

“You did it,” I heard a voice whisper weakly. Dante's voice.

I turned to find him sitting up now with his body slumped forward and chains hanging loosely around. His head was slightly lowered, but his eyes stared directly at me.

“You… did it…” he repeated, quieter this time, and something in me shattered.

A laugh escaped my lips, soft at first. Then it grew, shaky,completely out of control as tears blurred my vision.

I laughed like it didn’t make sense. Like nothing made sense.

“I—” My voice cracked, and I shook my head, wiping away the tears, but it didn’t stop anything. “I did… I actually…”

My breath hitched. “What did I just do…?”

The question lingered in the air without an answer.

Movement around me snapped my attention back and I turned sharply.

Men. Several of them.

They had come out silently, surrounding the space without me even noticing.

My body reacted before my mind did—I straightened, shifting in stance, ready for anything.

But they didn’t attack. Instead, one by one—

They dropped to their knees, bowing their heads. All of them.

I froze. “What?” The word barely left my lips as everything in me stood still.

I looked between them, confused with my heart still racing and my body still braced for something that clearly wasn’t coming.

“Why are you—?”

“You killed him,” Dante said weakly from behind me again.

I turned back to him and he lifted his head slightly, locking his gaze on mine.

“You killed Luca,” he said. “And you killed the head of the Romano family.”

A pause. Then—

“You’re their head now.”

The words didn’t sit completely with me.

I just stared at him, then muttered. “What?”

“They belong to you now,” he continued, his voice dragging out with effort. “All of them… Luca’s men… the Romano men…”

I looked back at the men kneeling, at their bowed heads, at their show of respect.

And for a moment, nothing registered. It was like my mind refused to catch up.

Like it was still stuck somewhere behind, watching a man bleed out on the ground.

Seconds passed, maybe more. Then it finally clicked.

I'm in charge now.

So I let out a small breath.

“Get up,” I instructed quieter than I intended, but they didn’t move at first.

I swallowed, forcing more strength into it. “I said—get up.”

This time, they obeyed, rising all at once, still silent and watching me.

I pointed towards Dante with my hand slightly shaking.

“Release him,” I instructed to the best of my energy.

It was anything but graceful, but it did the job as they moved immediately, stepping towards him and unlocking the locks, pulling the chains free.

Dante barely reacted, his body looked too drained to resist or assist.

They tried to lift him but I stopped them.

“No,” I said, and they paused. I stepped forward, closing the distance between us.

“I’ve got him.”

They hesitated for a second—then stepped back.

I crouched beside him, slipping his arm over my shoulders carefully.

He was heavier than I expected. Or maybe I was just more tired than I realized.

Either way—I didn’t let go.

“Come on,” I murmured, and he leaned into me slightly, and together—we stood and walked on.

Every step felt like it took more effort than the last, but I didn’t stop.

Not until we reached the room.

Not until my eyes fell on him, on Nico.

He was still laying in Marcus' hands where I left him, still breathing.

Marcus was beside him with his hands stained with blood and his face wrecked. His eyes were red and swollen, probably from too much crying.

“I knew,” Nico tried to say but stopped abruptly, his voice was way too weak, barely audible. “I knew you’d do it,” he added.

And my chest tightened again. This time, it broke.

Tears slipped down my face silently as I helped Dante lower himself beside him.

Dante leaned heavily against my leg, barely able to push out a full breath, but his eyes settled on Nico.

For a moment, no one spoke a word.

Then Nico shifted slightly, fixing his gaze fully on Dante.

“I… didn’t think…” he started, his voice dragging out with his breath catching between words. “I didn’t think I’d make it… long enough to see you again…”

Dante said nothing. Just watched him.

“I told her before…” Nico continued, a faint, tired smile forming on his lips. “Why I did it… all of it…”

His chest rose sharply. Then fell so hard, I thought he'd died.

But he went on.

“I thought I was doing the right thing… I thought—” He coughed weakly, blood touching the corner of his lips. “I thought it was the only way…”

Silence stretched.

“I was wrong,” he admitted quietly. “I'm sorry, Don.”

Marcus’s head dropped with his shoulders shaking.

And Nico’s gaze softened as he looked back at Dante.

“It’s been…” he breathed. “An honor… serving you…”

His voice faltered going to the end.

“Never seen anyone like you…” he added faintly. “And I don’t think I ever will…”

My throat tightened and Nico’s right hand lifted slowly, shaking all the way as he reached for Dante.

Dante looked at it, and for a second—

He didn’t move.

Then—

He shook his head and pushed himself forward instead, pulling away from my legs and falling towards Nico, pulling him into a hug.

Marcus let out a broken sound beside them and Nico laughed weakly.

“Yeah…” he whispered. “That’s… better…”

His head rested slightly against Dante as his chest moved slower now.

“See you…” he murmured. “…wherever…”

A pause. Then—

“My brother.”

Dante didn’t speak, he just nodded and held him close.

Until—

There was nothing left to hold.

Marcus broke completely, throwing his hands to Nico as if trying to pull him back, his voice cracked into something unrecognizable as he shook his head over and over.

“No—no—no—”

I couldn’t watch. I couldn’t stay.

I reached down and took Dante's hand.

“We have to go,” I whispered.

He didn’t argue, didn’t resist.

He just let me help him up again, then took one last glance at Nico before we both walked out.

And the moment we stepped outside, we found men lined up in the space ahead of us, rows of them standing straight with the only way through in the middle, leading out.

Then—they all dropped. All at once.

Dante’s men. Luca’s men. Whoever else was there, they all dropped to their knees at once, bowing their heads.

Only the Russians remained standing. But even they lowered their heads slightly.

Silence filled the air again and I didn’t react. Didn’t know how to.

I just kept walking. Step by step with Dante by my side, till we reached the car.

I helped Dante inside, sliding in beside him as the door shut.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then—

“You surprised me, today,” he choked out.

I turned to him and he was leaning back, his eyes half-closed.

“I didn’t think…” he exhaled slowly. “You’d go that far…”

I let out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh. “I didn’t think so either.”

He nodded faintly. “You did good,” he murmured.

And silence followed while the car moved.

And for the first time that night—

I didn’t look back.

By the time we arrived, everything felt distant, unreal.

The car stopped and I pushed the door open. And the moment Dante stepped out—

She appeared. Valentina.

The second their eyes met, she dropped to her knees right there, breaking down.

A broken sound tore from her as tears flooded her face, her hands trembled as she reached out for him.

“Dante—”

Her voice cracked completely as I brought him closer to her.

Dante dropped to his knees in front of her, taking her in a hug. And she held onto him like she was afraid he’d disappear if she didn’t.

“Thank you…” she said, looking up at me through tears. “Thank you for bringing him back…”

I didn’t respond, I couldn’t.

She took him from me gently, guiding him inside as others rushed to help.

Voices filled the space. But it all felt far away.

Then someone pulled me into a hug and I turned to find my mother.

She had her arms wrapped tightly around me, her voice shaking as she held me close.

But even then—

I felt… distant.

Like I was standing outside of myself. “I did it,” I whispered as the thought came quietly.

“I actually did it…”

I didn’t know how, didn’t understand when it happened.

But I had.

Night came slowly. Or maybe I just didn’t notice time passing.

I was sitting with Dante when the guards walked in with two men.

I stood immediately.

“Don,” the guard greeted first before turning to me. “Serena, they are here to see you.”

And before I could say anything, both of them stepped forward and stretched their hands out to me.

I looked down and noticed a royal cloth folded in their hands, and as they unfolded it, I gasped.