Chapter 85
★
7AM✓✓GABRIEL SUITE★
The room was dimly lit, with heavy curtains drawn across the tall windows.
Gabriel sat in a high-backed chair near the fireplace, a glass of wine in his hand.
The flames danced in his sharp, calculating eyes, and his lips curled into a thin smile when the door creaked open.
Federico, the consigliere (Mafia lawyer), stepped in cautiously, his face a mask of calm, though his eyes betrayed unease.
Gabriel straightened in his seat and gestured for Federico to come closer.
"Ah, Federico," he said smoothly, setting the glass down. "I've been waiting for you."
Federico stopped a few feet from Gabriel, his hands clasped in front of him.
"What is it you need, Gabriel?"
Gabriel rose to his feet, towering over the consigliere.
"It’s simple," he said, his voice low but dripping with menace. "I want you to make me the Patriarch. Alessandro has been missing for weeks now, and let’s face it—they’ll never find him."
Federico stiffened, his jaw tightening.
"I can’t do that," he replied firmly. "Alessandro is still the Patriarch. Until we know for certain—"
"Certain?" Gabriel interrupted, his tone sharp. "Certain of what? That he’s dead? That he’s abandoned us? Face it, Federico, Alessandro is gone. The family needs a leader, and that leader is me."
Federico shook his head, his voice steady. "We must remain patient, Gabriel. Alessandro’s absence is temporary. I won’t betray him by naming a replacement."
Gabriel’s face darkened, and before Federico could react, Gabriel’s hand shot out, striking him hard across the face.
Federico staggered, catching himself on the edge of the desk, his cheek burning from the slap.
"You will obey me," Gabriel snarled, his voice venomous. "If you refuse, I’ll ensure your entire family pays the price. Your wife, your children—every single one of them. Do you understand me?"
Federico’s eyes widened in shock and fear, but he quickly masked his emotions.
He straightened, rubbing his cheek, and met Gabriel’s gaze.
"You can threaten me all you want," he said quietly, though his voice trembled slightly. "But my loyalty is to Alessandro and the family, not to your ambitions."
Gabriel’s fists clenched, and for a moment, it seemed as though he might strike again.
But then he stepped back, a cold smile spreading across his face.
"We’ll see how long your loyalty lasts," he said softly. "Everyone has a breaking point, Federico. Don’t make me find yours."
Without another word, Gabriel turned and walked back to his chair, leaving Federico standing there, shaken but resolute.
The firelight flickered across the room as the tension hung thick in the air, an unspoken promise of more conflict to come.
After a moment of silence Federico spoke up
"I will make you the Patriarch"He said, his voice barely above a whisper
Gabriel's eyes locked onto Federico's, a devilish smile playing on his lips.
"I thought you wanna be loyal"Gabriel replied
"I'm just doing this for the safety of my family, I know who you are Gabriel, you're dangerous"Federico said
"Here, place your signature"Gabriel replied, handing the Mafia document to Federico
Federico took the document, his hand trembling in fear as he signed it.
"It has been sealed, I would be becoming the patriarch in three days time"Gabriel thundered
Federico signed heavily.
★9AM✓✓★
Kalus sat on a weathered park bench, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows over the quiet park.
Beside him, an old man leaned on his cane, his face lined with years of wisdom and weariness.
They had been meeting like this for weeks, discussing the same impossible task.
"What the hell is taking your time, I said you should find the young lady I slept with many years ago, I wanna know her, she might have given birth, no one knows"
“I’ve done all I can, Kalus,” the old man said, his voice tinged with regret. “I’ve searched every corner of the city, asked questions in places most people wouldn’t dare to go. But it’s no use. The woman... she’s disappeared like a ghost.”
Kalus rubbed his temples, frustration mounting.
“I thought there’d be something. A lead, a clue—anything to go on. I can’t just let it end like this.”
The old man hesitated, tapping his cane against the pavement.
“There might be another way,” he said finally.
Kalus turned to him, his brows furrowing.
“It’s not foolproof, but if you find someone with the same birthmark as yours... that person is likely your child, the one young lady gave birth to"The old man said
The words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.
Kalus stared at the old man, then leaned back, exhaling sharply.
He tilted his head to the sky, his eyes tracing the clouds as though they held answers.
“How would I even find someone like that?” he said bitterly. “It’s not like people walk around showing off their birthmarks.”
The old man chuckled softly, his gaze distant.
“Life has a funny way of revealing what you’re looking for, but only when you’re ready to see it. Maybe this isn’t just about finding her, Kalus. Maybe it’s about finding yourself.”
Kalus let the words sink in, the weight of them pressing against the frustration in his chest.
He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.
“Maybe,” he said quietly, though his tone carried more resolve than doubt. “But I can’t give up. Not yet.”
The old man patted his shoulder, a gesture of quiet encouragement.
As the sun dipped lower, painting the horizon in shades of amber and crimson, Kalus remained seated, his mind churning with the possibilities ahead.
He didn’t know how he’d find someone with the same birthmark.
He didn’t even know if he’d succeed.
But he knows one thing—he wasn’t ready to let go of this fight.
Not now, and not ever.
He has to find the young lady he slept with many years ago and perhaps the child she gave birth to.