Chapter 69 THE BOMB(2)

Chapter 69 THE BOMB(2)
BACK IN THE MAIN HOUSE

Antonio loosened the collar of his shirt as he entered the lounge. Nicholas followed quietly, his expression unreadable, cold, hardened.

"Call them in," Antonio said. "I need… entertainment"

Minutes later, two women strutted in wearing glittering outfits and seductive smiles.

Maya and Vixen.

Undercover but their faces hid it well.

"Hello, darling" Maya purred.

"Ready for a good night?" Vixen added, flipping her bright wig.

Antonio grinned, leaning back on the couch. "Hello, babies. Now show me what you’ve got"

Music hummed low and the girls moved with practiced seduction, fluid, distracting, deadly if they needed to be.

But Antonio’s eyes sharpened halfway through.

Then he said it.

"Matteo sent you here, didn’t he?"

Both women froze.

Maya’s breath caught.

Vixen muttered under her breath, "Busted"

They stepped back from Antonio, muscles tensing, ready to strike.

But before they could move, two shots fired with a soft hiss.

Tranquilizer darts.

Maya gasped, hand flying to her neck before her knees buckled.

Vixen staggered, swore under her breath, then collapsed beside her.

Nicholas lowered the tranquilizer gun, face blank.

Antonio clapped once, slow and satisfied.

"Nice shot, son." He nudged Maya’s limp body with his foot. "They are both fools"

Nicholas stared down at the unconscious women, jaw tight.

Antonio’s grin widened cruelly.

"Send a message to Matteo," he said, voice dripping with dark amusement. "Tell him it’s time we strike a deal"

Nicholas nodded once.

•••

ONE HOUR LATER

The doors swung open with a violent crash.

Matteo walked in.

His eyes were cold, sharp, lethal. The kind of look that made grown men rethink every life choice they had ever made. His suit was black, his jaw clenched, his aura radiating pure danger.

Antonio looked up from his seat and grinned.

"Well… well… well… look who we have here. Matteo Moretti himself"

Matteo didn’t waste a second.

"Where’s my wife, you old fool?"

Antonio tsked lightly. "She’s in a safe place. Just calm down"

Matteo’s fist slammed into the table, cracking the surface.

"Don’t fucking tell me to calm down!"

Antonio chuckled, almost fondly.

"I understand your pain, truly. Because I killed your mother. Your father betrayed me and that was the only way I could get back at him"

Matteo’s eyes went black with rage. "You made a mistake by killing my mother"

Antonio’s grin widened. "What if I tell you that she isn’t dead?"

Matteo’s fists tightened. "You can’t fool me, Antonio"

"I am serious," Antonio said calmly. "All you have to do is follow me"

Matteo’s lip curled. "You’re sick"

He lunged forward.

His fist connected with Antonio’s jaw so hard the old man flew backward, crashing onto the floor, landing on his ass with a grunt.

Antonio’s head snapped to the side. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

His expression shifted from shock…

…to anger…

…to pure, murderous amusement.

He wiped the blood with his thumb.

"Men"

Ten armed guards stormed into the room, surrounding Matteo like wolves closing in on prey.

"Finish him" Antonio ordered coldly.

The men stepped forward, guns raised, muscles tense.

Ten against a mafia boss.

And Matteo didn’t flinch.

Antonio watched, amused. "Let’s see if you’re as dangerous as they say, Moretti"

Matteo didn’t answer. He lunged forward, moving faster than any human should.

The first guard aimed, fired but Matteo ducked just in time. The bullet ricocheted off the wall behind him. In one fluid motion, he swept the man’s legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor.

Another came at him from the side. Matteo twisted, grabbed the man’s wrist, and snapped it with a sickening crack. The guard howled and dropped his gun.

Gunshots rang out, echoing in the lounge. Sparks flew as bullets shredded furniture and glass. Matteo’s movements were a blur, striking, dodging, and disarming with terrifying precision.

One of Antonio’s men lunged with a knife. Matteo sidestepped, twisting the man’s arm behind his back and driving him to the ground in a sharp, bone-breaking motion.

Antonio leaned back, still smiling, but a hint of unease crept into his eyes. "Impressive," he muttered, puffing his vape, smoke curling in the dim light.

The remaining guards hesitated. Ten men. And Matteo was moving like a force of nature, unstoppable and ruthless.

In seconds, five of them were down groaning, unconscious, or clutching broken limbs. Matteo’s chest heaved with controlled fury, his eyes locked on Antonio, who now looked slightly less amused.

Matteo growled, voice low and dangerous. "Where is she, Antonio?"

"Patience, Matteo. You’ll see"

Matteo lunged again, and the last five guards barely managed to get shots off. Bullets whizzed past him as he dodged with impossible agility, each strike dismantling their assault. One by one, they fell to the ground, screaming, groaning, or unconscious from blunt force.

Antonio watched in silence, finally straightening. "You’re stronger than I thought," he said, tone flat, controlled. "But strength alone won’t save you from everything I have planned"

Matteo wiped blood from his knuckles, chest rising and falling steadily. His glare was deadly. "Tell me where she is. Now"

One of Antonio’s men dragged Aurora and Maya into the lounge, both women struggling against the tight grip on their arms. Aurora’s eyes widened the moment she saw Matteo standing there, rage written across his features.

"Mia!" Matteo exclaimed, his voice raw with shock and fury.

Aurora opened her mouth to speak, but a sharp voice cut through the tension.

"This isn’t the time for that," Antonio said, stepping forward, calm and chilling. "For your information, there’s a bomb strapped to them. It will explode in the next five minutes"

"What!?" Matteo shouted, his eyes widening as he stared at Aurora and Maya.

"Yes," Antonio continued smoothly, puffing lightly on his vape, smoke curling around his face. "Now we have to strike a deal first"

Matteo’s fists clenched, knuckles white. "What deal?"

Antonio’s smile was cruel, deliberate. "Give me your wife, or she dies with your sister"

"You’re insane!" Matteo roared, his voice bouncing off the walls of the lounge.

Antonio tilted his head, almost mocking. "It’s ticking, ticking, ticking. Time is going"

Aurora’s heart raced. She glanced at Maya, who had gone pale, her hands trembling. The tension in the room was unbearable. Every second felt heavier, each tick of the bomb like a drum counting down their fate.

Matteo’s gaze locked on Antonio, fury and calculation warring in his eyes. "I will not—"

"Five minutes," Antonio interrupted softly, the words slicing through the chaos like a blade. "Decide, or they die"

Aurora swallowed hard, her pulse pounding. She realized there was no room for mistakes. Every second counted.

The countdown clock on the wall blared the final minute. Beads of sweat ran down Aurora’s temple as she struggled against the restraints. Maya trembled beside her, both of them frozen by the deadly tension in the air. 

Suddenly, a metallic click echoed through the room. Nicholas stepped forward, gun drawn, his hands steady despite the adrenaline surging through him.

"Release them, dad" he said, his voice low but iron-strong.

Antonio laughed, a slow, dangerous sound. "Oh wow, my own son is snitching on me"

"I’ve never been a partaker of your evil, and I will never be!" Nicholas shot back.

Matteo, sensing the distraction, lunged forward, his muscles coiled like springs ready to snap. At the same time, more of Antonio’s men poured into the lounge, their faces hard and merciless.

But Matteo wasn’t alone. From behind, his team emerged, moving like shadows of vengeance.

ACE, BLADE, STORM, AXE, VIPER, SCARLETT, SYLVIA, ROSA and then AXEL.

Chaos erupted immediately.

Fists slammed, knives slashed, bodies collided. Antonio’s men fought fiercely, but Matteo’s team matched them blow for blow. Steel met steel, grunts and shouts filling the air. Dust and debris clouded the lounge, the smell of sweat and blood sharp in the air.

Aurora’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched, frozen, the battle unfolding around her.

Then the clock blinked: 1.

Her stomach dropped.

"No!" she screamed.

"NO!" Maya echoed, panic in her voice.

The bomb detonated.

A deafening roar ripped through the room. The ground shook violently, flames and smoke consuming everything in a blinding wave.

Shouts, screams, and the clash of chaos were swallowed by the explosion.

The screen of the world went white.

The room fell silent.

And then… darkness.