Chapter 170: From Now On, There Will Be No More the Valeri Family
Holden shouted, "Donald!"
Everyone watched as Donald collapsed in a pool of blood. Leonardo suddenly rushed to Donald's side, calling out in grief, "Dad!"
His expression showed concern, but his eyes revealed a hint of calculation.
I guessed he was trying to use this opportunity to make Donald feel his care and sincerity. After all, with Lucas and David, his two strongest competitors, out of the picture, he would be Donald's most valued illegitimate son.
Unfortunately, he underestimated Donald's selfishness.
When Donald saw Lucas still pointing the gun at him, he grabbed Leonardo's collar without hesitation and forced Leonardo to shield him!
Lucas let out a contemptuous laugh.
Leonardo was gripped by the fear of death. "No, don't shoot! Don't kill me!"
He tried to run, but Donald held him tight. At that moment, intense hatred flooded Leonardo's eyes.
Two gunshots rang out!
Leonardo was hit in the chest, blood gushing out. Donald didn't care at all and continued using him as a shield.
"This is father and son," Lucas mocked softly, lowering his arm as the pistol spun easily twice in his hand.
The smell of blood filled the air, assaulting everyone's senses.
Fearful eyes surrounded them from all directions. Many people suddenly remembered that Lucas was never some minor player to be pushed around.
He had built his own power in distant Starstream City in just a few years because he was ruthless enough!
It's just that the past two years had been filled with too many rumors about Lucas's love life, gradually making people forget his reputation.
And these people in the Valeri family only dared to look down on Lucas, covet his wealth, and even disrespect me when I was still Lucas's wife because they relied on their family ties and Holden's indulgence.
"Lucas, that's enough."
"That's about right, stop now!"
The respected elders of the Thornfield family, the Marr family, the Caudill family, and the Woods family spoke up at the same time, as if they had agreed beforehand.
Some spoke gently, others sternly.
"Lucas, we're still in the middle of the hunting competition. This isn't the place for your nonsense!"
"If you don't stop now, leave Dawnharbor immediately!"
Lucas looked at the person who said he should be driven away—someone from the Marr family, Angelina's father.
He sneered dismissively, "I can leave, but don't expect to come to Starstream City in the future."
Angelina's father snorted angrily and walked away.
Holden understood social dynamics well. Whatever he thought inside, he at least appeared grateful to those trying to stop Lucas. But Donald seemed emboldened and screamed at Lucas, "Keep shooting! If you're so tough, kill me! Come on!"
"Since that's what you want," Lucas calmly raised his gun again, as if this was just a small matter, "I'll grant your wish."
As his words fell, the gunshot rang out.
Donald screamed and collapsed, blood pouring out. Everyone else was terrified, not daring to breathe.
Holden loudly condemned Lucas, calling for guards with murderous intent, "You useless fools are just standing there watching? Grab him! Lucas, you actually want to kill your father—you're a devil! You'll go to hell!"
Lucas shot back, "He told me to shoot. Wasn't I being obedient?"
Holden trembled all over as if electrocuted. "We raised you, had high hopes for you, and this is how you repay us! You'll forever be a disgrace to the family!"
He suddenly glanced at me and said resentfully, "Lucas! Just like Donald, you'll never be happy in this life!"
With that, Holden's eyes rolled back and he collapsed.
"Dad!"
"Grandpa!"
"Don Valeri has fainted! Get a doctor quickly!"
The scene descended into chaos.
Lucas withdrew his cold gaze, softening slightly, and said to me, "Let's go."
He held my hand as we walked through the panicked, scattering crowd. I heard people talking:
"He's crazy, definitely crazy!"
"So scary. We're all mafia, but I think he's too cruel."
"Stay away from Lucas from now on. He's someone we can't mess with!"
I turned to look at Lucas, suddenly remembering that a few days ago when I asked him when he'd deliver the "gift," he said he was waiting for the right moment.
Lucas's outburst today seemed sudden and impulsive at first glance, but thinking carefully—Lucas breaking away from the Valeri family, cutting off financial ties, and then publicly attacking his brothers and father—step by step achieved his goal of destroying the Valeri family.
Now the Valeri family's reputation was ruined, they faced financial difficulties, the leader was elderly, and the heirs were either weak or incompetent. Their centuries of glory had come to an end.
Lucas felt my gaze and squeezed my hand questioningly. Noticing bloodstains on his sleeve, he casually wiped them away and asked, "Are you scared?"
I shook my head.
"No."
Whether it was Oscar or my brothers, they all warned me to be careful of Lucas. They all worried that the day Lucas's true nature exploded would hurt me.
But I suddenly understood—the coldness and cruelty that Lucas tried so hard to suppress wouldn't disappear, but his fierceness would only target enemies. He gave me all his tenderness and consideration, limited as it was, even if some of it was an act.
"I'm not afraid of you." I pressed Lucas's hand against my face and said it again.
Lucas smiled, freely and boldly.
Others whispered:
"Look, Isabella is crazy too!"
"A woman who could break into someone's home, kidnap women, and beat hostages to a pulp—how could she be normal?"
"But she was getting revenge! Don't forget the Sorelli family tragedy."
"A madman and a female devil—they're perfect for each other!"
The bonfire party that evening went on as scheduled, but the entire Valeri family was absent.
Despite the lively atmosphere, people were distracted. Before the bonfire party even ended, news spread everywhere—
Donald was severely injured and had his limbs amputated. Grace, David, and Leonardo were only slightly better off. The Valeri family suddenly had several disabled members, and Holden had fainted again from anger.
Probably because of his age, when Holden woke up again, he found he couldn't move.
He'd had an acute stroke and was paralyzed!
But soon people didn't have the energy to gossip about the Valeri family's scandals, because Dawnharbor's long-standing five-family structure had collapsed.
Now only four major families remained in Dawnharbor, but everyone was eyeing that vacant position.
I became more convinced that Lucas's choice to break with the Valeri family on the last day of the hunting competition was definitely premeditated.
The major issue that should have been announced at the end of the bonfire party was met with silence from the four families, making their intentions impossible to guess.
The meeting was postponed for a day and a half.
On the afternoon of the conference, a gentle spring breeze blew.
Gale, Marcus, and I drove to the meeting location.
We'd agreed that once this meeting ended, we'd return to Starstream City together.