Chapter 123: Invitation Letter from the Rothschild Family
The scent clinging to her—a dangerous mix of gunpowder and expensive rose perfume—invaded Leo's senses like lethal poison.
Her skin-tight black leather bustier, pressed against him in their intimate proximity, pushed her full breasts into a breathtaking display.
Faced with this ultimate temptation from an absolute goddess, Leo's expression remained ice-cold. Even the fingers holding his cigar didn't tremble.
He merely lifted his eyes slightly, his unfathomable gaze settling on Charlotte mere inches away. "Your nerve has certainly grown since the old days."
Though his face stayed calm, Leo's iron-hard body betrayed him—Charlotte's deliberate movements drew an involuntary response.
Charlotte felt the change in Leo's body. The smile on her lips deepened, seductive to the bone.
She reached up, fingers tracing the sharp angles of his face. But the playfulness faded from her emerald eyes, replaced by profound devotion and longing.
"Leo, have you forgotten the first time we met?"
Charlotte's gaze grew distant, her voice soft as moonlight. "Five years ago... that jungle bloodbath in the Balkans..."
Something flickered in Leo's dark eyes.
"I was just a rookie assassin back then. Covering my brother's retreat, I got cornered on a cliff by the local warlord's mercenaries. Two bullets in me, couldn't even stand up."
Charlotte's fingers moved to Leo's chest. "Those bastards looked at me like I was prey. They wanted to tear my clothes off. I'd already saved my last bullet for myself."
"Then, when I'd given up hope... you appeared."
"Just you. One combat knife. Like a demon walking out of hell. Less than three minutes—you turned that entire squad into meat."
"Covered in blood, you walked up to me and pulled me out of the mud. You said: 'Close your eyes. I'm taking you home.'"
Charlotte lowered her head until their foreheads touched. Tears finally spilled, falling onto Leo's cheek.
"Leo... you don't know. From the moment you lifted me up, I made a vow."
"For the rest of my life, even if it means going to hell—I'm yours in life, yours in death. I trained like hell, carved out the 'Black Rose' reputation across Europe, all so that one day I'd be worthy of standing beside you. Of being your woman!"
This passionate, burning confession crashed into Leo's heart like wildfire in the quiet night.
For men who crawled through the dark underworld, the hardest thing to resist was a woman willing to die for you without reservation.
The ice in Leo's eyes finally melted completely.
"You've been worthy for a long time."
Leo's voice came out low and rough.
The next second, he crushed out his cigar. His large hand clamped around the back of Charlotte's head like an iron vise, and with commanding dominance, he captured those chattering red lips in a fierce kiss!
"Mmph!"
Charlotte's entire body went rigid as if electrified, then erupted with five years of pent-up passion.
Her slender arms locked around Leo's neck, as if trying to fuse herself into his very bones.
Leo surged to his feet, lifting Charlotte—still straddling him—into his arms.
He kicked open the wooden door to the second-floor bedroom and strode inside with her.
---
The bedroom door slammed shut.
The fevered kissing continued from door to bedside.
The black leather bustier was torn away roughly. The red dress slipped to the floor.
In this bedroom filled with vintage Italian charm, five years of suppressed fire finally ignited.
The bed frame groaned under the strain, accompanied by Charlotte's breathless cries and Leo's heavy breathing—weaving together into the most primal symphony of this intoxicating night.
...
Time blurred.
Moon set, sun rose. Dawn light filtered through the blinds onto tangled sheets.
Charlotte sprawled across Leo's broad, solid chest like a languid, satisfied cat, her body covered in marks of their passion.
Just then.
---
A knock at the bedroom door. Olivia's cold voice came from outside.
"Boss, we've got something."
Leo patted Charlotte's rear to signal her up, then threw on a robe and opened the door.
Olivia stood outside holding a gilt-edged black envelope.
The seal bore dark red wax stamped with an ancient shield emblem—the Rothschild family crest.
"Boss, someone left this at the bar entrance this morning. Specifically for you."
Leo took the envelope, his long fingers tearing it open.
Inside was a top-tier VIP invitation crafted from pure gold foil.
[Cordially invites: Mr. Ashford.
To attend the Vienna Hofburg Palace—the Rothschild family Century Charity Auction Night.]
Looking at the gilded invitation, the mockery in Leo's eyes deepened.
"Looks like these Jewish rats have a decent intelligence network. They tracked down my location fast."
Charlotte walked over wearing a silk robe. Seeing the invitation, she smiled knowingly. "According to my intel, the Rothschild family is hosting an unprecedented 'Century Charity Art Auction' in three days at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria."
"Charity auction in name only. Really, it's the Rothschilds flexing their muscles to European elites and underground forces."
"Every major European plutocrat, politician, and underworld kingpin will be there. It's their perfect opportunity to consolidate European resources."
"Plus, I suspect it's also a test. They know you're in Europe. This auction is both a feast and a trap set specifically for you."
Leo tossed the gold invitation carelessly onto the table, his unfathomable eyes burning with battle-ready arrogance. "Hiding in shadows to kill—that's an assassin's game. I came to Europe to crush their spine in broad daylight."
"Since they've set the stage, it would be disrespectful not to show up."
Leo turned to Charlotte. "Can you get me an airtight fake identity?"
"Fake identity?" Charlotte blinked, then her eyes lit up as she caught his meaning.
"Of course! In the European underground, I'm second to none at creating identities."
Charlotte immediately sat at the computer, fingers flying across the keyboard. "What identity do you want?"
"The more arrogant and wealthy, the better," Leo said coolly.
"Got it!"
Five minutes later, Charlotte snapped her fingers and turned the screen toward Leo.
"Warren Franklin. Silicon Valley tech mogul who's risen meteorically in the past two years. Net worth: hundreds of billions. Extremely secretive, rarely appears in media, notoriously arrogant—classic new-money upstart."
Charlotte smiled mischievously. "He's been desperately trying to break into European old-money circles. With his wealth and ego, showing up at a Rothschild auction to throw money around? Perfect fit. I'll hack the backend systems and replace all of Warren's biometric data with yours."
"Excellent."
Leo nodded with satisfaction. "Three days from now, Vienna Hofburg Palace. I'm bringing you three absolute goddesses to teach the Rothschilds a proper lesson!"