Chapter 54 Chapter 54
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Dimitri's POV
The search for Alexei began immediately that same night.
Mikhail sent out every available man, every contact, and every resource we had.
"Find him," Mikhail ordered, his voice calm but deadly. "Search every safe house, every hiding spot, every place he has ever been."
The guards scattered like shadows into the night.
I wanted to go with them, to search for him myself, but Mikhail insisted I stay at the estate.
"You are still recovering your memories," he said. "And you are a target, we cannot risk losing you too."
So I waited, pacing the grand hall like a caged animal, listening to reports that came back empty.
"There are no sign of him at the docks."
"The warehouse district is clear."
"His known contacts say they have not seen him."
Hours passed. Then days.
Alexei had vanished like smoke, like he never existed.
"How is this possible?" I asked Mikhail on the third day. "How can he just disappear? He has no resources, no money, no allies."
"That is what worries me," Mikhail said, staring at a map spread across his desk. "Someone is helping him, someone with power."
"The Rossi family?" I suggested.
"Maybe," Mikhail said. "Or another enemy we do not know about yet."
The frustration was eating at me. I felt useless, helpless, and trapped.
"We need to find him," I said. "Not just for the alliance, but for Irina, for that boy Carlo."
Mikhail looked at me sharply. "You remember something about Irina?"
"No," I admitted. "But I feel something, like she is important, like I need to protect her."
"That is your instinct," Mikhail said. "Your heart remembers even if your mind does not."
I walked to the window, looking out at the grounds that were supposedly mine.
Everything felt foreign, like I was wearing someone else's life, playing a role I did not understand.
"Tell me about my parents." I said quietly.
Mikhail's face softened. "You want to know about your father and mother?"
"Yes," I said. "You said the Rossi family killed them. Why? What happened?"
Mikhail walked to a cabinet and pulled out a photo album I had not noticed before.
He opened it and showed me a picture of a man and woman. They were young, beautiful, and smiling at the camera.
"Your father was strong, intelligent, and ruthless when needed. He was feared and respected."
I stared at the man in the photo, trying to see myself in him, trying to remember.
"Your father loved your mother that he massacred an entire family just to keep her safe."
"She was not part of the mafia?" I asked.
"No," Mikhail said. "She was the daughter of a doctor, but she fell in love with your father anyway."
"And my father's family approved?" I asked.
"Eventually," Mikhail said. "Your grandfather was against it at first, but he was stubborn, he refused to marry anyone else."
I looked at the photo again, at my mother's smile, warm and genuine.
"And the Rossi family killed them."
Mikhail's face darkened. "The Rossi family attacked your home one evening. There was a business dispute that turned violent," Mikhail explained. "Your father refused to give up territory, and the Rossi family wanted war."
"And they killed my parents?" I said.
"They were shot multiple times. And you both witnessed it." He said.
My heart clenched.
"I found you both," Mikhail said. "Your mother told me to take care of you guys."
"And you raised us," I said.
"Yes," Mikhail said. "I promised your mother I would protect you both, keep you safe, and help you rebuild your father's empire."
I looked at the photo again, at my parents smiling.
"They would be disappointed in us," I said. "In what we have become."
"Your father would understand," Mikhail said. "He knew the cost of power but your mother would be heartbroken."
The words settled heavy in my chest.
Another day passed with no news. I was going insane with the waiting.
Then finally, on the fifth day, a visitor arrived.
"Boss," a guard announced. "Don Salvatore is here to see you."
I looked at Mikhail. "Who is Don Salvatore?"
"Another mafia family," Mikhail explained. "Smaller than ours, but influential. They control the eastern territories."
"What does he want?" I asked.
"Let us find out," Mikhail said.
We went to the main hall where Don Salvatore was waiting.
He was an older man, maybe sixty, with gray hair and sharp eyes. He was well-dressed in an expensive suit, and gold watch.
"Dimitri," Don Salvatore greeted me with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "It is good to see you recovered from your accident."
"Thank you," I said cautiously. "What brings you here?"
"Business," Don Salvatore said. "I have information you need."
"What kind of information?" Mikhail asked.
"About your brother," Don Salvatore said.
My heart started racing. "Do you know where he is?"
"I do," Don Salvatore confirmed. "I have been... sheltering him, you could say."
Mikhail's face darkened with anger. "You have been hiding him? Why?"
"Because he made me an offer I could not refuse," Don Salvatore said. "But now, I have a better offer for you, Dimitri."
"What offer?" I asked.
Don Salvatore smiled. "I will tell you where Alexei is hiding, I will even deliver him to you."
"In exchange for what?" Mikhail asked suspiciously.
"Two things," Don Salvatore said, holding up two fingers. "First, you marry my daughter, Isabella. She is beautiful, educated, and perfect for a man of your status."
"No," I said immediately. "I will not marry someone I do not know."
"Second," Don Salvatore continued, ignoring my refusal. "You give me half of your territory, the southern docks, the casinos, and the shipping routes."
Mikhail laughed, but it was a cold sound. "You are insane, you want us to give up half our empire for information?"
"Not just information," Don Salvatore said. "Your brother, alive, and the alliance you need to fight the Rossi family."
"We will find him ourselves," I said.
"Will you?" Don Salvatore asked. "You have been searching for five days with no results, I can give him to you tonight."
I looked at Mikhail, he shook his head slightly.
"We need time to discuss this," Mikhail said.
"You have until tomorrow night," Don Salvatore said. "After that, my offer expires, and Alexei might just disappear forever."
He turned to leave, but stopped at the door. "Think carefully, Dimitri, your empire, your life, or a woman you cannot even remember?"
Then he left.
I stood there in silence, my mind racing.
"He wants you to marry his daughter," Mikhail said. "To give him half your power."
"I know," I said.
"You cannot do it," Mikhail said firmly.
"Even to save Irina?" I asked. "Even to find Alexei?"
"There has to be another way," Mikhail said.
"But what if there is not?" I asked. "What if this is our only chance?"
Mikhail walked to his desk and poured two drinks. "Let me think, there might be another option."
But I could see the worry in his eyes, the doubt.
Don Salvatore had us trapped, and he knew it.