Chapter 62: The Predator
Kalea held her breath as she stepped into Luigi’s dimly lit office. The wound in her abdomen stung sharply, a deep reminder of the strike Agatha had landed on her. Blood was still seeping out, soaking through the black cloth she had hurriedly tied around her waist in the car. Up ahead, Luigi sat silently in his large black leather chair. He didn't turn around at all. He just kept his eyes fixed on the massive window that overlooked the city lights, which were slowly beginning to fade.
"Vargo has been cleared, Sir," Kalea said, her voice shaking. She tried to stand up straight, even though the throbbing pain in her gut made her want to double over.
Luigi didn't answer right away. The silence in the room felt heavy, as if the oxygen had suddenly been sucked out. He rotated his chair slowly. He didn't yell. He didn't slam the table. He just stared at Kalea with cold, lifeless eyes. That look made the hair on the back of Kalea’s neck stand up. Cold sweat began to bead on her forehead, mixing with the dust and blood left over from her fight with Agatha.
"You came home with a wound, Kalea," Luigi said quietly. His voice was low, but it was enough to make her skin crawl.
"Agatha showed up at the shack alone. We had a rough fight. She’s not just some ordinary woman, Sir," Kalea replied. She tried to keep her voice from wavering so she wouldn't provoke him further.
Luigi stood up from his chair. He walked toward Kalea without making a single sound. Every step he took made Kalea want to back away, but her feet felt like they were glued to the cold marble floor. Luigi stopped right in front of her. He was only inches away, close enough for Kalea to feel the chill radiating from him.
"Who gave you permission to get hurt by a woman?" Luigi asked. He raised his hand and pressed his long index finger directly into the center of her wound.
Kalea hissed in pain. Her body trembled violently, but she didn't dare pull away. "I’m sorry, Sir. She was using a unique dagger. Her movements were incredibly fast and unpredictable."
"You are one of my five elites, Kalea. You were supposed to bring Vargo’s head and make sure no tracks were left behind. But instead, you crawl back here like a beaten dog," Luigi said. He pressed his finger deeper into the wet, open wound.
Kalea bit her lower lip hard to keep from screaming. The pain was blinding, but her fear of Luigi was much worse. "Xavier arrived with his men. I couldn't stay any longer if I wanted to survive and report this to you."
Luigi pulled his hand back. He took a crisp white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Kalea’s blood off his finger. "Survive? You think your life is worth more than this failure? Vargo is dead by your hand, that’s fine. But letting Agatha wound you is a massive insult to me."
"I managed to cut her cheek, Sir. She’s hurt too. She won't forget our meeting tonight," Kalea defended herself, her breathing becoming shallow and ragged.
Luigi looked into her eyes again. This time, his gaze was full of an intimidation that could paralyze anyone. "Just a scratch? I want her kneeling right here in front of me, not just a scratch on her face. You know what happens to people who aren't useful in this organization anymore, don't you?"
Kalea immediately dropped to the floor. She bowed low, her body shaking so hard she could no longer hide it. "Give me one more chance. I’ll catch her. I’ll bring Agatha to you alive."
"Get out of my sight right now. Go treat that wound and don't let me see your pathetic face until you have good news. If you fail again, don't bother coming back," Luigi dismissed her without a shred of feeling.
Kalea stood up with whatever strength she had left. She walked backward, keeping her head bowed low, then stumbled out of the room. As the door clicked shut behind her, she leaned against the corridor wall and slid down to the floor. She gasped for air, trying to shake off the suffocating pressure of Luigi’s gaze.
Somewhere else, in a luxury estate hidden deep in the hills, Cardios was relaxing on his back terrace. Luigi’s father was sipping an expensive drink while staring at the night sky. The quiet atmosphere was broken when Marco walked up with a hurried pace.
"Mr. Cardios, there’s urgent news from the field," Marco said, bowing respectfully beside his employer’s chair.
Cardios took another sip of his drink without looking up. "Just say it, Marco. Don't keep me waiting too long."
"Vargo is dead. Kalea took him out in a shack near the cliff of the Valois villa," Marco reported in a low voice.
Cardios stopped mid-sip. He set his glass down slowly on the wooden table beside him. "Vargo is dead? Did Luigi give that order?"
"Yes, Sir. But there’s a big problem. Agatha was at the scene. She got into a direct fight with Kalea," Marco added.
Cardios finally turned his head. His face was wrinkled but still looked tough, and he showed a hint of genuine interest. "Agatha fought one of Luigi’s elites? How is she?"
"Kalea was wounded in the abdomen. Agatha also got a cut on her face. Xavier arrived to save her before Kalea could finish the job," Marco explained in detail.
Cardios let out a short, dry laugh. His voice was raspy and deep. "My son really can't help himself. He sends Kalea to clean up Vargo but ends up letting that woman get involved. Luigi is getting too reckless whenever it comes to Agatha."
"Do you want me to do something about this, Sir?" Marco asked.
"Xavier isn't an easy opponent once his wife has been touched. That incident at the shack will put Xavier on full alert. He’s going to hit back in a way we won't see coming, Marco. I know how men like Xavier operate," Cardios said. He stood up from his chair and walked to the edge of the terrace, watching the trees sway in the wind.
"It looks like Xavier is going to tighten security at that villa tenfold," Marco noted.
Cardios shook his head slowly. "Even the tightest security has a gap somewhere. That’s not the issue. The issue is that Luigi doesn't realize he’s poking a sleeping lion. If Xavier truly loses it, our business at the docks could be wiped out in a single night because of his grudge."
"Luigi feels like he’s still in total control of the situation," Marco said simply.
"My son is good at looking for trouble and he’s far too arrogant with his current position. He thinks killing Vargo will just make the problem go away. He doesn't realize that Vargo was the key that could connect Xavier to several of our secret trade routes," Cardios said seriously.
"You mean Vargo might have talked before he died?" Marco asked, looking worried.
Cardios took out a cigar and lit it. "Agatha was there for a while before Kalea showed up. That woman is sharp. She wouldn't just sit there and watch Vargo bleed out. She was definitely looking for something she could use to bring Luigi down. Tell our people to double check all of Vargo’s files. Don't let a single piece of evidence remain there."
"I'll get on it right away, Sir. I'll take care of it tonight," Marco replied.
"And Marco," Cardios called out as his man was about to walk away.
"Yes, Sir?"
"Watch Luigi closely. Don't let him make any crazy moves without me knowing. I don't want the empire I built to fall apart because of my son’s unstable emotions. And one more thing, send a shadow team to protect Agatha from a distance. Don't let Luigi actually kill her or leave her permanently scarred. I have to protect Leonard’s only legacy," Cardios stated firmly.
Marco nodded in understanding. "I get it, Mr. Cardios. I'll get that done immediately."
Cardios went back to staring at the dark night, his mind busy. He knew the attack at the shack was just a small spark in an oil field. But that spark could burn everything down if it wasn't handled with extreme care. In his head, Cardios was already drafting a different plan to dampen the chaos his son was creating.
"Xavier, let's see how far you can protect your wife from Luigi’s madness," Cardios muttered softly. He blew a cloud of cigar smoke into the air, watching it disappear into the cold night wind.
Back at the villa, Xavier was staring at the surveillance monitors with a very tense expression. The muscles in his jaw were tight. Beside him, Frans was busy calling several informants at the port. The atmosphere on both sides was now heated and full of suspicion. The war that had been hidden in the shadows was now starting to surface in a very real way. Vargo’s blood on that shack floor was a sign that there was no turning back for anyone involved.
"Frans, I want every access point to the North Dock monitored. If a single stranger gets close, just take them out. I don't need any more interrogations," Xavier ordered, his voice cold and piercing.
"Got it, Boss. I've already sent Alpha Team to move in," Frans answered without looking away from his laptop.
Xavier clenched his fist on the table. His mind went back to the cut on Agatha’s cheek. To him, that scratch wasn't just a physical wound; it was an insult that had to be paid for in blood. He swore he would flatten anyone who dared disrupt his peace in this villa. The quiet night was now filled with a heavy sense of hostility, waiting for the right moment to explode into a devastating storm.