Chapter 79: The End of Silas
The marble floor felt freezing beneath Silas’s bare feet. He shook violently in an old wooden chair placed right in the middle of the vast room. This was the wine cellar of Luigi’s private estate on the outskirts of the city. The scent of old oak and spilled wine hit his nose. Silas swallowed hard. His throat felt completely parched.
"Ugh," Silas groaned softly. The ropes around his wrists bit deeper into his skin.
Steady footsteps echoed from the stone staircase. The sound of expensive leather soles created a rhythm that tortured Silas’s nerves. The heavy wooden door at the end of the room opened with a smooth creak. Luigi Volskey walked in wearing a spotless black suit. He held an old wine bottle and two crystal glasses in his left hand.
"Silas. It has been a long time since we stood face to face," Luigi said as he approached.
Silas shut his eyes tight. His body shivered. "Mr. Luigi, please. I will pay everything back. I just need a little more time. I was cheated, sir. I swear on my life!"
Luigi placed the bottle and glasses on a small table beside Silas. He pulled up a chair. The man sat down casually in front of the terrified Silas. Luigi poured the dark red liquid into the glasses with very calm movements.
"Who is talking about debts, Silas? I did not come here to collect those pennies," Luigi said. His voice was smooth. His tone was calm.
Silas opened his eyes a crack. He looked at Luigi with disbelief. "Not about the money? Then why did your men drag me from the casino last night? I thought I was a dead man."
"I just wanted to talk as old friends. You disappeared for quite a while after taking Agatha from the orphanage all those years ago," Luigi said. He held out a glass of wine toward Silas.
Silas looked at the glass with hesitation. His bound hands made it impossible to reach anything. Luigi noticed. He signaled to his man standing in the shadows. The guard stepped forward. He cut the ropes on Silas’s hands with a sharp folding knife.
"Srek." The rope snapped instantly.
"Drink. This wine is from the same year you started looking after Agatha," Luigi said.
Silas rubbed his reddened wrists. He took the glass with a shaking hand. He downed it in one large gulp. Warmth spread through his chest. His fear dulled slightly.
"Thank you, Mr. Luigi," Silas muttered.
"I should be the one thanking you, Silas. You have taken very good care of my niece all this time. We have been looking for her for twenty three years. It turns out she was right here," Luigi said with a thin smile.
Silas’s eyes lit up at the word niece. He realized his position might be useful. Silas straightened his back. He tried to look more confident.
"Ah, yes. I took very good care of her, but Agatha is very stubborn. You have no idea how much I spent to feed her. I put her through good schools. I had to go into debt just to make sure she grew up well," Silas said. He began to spin a story.
Luigi nodded slowly. His face showed a fake look of concern. "I can imagine. A man all alone raising a beautiful girl in a harsh environment. That must have been very exhausting for a man like you."
"Exhausting, sir! Many times I wanted to give up. But I always remembered she was the only family I had after my wife passed away. I loved her like my own flesh and blood," Silas lied. He wiped his dry eyes.
"Is that so? Then why did you sell her to Xavier Valois?" Luigi asked. His eyes stared sharply at Silas.
Silas choked on the rest of the wine in his throat. "Mmh. That was because I thought Valois could give her a better life. I am old, sir. I did not want her to suffer with me. Most of the money from Mr. Xavier went toward paying off her old school debts that were overdue."
Luigi sipped his wine slowly. He let silence fill the room for a few moments. Silas started sweating again. This time he was afraid his plan to get extra money would fail.
"You really are a devoted man, Silas. I appreciate that. The Volskey family always knows how to repay those who have served us," Luigi said.
"Is that true, sir?" Silas asked hopefully.
"Of course. I have prepared a quiet place for you. A house on the outskirts of town with servants. There are all the facilities you need there. You will not have to run from debt collectors anymore," Luigi said.
Silas almost jumped out of his chair with joy. "Oh, Mr. Luigi! You are so kind. I do not know what to say. I promise to stay loyal to you. I will give you every bit of information I have about Agatha."
Luigi stood up from his chair. He fixed his suit button. The man patted Silas’s shoulder gently. "Save your information for later. For now, get some rest. You look very tired."
"Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!" Silas cried out. He felt like he had just won the biggest lottery.
Luigi walked toward the exit without looking back. Silas stayed in his chair. He imagined the luxury house and the piles of cash. He even planned which casino to visit first.
"Take him to his new home," Luigi ordered his man at the doorway.
"Yes, sir," the guard replied in a deep voice.
Luigi stepped out. He closed the heavy wooden door with a soft click. The atmosphere inside the cellar became silent again. Silas turned to Luigi’s man who was approaching him.
"When do we leave? Is the house far from here?" Silas asked with a beaming face.
The guard did not answer. He reached behind his waist. He pulled out a black pistol equipped with a silencer.
"Wait? What is that for?" Silas asked. His eyes widened in shock.
The guard aimed the weapon right at Silas’s forehead. Silas tried to stand. His legs felt like jelly. He wanted to scream. The sound was stuck in his throat.
"Wait! Mr. Luigi said a new home..."
"Pufff!"
The very quiet sound of a gunshot echoed. Silas’s head jerked back hard. A small hole appeared in the center of his forehead. A spray of red stained the wooden chair beneath him. Silas’s body slumped to the floor. His eyes remained wide open with a permanent look of confusion.
The guard put his weapon away. He pulled a white cloth from his pocket. He wiped a spot of blood off the tip of his shoe. The man then walked out of the room. He left Silas’s cooling body among the wine bottles.
Meanwhile, Luigi sipped his wine slowly on the balcony.
Suddenly, another guard ran toward the balcony. His face was pale.
"Sir! There is a call from headquarters!" the guard shouted.
"What is it now?" Luigi snapped.
"Agatha, sir. She just tried to escape from D’Angelo’s watch!"
Luigi’s eyes widened. "Stupid."