Chapter 70 Seventy
Mira stared at him in disbelief.
He had just taken a bullet. And he was asking about her. For a moment, she couldn’t move.
The ballroom dissolved into chaos around her. Guests screamed as they rushed toward every exit. Chairs crashed to the floor. Champagne glasses shattered beneath hurried footsteps. The orchestra abandoned their instruments, disappearing into the panicked crowd.
Security guards flooded the room with their weapons drawn, searching every corner for the shooter.
Mira barely heard any of it. Her eyes never left Salvatore. Blood continued to seep between his fingers. So much blood.
Her chest tightened painfully. “Oh my goodness…”
She pushed herself to her feet and stumbled toward him.
Matthew reached her first. “Mira.”
She didn’t answer.
He gently caught her arm. “Mira, look at me.”
Her eyes remained fixed on Salvatore.
“Mira,” Matthew repeated. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head absentmindedly. I… I… I”
Matthew quickly looked her over, checking for injuries.“ am glad you're fine.”
She still wasn’t listening. Salvatore was struggling to stay upright.
Antonio dropped to one knee beside him. “Sal!”
“I’m fine,” Salvatore muttered.
Antonio looked down at the blood soaking through the tuxedo. “The hell. You almost got yourself killed!”
Several guards surrounded them. “Boss. I think we lost him. He escaped across the balcony.”
Antonio swore under his breath. Across the room, Mira finally pulled free from Matthew’s grip.
“I have to…” She didn’t even know what she was trying to do. She simply found herself taking another step toward Salvatore.
Matthew noticed. His eyes followed her gaze. She wasn’t looking at the blood. She wasn’t looking at the guards. She was looking at Salvatore.
And he had never seen that look in her eyes… that fear of losing someone, not even when they dated
“Mira…”
She blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears gathering in her eyes.
Why? Why was she crying?
He was supposed to be the monster. He was supposed to be the man she wanted behind bars.
So why did seeing him bleed make her chest feel like it was being crushed?
Antonio suddenly looked toward the entrance, seeing the other guards walking in. “They caught him!”
Every head turned. Four of Salvatore’s guards dragged a man into the ballroom. His white catering jacket was stained with dirt and blood.
His face was bruised from the struggle. Even with his hands restrained behind his back, he fought against them with everything he had.
“Let me go!. You bastards!”
One of the guards slammed him onto his knees in front of Salvatore.
The man looked up. The moment his eyes met Salvatore’s… Pure hatred burned across his face.
Salvatore slowly straightened despite the pain. Blood continued dripping onto the marble floor.
He looked down at the man calmly. “Why?” he asked quietly.
The shooter laughed.
A broken… Bitter laugh. “You don’t remember me. How could you?” he laughed again
Salvatore said nothing.
“You murderer!” the man screamed. His voice echoed through the nearly empty ballroom. “You fucking animal!”
The guards tightened their grip on him. He didn’t stop struggling. “You killed my sister!”
Silence fell over the room.
Even Antonio froze. Salvatore’s expression didn’t change.
Your sister? He repeated.” “I should at least know her name if I really did kill her.”
The man’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You don’t even remember.”
Salvatore remained silent.
Tears filled the man’s eyes. “Ingrid.” His voice cracked. “Ingrid Rossi. How could you forget the name of your own wife?”
Mira felt the air leave her lungs.
The shooter laughed again, tears streaming freely now. “Well, that’s the kind of monster you are.” He stared straight into Salvatore’s eyes.
“You kill so many people… you can’t even remember their names.”
Antonio’s grip tightened on the gunman’s collar as he forced him onto his knees.
The man struggled against him, breathing hard, hatred burning in his eyes. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth where one of the guards had struck him.
“You think you’ve won?” he spat. “Am going to make sure I take everything dearest to you and have you kneeling in front of me.”
Antonio shoved him harder. “Shut the fuck up.”
The man laughed bitterly.
“She!” he yelled, glaring at Salvatore. “Are you going to kill her like you killed the rest?” he said, his eyes landing on Mira.
Mira stood there, her hand gripping het dress
“You better run from him,” he said. “ He sucks the life out of anyone he touches.@
Antonio’s expression darkened.
“Boss,” he said quietly. “Just give the word.”
The guards cocked their weapons.
One word… That was all it would take.
The assassin looked from one gun to another before lifting his chin.“Do it,” he said. “I’ve got nothing left anyway.”
Antonio looked at Salvatore. “Say the word.”
Silence filled the room. The only sound was Salvatore’s uneven breathing.
Salvatore stayed quiet for a minute longer as Mira stared at him at heart knowing what comes next…
“Let him go,” Salvatore said
Antonio froze. “…What?”
Mira stood ther shocked; she couldn't believe she heard him clearly. Even the gunman looked confused.
Salvatore slowly pushed himself back to his feet despite the blood soaking through his white shirt.
“I said…” His voice remained frighteningly calm. “Let him go.”
Antonio stared at him. “Boss, he just tried to kill you.”
“I know. It doesn't matter; let him go.” Salvatore
“Fuck, Sal, he killed Marco,” Antonio said, frustrated
“I know.”
Antonio looked genuinely confused. “So why the hell would I let him walk?”
Salvatore’s cold gaze settled on the assassin.
“Because he got it all wrong.”
The man frowned. “What?”
“You came here believing I murdered your sister.” Salvatore
“You did!” he shot back
Salvatore studied him for a long moment. “Well, I didn't.”
The assassin laughed bitterly. “You expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t care what you believe,” Salvatore said, closing his eyes as his shoulder hurt. Then he opened his eyes then turns to Antonio
Antonio took a step closer. “Boss—”
“Let him go.”
Antonio couldn’t hide his disbelief. “…Are you serious?”
Salvatore looked at him. “Do I look like I’m joking?”
Reluctantly, Antonio nodded toward the guards.
They exchanged uncertain glances before lowering their weapons and cutting the restraints from the man’s wrists.
No one moved. The assassin simply stood there, rubbing his wrists as though expecting this to be some kind of trick.
“What are you playing at?” he asked.
Salvatore’s expression never changed. “Nothing.”
“…You’re just letting me leave?”
“Yes.”
The man stared at him. “…Why? So you can kill me later where no eyes can see.”
“Because if I wanted you dead…” Salvatore took one slow step forward despite the pain. “…you’d already be dead.”
Silence settled over the room. “Now get the fuck out of my sight.”
The assassin didn’t move.
Salvatore’s eyes hardened. “Leave.”
Still nothing. Finally, his voice dropped coldly and deadly. “Before I change my mind, you better get out.”
For several long seconds, the man searched his face. Looking for a lie. A trap. Anything. He found nothing.
Slowly… He began backing away.
“You…” he muttered.“…What the hell are you on?”
Salvatore didn’t answer. The man looked around one last time before turning and disappearing through the ballroom doors.
The moment he was gone, Antonio rounded on Salvatore.
“Have you completely lost your mind?” Antonio muttered, “You let the man who shot you walk away!”
“He wasn’t my target.”
Antonio stared at him. “What does that even mean?”
Salvatore looked toward the doorway where the assassin had vanished.
“It means…” His jaw tightened. “…someone wanted him to pull that trigger.”His eyes grew colder. “And I want the person who gave the order.”
Across the room, Mira hadn’t taken her eyes off him.
Nothing about what had just happened made sense. This was the man she’d convinced herself was a ruthless killer.
The man everyone feared.
Yet instead of killing the assassin…
He had spared him. Which was so unlike him.
Yet again, Salvatore had succeeded in making her confused