29. Bloody Pool

In the afternoon, at three o'clock, the operating room doors finally opened. A doctor emerged, removing his mask. Seeing his solemn face, my heart began to race. My eyes immediately locked onto his, trying to decipher the news he was about to deliver.

The doctor slowly approached me and said, "Let's go to a private room, please." The gravity in his voice filled me with a cold dread.

Once inside the private room, the doctor took a deep breath before beginning, "The surgery went well, but the situation is still critical. We expect her to wake up in a few hours."

A surge of anger welled up within me. I couldn't direct this rage at the doctor; he wasn't to blame. But I felt a burning resentment towards those responsible for this predicament. Alongside the anger, a profound sense of worry, sorrow, and grief was rising. I felt caught in a tidal wave of emotion.

I felt a lump in my throat, tears brimming in my eyes. "Why? Why did this have to happen?" I pondered. The pain of having a loved one's life hanging in the balance was indescribable. It felt as if time had stopped. I felt alone and helpless. This was a challenging moment, making me realize even more how much she meant to me.

Was I in love with her? Impossible! But Bella was special. I wanted her, needed her in my life. The mere thought of losing her was like poison in my veins. When I exited the doctor's room, I saw my man rushing towards me.

"We found them, boss," he simply said. Found them. Clenching my fist, I slammed it into the wall. The very emotions I hadn't felt in years resurfaced because of them.

"Who?" was all I asked.

"Enzo."

Enzo? My fury was so intense that even if I wanted to laugh, I couldn't. The rage wouldn't allow it.

"Take him to the house."

"As you command, boss."

"Lock down the entire hospital. No one is to enter the floor where Bella is," I ordered. When I left the hospital, I got straight into my car.

"What are you going to do, boss? Enzo's just a foot soldier of the Bianchi family."

"I've just missed spending some time with my fish," I said, leaning back. Taking care of my fish was my favorite hobby, one I had neglected for too long.

When I reached my farmhouse outside the city, I headed straight to my special pond. Specifically built, three meters wide and four meters deep. It housed my favorite type of fish.

My men dragged Enzo, still tied to his chair, before me.

With anger burning in my heart and deep concern for Bella, I approached Enzo. I could still see the panic and fear in his eyes. His hands were trembling. Tied securely to his chair, he was immobile, just watching me. Seeing fear in his eyes gave me a perverse sense of satisfaction. Yet, it was nothing compared to the anguish Bella had endured.

"How does it feel, Enzo? Being on the brink of death?" I asked, deepening the look of fear on his face. Terrified, he pleaded, "Please, Leo, don't do this. I made a mistake. I didn't want to hurt Bella; I didn't know she was your woman."

I silently observed his pleas for a while. Then, I walked towards my pool, glancing around. That pool... My private pool, filled with piranhas. To my guests, it seemed like a luxurious pool, but in reality, it was a trap set for them.

"Do you know, Enzo?" I said, "These piranhas are very special for you. I use them only for my most special guests." His eyes locked onto the piranhas swimming in the pool. In that moment, I realized that Enzo was ready to do anything to stay alive.

As my men lifted Enzo and brought him to the edge of the pool, I could see the horror on his face. "Please, Leo! Don't do this. Don't kill me. I didn't do anything to Bella. I just made a mistake," he begged.

"Bella is still in surgery, Enzo. And every second, I feel her pain. Now, you're going to feel something. Of course, things might be easier for you if you tell me who made you do this," I said, signaling my men.

"It was Antonio Bianchi. He wanted the girl gone. He wanted an accident," he confessed.

Just as I suspected. A mocking smile appeared on my lips. The senior Bianchi had issued a death sentence to keep Bella away. The only thing he hadn't accounted for was me, wasn't it?

"Throw him in," I ordered, not taking my eyes off the pool. With a cold expression, I witnessed Enzo's terror-filled moments.

"Stop! Please stop! I gave you what you wanted, don't kill me!" Enzo's voice was full of panic and fear. Seeing the intense fear in his eyes gave me insight into what he was feeling.

One of my men pushed him over the pool. His arms hit the metal edges of the pool before he fell into the midst of the piranhas. He screamed, a scream that echoed throughout the room. The water started to churn, turning red. Amid the splashing water, Enzo's pain-stricken face and hands emerged, hoping for help, but within seconds, he was submerged again.

As Enzo's screams faded rapidly, the sharp sound of pain and death filled the room. Soon, only the motion of the water and the ripples from the piranhas remained.

I fixed my gaze on the blood-filled pool. There was a burning sensation inside me. It wasn't the pain of a wound or an ache. Inside, I felt the awakening of something I had suppressed for years. Alongside it, a vague sense of satisfaction began to sprout. "This wasn't just a lesson for Enzo," I thought, but this thought felt foreign, unlike anything I'd felt before. In some way, with that thought, I was silently warning those around me: Do not push my boundaries...

"Send the footage to Senior Bianchi," I commanded.

"Boss, this means declaring war. Are you sure?"

"To wage war, I'd need an adversary. They're merely breathing corpses."