Chapter 59 The Butcher Way of Peace
Chapter 59 The Butcher Way of Peace
The next day
Eva was sitting alone in the lounge that opened toward the garden. The morning sun was soft, and a gentle breeze moved the leaves of the trees.
She was quietly watching the birds flying freely in the sky.
Tears slowly gathered in her eyes.
“Oh… how free they are,” she whispered to herself.
Her gaze followed the birds as they disappeared into the blue sky.
“I wish… I was free like them,” she murmured sadly.
In her hands, she was holding a book. It was a maternity book that Maria had given her. Eva had been reading it very carefully, trying to understand every page.
After the trip to the market the previous night, something had become clear to her.
Rafael could do anything for his pregnant wife. at least for the sake of the child she was carrying. Even if it meant caring for the daughter of his enemy.
Remembering that, Eva lowered her eyes to the book again.
If Rafael could do that for his child, then she could also do her part.
She gently placed a hand on her stomach.
“I will take care of you,” she whispered softly.
She returned to reading the book with full concentration. Every small detail felt important to her now.
Suddenly, she heard a voice from the garden.
“Hey!”
Eva gasped in surprise and quickly turned around.
She saw Maria walking toward her with her young daughter beside her.
“Hi,” Eva greeted them.
“What are you doing here alone?” Maria asked as she walked closer.
“Nothing much,” Eva replied. “I was just reading the book you gave me.”
Maria looked at the book and smiled warmly.
“Oh… our new mama is getting ready,” she said playfully.
Eva gave a small shy smile.
“Yes,” she said softly. “I don’t want to take any risk that could harm my baby. I read that the first three months are very sensitive, so I should rest as much as possible.”
Maria nodded in agreement.
“You’re right. The first trimester is very important,” she said kindly. “You should also visit an obstetrician for a routine check-up. The doctor will give you supplements like folic acid tablets. They are very important for the baby’s development.”
Eva listened carefully and nodded.
“I will do that,” she said seriously. “ Wait, are you free today?” She asked.
“ Yes, I am,” Maria replied. “ I am always free. Francesco never let me do anything so I am mostly free,” Maria joked and Eva smiled.
“ Do you know any obstetricians here? Could you please take me to her?” Eva asked.
“ Oh yeah. I know an obstetrician and in fact she helped me throughout my pregnancy and delivery. She is a very good doctor,” Maria said.
“ Then please take me to her. I am worried about my child,” Eva replied.
“ Okay. Let’s leave in 1 hour. You get ready,” Maria said.
—---
Rafael smirked as he stared at the glowing screen of his MacBook. The dim room was lit by a single hanging bulb that cast long, sharp shadows against the concrete walls. The faint hum of the laptop was almost drowned by the muffled cries behind him.
A young woman.. no older than twenty… was tied tightly to a chair. Her wrists were bound with rope, and a strip of tape covered her mouth. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled helplessly, the chair scraping faintly against the floor with every desperate movement.
On the laptop screen, Kris Romano’s face appeared tense and pale.
“Let my daughter go, Rafael,” Kris said, his voice tight with fear and restrained anger.
Rafael leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. His smirk widened.
“I told you before, Kris Romano,” Rafael said slowly, his voice calm but dangerous. “Going against me means embracing death earlier than expected.”
Kris clenched his jaw. “Whatever attack happened on you has nothing to do with me. I wasn't part of it. You know that.”
Rafael tilted his head slightly, pretending to consider the words.
“Do I?” he replied coldly. “Your men stormed my house. My guards were shot. One of my warehouses burned. And you expect me to believe the Romano family had no involvement?”
“I swear it,” Kris said urgently. “Those idiots acted without my permission. They’re young, reckless. They thought they could prove something.”
Rafael’s eyes darkened.
“And they tried to prove it by attacking me?” he asked quietly.
Behind him, the girl let out another muffled scream.
Kris’s gaze immediately shifted past the screen, trying to catch a glimpse of his daughter.
“Please,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “She has nothing to do with this. Release her and we’ll settle this properly.”
Rafael chuckled.
“Properly?” he repeated. “Like businessmen?”
“Yes,” Kris insisted quickly. “We can sit down and negotiate. Like you did with the Miller family. We can sign a peace contract. End this generational feud once and for all.”
For a moment Rafael said nothing. His fingers tapped slowly on the table.
Then he leaned closer to the screen.
“There will be no peace contract,” he said, his voice dropping into a cold whisper. “Only dead bodies.”
Kris’s face hardened.
“You think killing my men will solve this?”
“No,” Rafael replied. “But it will remind everyone what happens when someone touches what belongs to me.”
Kris exhaled slowly, trying to control his anger.
“You're making a mistake, Rafael. This will start a war.”
Rafael’s smirk returned.
“The war already started when your men entered my house.”
He glanced over his shoulder at the struggling girl.
“So here’s how this ends,” Rafael continued calmly. “You have twelve hours.”
“Twelve hours for what?” Kris demanded.
“I want the men who attacked my house delivered to me,” Rafael said. “Alive or dead. Preferably dead.”
Kris shook his head. “Rafael… “
“If I don’t get their bodies,” Rafael interrupted, his tone turning ice cold, “you’ll receive your daughter in twelve separate parts.”
The girl froze in terror, her breathing turning frantic.
“NO!” Kris shouted. “Rafael, listen to me… ”
But Rafael simply closed the laptop.
The screen went black, cutting Kris’s desperate voice in mid-sentence.
Silence filled the room.
Rafael’s jaw tightened as he slowly stood up.
Just then the door opened and Francesco walked in.
“What happened?” he asked.
“We’ll see the outcome in twelve hours,” Rafael said coldly.
He turned and looked at the girl tied to the chair. Her eyes were wide with terror as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Arrange a butcher,” Rafael ordered.
Francesco frowned slightly. “Why? What happened?”
Rafael walked toward the door.
“We may need to send a body part to her father,” he said without emotion. “In case he fails his task.”
Behind them, the girl struggled violently against the ropes, her muffled screams echoing through the dim room.
But Rafael didn’t even look back.