Chapter 183: ONE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-THREE

ONE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY

“How do you know about the ledger?” Alessandro inquired while trying to keep his temper in check.

“I’ve always known.”

“You're not a good liar, tesoro, and you know it.”

She looked away but only for a second, then her eyes were back on him again. “Will you give it to me or not?”

“No,” he answered flatly. “I won't, because I know you're not the one who needs it. Alexei is seeking his revenge for his sister and he's using you to accomplish that aim. I will not let him succeed in whatever delusional plan he has up his sleeves.”

“Why do you think Alexei is the reason I want it? You don't think I'm capable of taking you down… do you? You've always seen me as the scared little girl that can't do anything.”

“I don't want you to have the wrong impression. That's far from what I’m really thinking about you.”

Her voice was shaky now, but he could see she was trying her possible best to keep it steady. “You won't divorce me and set me free, and you also wouldn't hand me the ledger or tell me how to get it. You don't love me.”

His chest tightened on hearing the latter part of her statement.

“I love you, Isabelle.”

She let out a half-laugh, one that didn't sound genuine, “I'll never believe you.”

Those were her last words before she stormed out of the basement, leaving the file with him.

⚛•°⚛•°⚛°•⚛

~TWO DAYS LATER~

When Alessandro woke up again, the headache had subsided, although the pain was still evident all over him. Luckily for him, this wasn't his first rodeo. For some twisted dark reason, he had always imagined what it would feel like to be at the receiving end of being made a punching bag, and now, that wish has come to pass.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor, and he already knew who it was.

The door to the basement pushed open, and several figures crowded in—Alexei, Mikhail and another brother—Dmitri.

Oh, well.

Surely, they have come to finish him off.

He summoned a smirk for them, even though the urge to rip through this restraints and behead every single one of them tugged at him badly.

But not yet. He needed time to prove a point.

Probably they were down here because they just realized what it meant for him to be Don Alessandro Moretti.

Unbreakable.

“Alexei and his minions,” he started off, despite knowing how angry name calling would rile them. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to come and visit me. Hope your day is going great as mine is?”

Their smile faltered.

Alexei took four sure steps towards him and the next thing he felt was Alexei’s fist connecting with his jaw, causing his head to snap to the other side.

Alessandro let out a dry laugh. “I thought you could hit a lil harder than that. I mean, considering it's Ava you're doing all this for. She's dead, accept it.”

His laugh sent Alexei’s brows into a scowl. Alexei was practically red in the face but before he could respond, Mikhail beat him to it.

“What did you say?” Mikhail asked in a tone no doubt meant to be threatening.

Alessandro looked him in the eye and repeated his words, “Ava is dead… accept it.”

This time around, Mikhail was the one to lunge forward, landing another punch into his jaw, setting him off balance for a considerable while.

Alessandro could have sworn he felt his jaw crack, but he kept a bold front regardless.

Patience—his mental voice reminded.

Sometimes, patience was really key.

“We should just kill him,” Dmitri suggested through gritted teeth.

“He is of no use to us dead,” Alexei snapped back at him.

“He's of no use to us alive either,” Dmitri retorted. “We kill him and you take his bride as your own. That's the only way he can pay for what he did to Ava.”

“Isabelle is not yours to own.”

Dmitri laughed, and Alessandro had to fight the urge to break through the restraints and carve his head open.

Again, patience.

“You're in no place to stake claims, considering she'll be mourning you soon, and after a while she'll accept her fate and fit into the family like she's supposed to.”

Alessandro scoffed at Dmitri’s words. Either the grown man was being delusional or he just got his head hit by a truck because there was no way Isabelle would be staying in this family.

“For what it's worth, I didn't kill Ava. She killed herself.”

Alexei snorted, “My sister killed herself? Alessandro you seem to forget your life is in my hands. I didn’t think you could be such a horrible liar.” He paused, eyeing him before continuing, “But I guess it's understandable, seeing that anyone in your position would say anything to get out.”

Alessandro looked him in the eye. “She killed herself, and that's the only consolation you're getting.”

“You think—”

But his next words are halted when one of their soldiers walk down the stairs and towards them.

“Riccardo’s been shot,” the soldier announced, his face showing no ounce of emotion. “It's the Italians. They attacked him on his way back from the club.”

Their gaze strayed from the informant to Alessandro, only to meet a wide smirk on his face.

“Like I asked earlier—how's your day going?”

“You bastard…” Alexei cursed, moving back to Alessandro and he hit him with all the strength he had in him.

Broken bones.

Dislocated jaw.

Broken ribs.

Alexei’s sins were definitely counting to speed, and he made a mental note to repay him in a hundredfold.

“You're going to fucking pay for this,” Alexei threatened.

“I am, by seeing your faces every fucking day.”

“Alexei… Kill him,” Dmitri repeated again. “First our sister and now our brother? If you won't kill him, I'll kill him myself.”

“Where's the ledger?” Alexei asked, ignoring Dmitri.

“You'll have to do what your brother says because you're not going to get a better response from me.”

Alexei was practically fuming and Alessandro was enjoying every bit of the entertainment.

“That's not all, Alexei,” the informant spoke up again.

Heads snapped backwards and away from Alessandro.

“What is it?” Alexei barked, as if daring him to say more bad news.

“They took Olivia too.”

When Alexei’s eyes returned to him, he could see a whole new shade of fury in them. Why wouldn't he be?

His men just kidnapped the youngest daughter of the Antonov family.

“You made a mistake coming for my sister,” Alexei said, flexing his solid-looking fist which twinkled with thick gold rings.

That twinkle was the last thing he saw before Alexei’s fist connected with his jaw and the lights went out.