Chapter 42 Forty two
The screams of pain had never bothered Salvatore.
If anything, they usually made him smile. He enjoyed the chase… the fear and desperation in their voice whenever they beg for their lives. But tonight, standing beneath the hot spray of the shower, there was no satisfaction.… only irritation.
The water ran down his face as he braced both hands against the tiled wall.
His jaw clenched.
The image of Mira backing away from him wouldn’t leave him alone.
The fear in her eyes. The way she’d looked at him after everything was over.
Like she was seeing staring at a monster. Like she was afraid of him. A bitter laugh escaped him.
Of course she was. What had he expected?
That she’d thank him? The water poured over his head. Still, the memory remained Mira Shaking on the floor Calling him a murderer.
Salvatore closed his eyes. Normally, he had the patience of a saint. Years of discipline had taught him control. But the second he’d seen that knife against her throat… everything inside him had snapped. The rage had hit so fast he hadn’t even had a second to think.
One second he was watching the security feed.
The next he was putting bullets into the man responsible.
And the worst part?
He didn’t regret it. Not a single second of it.
If anything, he regretted was not making him bleed bit by bit like he would have wanted.
His hand curled into a fist.
The bastard had touched her. Had put his hands on her. Had made her bleed.
A dangerous calm settled over him.
Because the more he thought about it, the more one thing became clear.
That attack hadn’t been random. Nobody got into a Corvin estate by accident.
Nobody. Which meant someone had sent him.
Someone had wanted Mira dead… or worse him.
The thought made his expression darken. Slowly, Salvatore opened his eyes. Water dripped from his hair. His reflection stared back at him from the glass.
Cold and deadly.
A sharp knock sounded from the bathroom door.
“Boss.”
It was Antonio. Salvatore already knew from the tone of his voice that something was wrong.
He turned off the water.
“What?”
A brief silence followed.
Then… “ We identified the intruder.”
Salvatore reached for a towel. His expression didn’t change. “ Who was he?”
Another pause. Longer this time.
And that was enough to put him on alert. When Antonio finally answered, his voice was grim.
“You might want to sit down for this one out.”
Salvatore’s eyes narrowed. And he knew instantly who had sent the assassin .
He stepped out from the bathroom a towel tied to his waist
“How many has he sent this time to kill me?” Salvatore asked
Antonio didnt say a word and just stared at him.
“He must really want me dead.” Salvatore scoff “ he is sure consistent. How did the assassin pass the inspection.?”
“I would look into that.” Antonio said
Silence sat between them for a second…Then Salvatore spoke.” How is she?”
Antonio frowned. “ Who?”
Salvatore slowly lifted his eyes. The look he gave Antonio could have frozen hell itself.
Antonio immediately sighed.
“Right. Mira.”
A pause.
“She’s fine.”
Salvatore said nothing.
Antonio rubbed the back of his neck.
“Apart from the fact that she’s shaken, scared and wanting to leave she’s fine..”
The muscle in Salvatore’s jaw ticked.
He looked away. Toward the dark window overlooking the estate. Mira was alive. That should have been enough. So why did the image of her backing away from him keep replaying in his head?
Why did the fear in her eyes bother him more than the knife at her throat?
“She called you a murderer, didn’t she?” Antonio asked quietly.
Salvatore’s expression darkened. Antonio’s answer came immediately.
“Yeah. I’ll take that as a yes.”
A bitter laugh escaped Salvatore. “ Shes got a sharp tongue.”
Antonio stared at him. “ A man died in front of her.”
“I know.”
“Most people get over that in five minutes.”
“Not most people boss… and she’s isn’t part of those people.”
Silence settled again between them. He wasn’t looking at Antonio anymore. Salvatore had turned slightly toward the window.
“She didn’t scream,” he said suddenly.
Antonio frowned. “What?”
Salvatore’s voice was quieter now.
“She didn’t scream when i shot him.”
A pause.
“That’s not normal.”
Antonio hesitated.
“Boss… she was attacked. And she was probably in shock.”
Salvatore didn’t say a word. His jaw tightened instead. Shock, fear panic… He understood those things. But what he’d seen in her eyes he couldn’t shake it off.
“She looked at me like I was the devil himself,” he said finally.
Antonio studied him.
“Well…” he said carefully. “From her perspective—”
Salvatore cut him off with a look. Antonio stopped talking immediately.
Another silence. Then Salvatore exhaled slowly and turned away from the window.
“Double security on her room,” he said.
“It already done that.” Antonio said immediately
“Triple it.”
Antonio nodded once. “Done.”
A beat passed.
Then Salvatore added, almost absentmindedly, “No one speaks to her without talking to me first.”
Antonio blinked. “That includes me?”
Salvatore didn’t even look at him. “ Yes.”
Antonio let out a low breath. “I don’t know how that’s possible and two she’s going to hate that.”
“I don’t care.” But even as he said it, his mind drifted back again. Mira on the floor. Shaking. Calling him a murderer with tears in her eyes That part… irritated him more than it should have.
Not because she said it.
Because for a split second— He’d almost cared how she saw him.
Antonio watched him carefully.
“You’re not just tightening security,” he said slowly. “You’re isolating her.”
Salvatore finally looked at him again.The air in the room changed instantly.. his gaze turned ice
“You have a problem with that?” he asked.
Antonio held his gaze for a moment.Then shook his head once. “ No.”
“Good. Get out.”