The Formidable Vicario Returns

Chapter Nine

As I descended the grand staircase, the gang members and mansion workers who had assembled in the spacious living room fixed their eyes on my every move.

The gang members dominated the centre, their tailored suits a contrast to the cowering workers huddling in the corner. The workers' nervous glances darted between me and their superiors.

The air crackled with tension, thick enough to cut with a knife. Hostile glares bore into me, questioning my right to be there and the reason for the assembly.

Reaching the far end of the room, I turned to face the expectant assembly, my back to the fireplace.

My hand moved to my pocket, retrieving a cigarette and lighter with deliberate slowness.

The click of the lighter cut through the silence, and the smell of tobacco filled the air as I took a long, measured drag.

I exhaled slowly, the smoke curling around me like a shroud as my eyes swept over the assembled faces.

Their gazes were hungry, impatient to know why I had summoned them.

The cigarett