CHAPTER 11.
GUILLOTINE ROOM?!
The atmosphere immediately shifted, charged with a different type of energy.
George quickly stood up. "What?!" His brows furrowed. "What do you mean someone is trailing my guest?"
The man bowed. "Boss, I believe he has been following your guest since the beginning. Based on the security footage, it seems his main objective was to trail him," the man explained slowly.
Luca's heart sank as George and Giovanni's eyes turned towards him. They must be wondering who he had offended, or perhaps if anyone knew that he was Lord Ercole and was already attempting to have him killed.
Various thoughts raced through Luca's mind. Who could be trailing him? What did they want?
Giovanni cleared his throat. "So, what you're saying is that someone managed to sneak in here, and without the cameras, there would have been a different, untold story by now? I expected better from you, George." He mocked.
George rolled his eyes, clearly not in the mood for Giovanni's banter. "Gio, not now, please."
"Where is the intruder? Who sent him?" George asked.
The man nodded. "He has refused to say, boss."
"Take him to my Guillotine room!" George instructed, and the man quickly bowed slightly before leaving and closing the door behind him.
"Guillotine room?" Luca asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise, and George nodded in response.
Luca was clearly taken aback that George had such a ruthless facility at his disposal.
Giovanni laughed. "Did you say this is Lord Ercole?"
"I surely won't accept such a weakling, who is scared of a Guillotine, as my boss!" Giovanni taunted.
"You will not address him with such disrespect!" George snapped instantly.
Giovanni took a sip of his wine, perhaps trying to calm himself, but Luca and George looked at him intently, waiting for his response, and he didn't disappoint.
"I won't accept such a weak person as Lord Ercole! First, it seems he has a big mouth and is already making enemies even before he is known.”
Luca felt a surge of annoyance, but he took a deep gulp of wine to calm his nerves. Giovanni was really pushing his buttons! Just as he was trying to figure out who could be trailing him, here was Giovanni slandering him at every opportunity he got.
"Give him some time to settle in. He has been away for so long. You can't take away his position, Gio! He was born into it," George snapped angrily.
Giovanni laughed. "Born into it, you say?" His smiling face vanished. "Well, a lord isn't born into the iron throne; he has to earn it, George!"
Luca slammed his hands on the table, calling both men to order. "I am Lord Ercole! And no one can take that away from me. I was gone before, but now I'm back to claim what is rightfully mine!"
George smiled widely as he watched Luca speak with such poise and respect.
"That's our Ercole right there," he mused.
But Giovanni wasn't pleased. He was always known for being stubborn, and he wouldn't easily accept Luca. And Luca didn't expect him to. It was only natural for Giovanni to argue about it for a while.
Perhaps Giovanni's ego was bruised by the idea of a young newcomer taking over and ruling over him.
"I don't accept you as Ercole yet!" Giovanni stated challengingly. "I won't until you prove your worth."
Luca smiled. "What do you want? I'll do whatever you ask."
Giovanni grinned.
However, George wasn't on board with the idea of whatever challenge they were about to embark on. He quickly nudged Giovanni, but Giovanni paid no attention. He was eager for Luca to prove his worth.
"Fine!" Giovanni smiled. "Then let's have an axe-throwing duel. If I win, you walk away from being Lord Ercole, and if you win, I'll accept you as my boss."
George shouted, "Gio, that's absurd! You're not doing that in my presence!"
Axe-throwing was a popular game within the mafia, often used as a form of exercise to hone their skills in throwing daggers. Giovanni was renowned for being a pro at it.
Luca nodded. "Fine, we have a deal. But I need to see whoever was trailing me first."
"What?" George exclaimed, exasperated. "You don't have to do that. You don't need to throw an axe with him!"
Luca turned to George. "Take me to your Guillotine room.”
Within ten minutes, they found themselves in a room. It had a stark and somber atmosphere, with concrete walls, floors, and high ceilings to accommodate the tall frame. The room was dimly lit, with limited lights. Luca observed the surroundings and noticed only one window. It was an unfamiliar sight for him, as he had never seen anything like it before. The room carried a deep sense of solemnity and dread. Luca's eyes wandered to a heavy, angled blade weighing around 40kg, attached to a chain.
Curiosity got the better of Luca, and he asked, "Is this used often?"
"No, it is only used when I need to send their heads to their master," George responded.
Soon, George's men dragged Leo into the room. As Luca caught sight of him, his eyes widened slightly. "I saw him talking to the lady from earlier."
George was taken aback. "That traitor! Is she now conspiring with my enemies?"
When Leo raised his head and locked eyes with George and Giovanni, his breathing became shallow and rapid. He knew well how ruthless these men could be, and fear gripped him.
"Who sent you?" Giovanni asked softly in a very sweet voice but his tone was dripping with a kind of sympathy sarcasm!
Leo was unable to answer the question; his hands trembled, and his legs shook in fear.
"Cat got your tongue, huh?" Luca snapped. "Just a few minutes ago, you were talking. What happened?"
Leo remained still and refused to utter a word.
"Oh, I see. You're very loyal," George laughed wickedly. "Drop him into the guillotine!"
Leo shuddered in fear, his knuckles turning white as he tried to steady his trembling hands.
The men dragged him towards the guillotine and positioned his head in the appropriate place. Luca didn't flinch; instead, he walked over to the guillotine, bent down to Leo's level, and held his chin firmly.
"Tell us who sent you, and you may live," Luca said.
Leo spat on Luca's face and shouted, "Fuck you! Kill me, because you're not getting any information from me!”
George, aggravated by the situation, swiftly pulled the lever, causing the blade to fall and sever Leo's head from his body. The head tumbled into the basket below, while Luca maintained a steady gaze, observing the blood dripping down.
Turning to George, Luca inquired, "But how will we learn who sent him now?"
"Don't worry, that information will be extracted by my men. They'll have it within twenty-four hours!" George stated confidently. However, Luca remained confused. He believed he could have persuaded Leo to reveal a name, as he had clearly seen fear in his eyes.
"I've arranged the axe-throwing challenge. If you don't mind, let's head there!" Giovanni interjected, causing George to roll his eyes in frustration.
CHAPTER 12. AXE THROWING GAME. George glanced up at Luca, determination in his eyes. "You shouldn't go through with this," Giovanni chuckled mockingly. "What's the matter, George? Afraid Luca isn't good enough and will lose to me?" "If he can't prove himself, how can I respect someone who's weakling?" Frustrated, George rolled his eyes. "Giovanni, this isn't the appropriate time for all of this. We just located Lord Ercole, and there are many people searching for him. Can't you see the person who was just trailing him some moments ago?" Giovanni hissed, dismissing George's words. All that mattered to him was giving Luca a chance to prove himself. It was the best way to determine if Luca could defend himself. Giovanni whined, "That's even more reason for him to demonstrate his worth. A lord's life should never be in danger! Did you not see how he reacted at the sight of the guillotine? He shivered!" George quickly glanced at Luca. Well, Luca hadn't exactly shivered at the sight
CHAPTER 13. GETTING ALONG. The entire atmosphere fell into a hushed silence as Luca prepared to throw his axe. Mirroring Giovanni's grip, Luca held the axe with both hands, almost as if he were mimicking Giovanni's technique. George's eyes widened slightly as he wondered if Luca was just learning it on the spot. Gio glanced at Luca, noticing his grip and hesitation. "Throw that shit, boy!" he shouted. Luca slowly released one hand from the axe, surprising Giovanni. "What the hell is he trying to do?" George muttered skeptically. Even George couldn't hide his astonishment as he rose from his chair. Did Luca truly believe this was some kind of ball throwing game? If Luca didn't throw the axe with enough force, it would hit the board and simply bounce off, resulting in a score of zero. "You must think this is some ball throwing game, man!" Giovanni laughed, still caught up in his amusement. While Giovanni was still engulfed in laughter, Luca let go of the axe, and everyone's e
After a few minutes, Luca arrived at Ventral Company. It was primarily a delivery company that partnered with other businesses. As Luca approached, he noticed around ten to fifteen delivery bikes parked outside. This made him wonder why his boss needed him for deliveries when he hadn't even paid him for the last two months.As he entered the premises, Luca's anger began to boil. His anger stems from two things;Firstly, he was supposed to be working with Giovanni and George, but his boss disrupted everything with a phone call. Secondly, his boss owed him two and a half months' worth of salary, and to make matters worse, he had recently cut his bonus after an argument with a customer.Luca's footsteps echoed through the space, interrupting the conversation his colleagues were having. It was evident that there were fewer clients for the day."Where's the boss?" he asked as soon as they noticed his presence.One of his colleagues pointed towards the office, and Luca quickly made his way t
ARRESTED.Luca immediately turned his head, locking eyes with two policemen who had entered the room. He couldn't help but laugh. It was amusing to him that Mr. Duke had gone to the extent of calling the police when he was the one who should be considered the victim."That's him! Arrest him!" Duke yelled, pointing at Luca, urging the policemen to take action.The officers approached Luca and sternly said, "Put your hands up, sir."Luca didn't move. He remained silent, displaying a different demeanor. There was something about him that caught Duke off guard. Luca didn't flinch in the presence of the policemen, and this puzzled Duke. He couldn't understand why Luca was acting tough. The old Luca would have pleaded, knowing he wouldn't have enough money for bail. But now, Luca stood his ground and even refused to be handcuffed."May I know the reason for my arrest?" Luca asked, raising skeptical eyebrows."Officers, I told you to arrest him! He nearly strangled me to death because I dedu
THE DINNER."We've been waiting for a straight fifteen minutes, and the person you called isn't here. I'm sorry, but Mister Luca, we will have to lock you up," one of the officers said to Luca."Don't worry, that won't be needed," Giovanni's voice boomed as he walked in.In fact, Giovanni was nearby when Luca called him, and he rushed to the station. It would be a failure on his part if his boss ended up being locked up.Luca's face lit up with a happy smile as he saw Giovanni.Meanwhile, Mister Duke trembled in fear. He had no idea that Luca knew someone as wealthy and ruthless as Giovanni. Everyone in the station knew Giovanni, and as he walked in, most of them bowed and greeted him, including Mister Duke."I'm sorry for not coming earlier," Giovanni apologized to Luca."That's fine!" Luca replied. "I have to leave now. Settle things with them and make sure that man is arrested."Giovanni's gaze fell upon the figure Luca had just pointed at, and he nodded in approval."I can drive y
After the family finished their meal, Sara and Luca continued to exchange smiles, radiating the aura of an ideal couple.Sara was well aware of the effect she was having, deliberately trying to provoke Avery and Alessia, and she had succeeded. Every glance Avery directed at Luca felt like daggers.Grandpa cleared his throat. "It seems like you two are getting along so quickly," he said with a smile directed at Sara and Luca. "I think we should plan a beautiful white wedding for you both after the summer!""A white wedding?" Avery hissed. "Can he even afford it? And I mean a grand affair, not some modest celebration that suits his status."Luca smiled. He didn't know how to explain to his mother-in-law that he could organize the most extravagant wedding in the history of their family lineage. Revealing that would blow his cover, so he decided to ignore her instead.Besides, the last thing he wanted was to upset his in-laws, especially Avery, who had disliked him from the beginning.Ave
Sara quickly handed the customized diamond armlet to Grandpa. "This is an exclusive piece from Harry Winston!"A smile appeared on Grandpa's lips. "Are you serious?" He eagerly opened the box and began to admire it as soon as he saw the jewelry designer's logo. It was indeed from Winston. Alessia couldn't hide her disgust as she witnessed Grandpa's admiration for the piece.Winston wasn't just any local designer, but an international one with a prestigious reputation spanning over fourty years.Grandpa looked up at Sara. "I thought he had retired. How were you able to convince him to create this for you, Sara?"Sara laughed. "Anything for you, Grandpa."The old man couldn't stop himself from admiring the diamond piece Sara had brought him. The fact that it came directly from Winston himself made it even more valuable in his eyes. Meanwhile, Alessia couldn't help but feel a surge of rage at how Grandpa praised Sara for what she considered a simple gesture.Luca walked over to where Gra
. All heads turned towards her in surprise. Why did she have to halt the smooth process that was clearly going to prove that Luca had purchased the wine and not stolen it?The entire room fell into dead silence, and Sara hesitated to speak. "I don't trust Rose," she finally offered a feeble excuse.In reality, she was afraid that the wine might not be genuine. She had never bothered to verify it since it had always been brought to her, and moreover, it was connected to criminal activity, possibly unregistered and acquired through illicit means."What do you mean you don't trust your own blood sister, whom you grew up with?" Avery scoffed. "The only person you shouldn't trust is this thief who is sleeping next to us as your husband. Girl, he will steal your jewelry!"Rose's lips curved into a smirk as she turned to Sara. "Hey, sister, even if you don't trust me, it doesn't matter. I'm only trying to help." Her tone dripped with sarcastic sympathy."Help me?" Sara laughed. "Bitch, keep
Luca sat at his table with Blue next to him as she explained the surge in revenue of the hotel and its clubs in the last few months.The soft glow of the hotel's lobby lights cast a warm ambiance as Luca listened intently to Blue's presentation. She clicked a remote, and a graph displaying the hotel's revenue appeared on the screen behind her."As you can see, sir, our revenue has increased by 25% in the last quarter," Blue explained, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And if we break it down further, we can see that the clubs have been a major contributor to this surge. I just know Lord Ercole would be so proud of the tactics you have used in his investments and brought up the revenue."Luca nodded thoughtfully, his eyes scanning the graph. "That's impressive, Blue. I'm glad we could make a change."Blue smiled, confident in her analysis. "Well, I think it's a combination of factors. Our marketing strategy has been on point, and we've seen a significant increase in foot traffic. Ad
Luca sat at his table with Blue next to him as she explained the surge in revenue of the hotel and its clubs in the last few months.The soft glow of the hotel's lobby lights cast a warm ambiance as Luca listened intently to Blue's presentation. She clicked a remote, and a graph displaying the hotel's revenue appeared on the screen behind her."As you can see, sir, our revenue has increased by 25% in the last quarter," Blue explained, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And if we break it down further, we can see that the clubs have been a major contributor to this surge. I just know Lord Ercole would be so proud of the tactics you have used in his investments and brought up the revenue."Luca nodded thoughtfully, his eyes scanning the graph. "That's impressive, Blue. I'm glad we could make a change."Blue smiled, confident in her analysis. "Well, I think it's a combination of factors. Our marketing strategy has been on point, and we've seen a significant increase in foot traffic. Ad
Sara's eyes widened in shock as Madam Ivy's words cut through her like a knife. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Madam Ivy's announcement was a clear attack on her, a way to discredit her and eliminate her from the running for CEO that was clearly her birthright. She had given her all to the company all her life.Sara was taken aback by the sudden attack from her Grandmother. If anything, Madam Ivy's enemy should be Jacob and not her.Her face turned red with rage as she tried to process what was happening. She couldn't believe that Madam Ivy would stoop so low, using her marriage status against her. She felt a surge of anger and humiliation, her eyes darting around the room to see if anyone else was reacting to Madam Ivy's cruel words, but everyone seemed fine with what she said.Luca, who was sitting next to her, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He looked at everyone, and they looked like the
Back at the Edward family house, it was exactly 6:56 pm when Luca joined the ongoing dinner table in the dining room. Everyone was present, with Jacob and his mother inclusive. It was just one person missing that everyone was waiting for.A couple of minutes later, the door swung open and about three maids helped Madam Ivy to the dining table. One of the maids wrapped her hands around Madam Ivy's waist, and the other one had her hands over her shoulders as a wedge. They pulled the chair out and helped her to settle down into it. Meanwhile, as they helped her slowly to the chair, Luca, who had seen her current condition, couldn't help but stifle his laughter, but then it was too late, and his smirk caught everyone's attention except Grandpa, who had his head downwards.Once Sara noticed the smirk on his face, it flashed back into her memory... he has another family! Her face paled up immediately, and she clenched her hands, crumpling her dress under the table. She couldn't believe he h
Sara's eyes widened in shock as Madam Ivy's words cut through her like a knife. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Madam Ivy's announcement was a clear attack on her, a way to discredit her and eliminate her from the running for CEO that was clearly her birthright. She had given her all to the company all her life.Sara was taken aback by the sudden attack from her Grandmother. If anything, Madam Ivy's enemy should be Jacob and not her.Her face turned red with rage as she tried to process what was happening. She couldn't believe that Madam Ivy would stoop so low, using her marriage status against her. She felt a surge of anger and humiliation, her eyes darting around the room to see if anyone else was reacting to Madam Ivy's cruel words, but everyone seemed fine with what she said.Luca, who was sitting next to her, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He looked at everyone, and they looked like the
Sara's eyes widened in shock as Madam Ivy's words cut through her like a knife. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Madam Ivy's announcement was a clear attack on her, a way to discredit her and eliminate her from the running for CEO that was clearly her birthright. She had given her all to the company all her life.Sara was taken aback by the sudden attack from her Grandmother. If anything, Madam Ivy's enemy should be Jacob and not her.Her face turned red with rage as she tried to process what was happening. She couldn't believe that Madam Ivy would stoop so low, using her marriage status against her. She felt a surge of anger and humiliation, her eyes darting around the room to see if anyone else was reacting to Madam Ivy's cruel words, but everyone seemed fine with what she said.Luca, who was sitting next to her, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He looked at everyone, and they looked like the
Sara's eyes widened in shock as Madam Ivy's words cut through her like a knife. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Madam Ivy's announcement was a clear attack on her, a way to discredit her and eliminate her from the running for CEO that was clearly her birthright. She had given her all to the company all her life.Sara was taken aback by the sudden attack from her Grandmother. If anything, Madam Ivy's enemy should be Jacob and not her.Her face turned red with rage as she tried to process what was happening. She couldn't believe that Madam Ivy would stoop so low, using her marriage status against her. She felt a surge of anger and humiliation, her eyes darting around the room to see if anyone else was reacting to Madam Ivy's cruel words, but everyone seemed fine with what she said.Luca, who was sitting next to her, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He looked at everyone, and they looked like the
At the Edward family mansion..Back at the Edward family house, it was exactly 6:56 pm when Luca joined the ongoing dinner table in the dining room. Everyone was present, with Jacob and his mother inclusive. It was just one person missing that everyone was waiting for.A couple of minutes later, the door swung open and about three maids helped Madam Ivy to the dining table. One of the maids wrapped her hands around Madam Ivy's waist, and the other one had her hands over her shoulders as a wedge. They pulled the chair out and helped her to settle down into it. Meanwhile, as they helped her slowly to the chair, Luca, who had seen her current condition, couldn't help but stifle his laughter, but then it was too late, and his smirk caught everyone's attention except Grandpa, who had his head downwards.Once Sara noticed the smirk on his face, it flashed back into her memory... he has another family! Her face paled up immediately, and she clenched her hands, crumpling her dress under the t
At the Edward family mansion..Back at the Edward family house, it was exactly 6:56 pm when Luca joined the ongoing dinner table in the dining room. Everyone was present, with Jacob and his mother inclusive. It was just one person missing that everyone was waiting for.A couple of minutes later, the door swung open and about three maids helped Madam Ivy to the dining table. One of the maids wrapped her hands around Madam Ivy's waist, and the other one had her hands over her shoulders as a wedge. They pulled the chair out and helped her to settle down into it. Meanwhile, as they helped her slowly to the chair, Luca, who had seen her current condition, couldn't help but stifle his laughter, but then it was too late, and his smirk caught everyone's attention except Grandpa, who had his head downwards.Once Sara noticed the smirk on his face, it flashed back into her memory... he has another family! Her face paled up immediately, and she clenched her hands, crumpling her dress under the t