The atmosphere in the room became tense as Fabio's smile suddenly vanished, replaced by a scowl. His eyes narrowed, and his voice took on a menacing tone. The air seemed to vibrate with his anger, making it hard for anyone to breathe. All of them were surprised by his words and demeanor. There was no atom of apology in his eyes.Larosa's face was flushed with rage, her eyes blazing and her hands clenched into fists, as if she were about to explode. George's expression was stern, his eyes flashing with disapproval about what just happened.The room fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the people present, as if time had stopped and all that existed was the tension between Fabio and the others.Fabio's words hung in the air like a challenge, his defiance and arrogance palpable in the air. It was clear that he was not used to being questioned or opposed, and he would not back down without a fight or even apologize for what just happened.The others seemed to be waiting for so
Fabio turned around, his brows furrowed, creating deep lines on his forehead. He didn't understand what they were talking about, nor did he see anyone that would be referred to as Lord Ercole. In his head, he had already concluded that Luca was one of their sons and Larosa was their mistress. His eyes wandered around in search of the Lord Ercole they had just referred to."Where is he?" He couldn't help it anymore.Larosa sighed frustratedly. "Who knew an elder will be this dumb not to notice his boss?" Fabio's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? I don't see anyone."George stood up, his expression stern. "You're not looking hard enough, Fabio. Lord Ercole is right in front of you, and you have already disrespected him by locking him up overnight. I will advise you not to do more, please. At least for your own safety."Fabio's gaze snapped back to George, his eyes flashing with anger. "Don't play games with me, George. I'm not in the mood for your petty games, save it for som
George's voice was low and menacing as he stood up from his seat and took a step closer to Fabio. "You won't talk to him like that," he growled. "Luca is the rightful Lord Ercole, and you will show him the respect he deserves."Fabio's laughter faltered, and he took a step back, his eyes darting between George and Luca. He seemed to be realizing that he had gone too far, and that the situation was not what he had thought. "Is Luca really the real Lord Ercole?" he thought to himself. He had never seen the elders be so furious about insulting someone like this.Larosa also stepped forward, her eyes flashing with anger. "How dare you," she spat. "You stand on an established empire built by his father, and then dare to insult us, and then have the nerve to laugh about it. You're a disgusting excuse for a human being, but any more curse words at him is where we draw the line!"Fabio's face went white, and he looked like he was about to collapse. He seemed to be realizing that he had made a
"And why can't he?" Fabio turned to Giovanni. "Are you scared that he is not good enough or the fake lord Ercole you brought in here will be exposed?"Giovanni just hissed, his eyes still fixed on Luca, hoping he would change his mind about playing the poker game with Fabio. Everyone of the elders knew his father was a pro at poker games, and it was obvious he had passed that skill down to his offspring.In truth, everyone in the mafia were skilled at playing poker games. They frequently engaged in high-stakes gambling activities, including poker, where mental acuity, bluffing, and reading opponents were significant skills that needed to be used in their everyday lives."Don't worry, I will play the game with him," Luca assured with a smug smile.Turning to Fabio, he asked, "Where do we play it? Lead me there!"Larosa quickly interrupted, stepping into the middle of both men. "Luca, this isn't right. You don't need to prove yourself to anyone, and even if you have to, not Fabio of all
Fabio smiled coldly. "I mean, Another Game. I don't believe that he won me in this one, so I'd like to play a different game."Larosa scoffed in disbelief at his audacious act. Just a few minutes ago, he was boasting about how he was going to win, and now that Luca had won, he was moving the goal post and trying to play another game."You're insane!" She screamed. "Just because the game didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, it's not legit? You must really think that the world revolves around cowards like you!"Fabio didn't flinch either; he was still stunned that Luca could beat him in his own game. How did he do that? Deep down, he knew that the game was square and fair, but accepting it would only bruise his ego, so he would rather lie about it.Luca remained calm in all of that as he spoke. "What other games do you choose to play? Pick another one, and I will play with you."Giovanni and George turned to him, their brows raised in disbelief."What do you mean, Luca?" George spa
"What do you mean?" Larosa asked curiously."Stefano had made lots of connections with people, and he is the craftiest of them all. Actually, I have been studying him over the years after he raided my warehouse and made me lose millions in cash. I couldn't just attack him at once, so I decided to study and know how to get him.He has six doppelgangers, and you can only know the difference between him and them through their fingers. The real one has four fingers on his right hand. His father took one of his fingers when he was little just to prove the FBI wrong and act like a good father. He has had to live with just four fingers since then. But all the other five doppelgangers have the full five fingers. Stefano is worse than you will ever think, and he is coming for everything you have just to prove your late father wrong."Fabio's words hung in the air like a challenge, everyone's eyes glinting with a mixture of curiosity and fear. The room fell silent, as if the very mention of Ste
Noticing that Larosa was reading his mood, he quickly snapped at her. "I said I'm fine, Larosa! I am good, so you can go."The last thing he wanted was for the elders to confirm that his wife was the madam who really sent men to trail him to Santaro's hotel. If anyone would take it lightly and listen to him, it wouldn't be Larosa, who already had a vendetta with the Edward family.Larosa, seeing his distress, made her heart ache, but she had no choice but to leave him just as he requested. She turned her back to him and walked away, but her mind still swirled with thoughts as she tried to think of what the problem could be. He said it was Stefano, but deep down, she knew it wasn't about the Stefano issues or even Edmund, but then what was it?Luca watched her walk away, and when she was out of his sight, he heaved a deep sigh of relief. "What is Sara up to? What does she want from me? Does she know my identity, or is she still trying to find out?" he thought.After some minutes of th
"What are you doing with my bag?" His voice thundered in the room as he saw Larosa packing up his clothes inside his bag.Larosa looked up, startled, as Luca's voice thundered through the room. "I was just packing your clothes, Luca. I thought you'd want to leave as soon as possible so I was just helping you out. What is the problem?"But Luca's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with memories of Sara's betrayal. This was the same way she had grabbed his bag and hid a tracker inside it. He really didn't expect her to do such a thing and now he was even more careful."What else have you packed? What else are you hiding?"Larosa took a step back, her hands raised in defense. "Luca, I swear, I'm not hiding anything. I'm just trying to help. Are you traumatized by the hidden tracker that was found in your bag? I wouldn't do such a thing."But Luca's trauma had been triggered, and he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease anymore. He couldn't bring himself to trust anyone any longer. "Where'