Chapter 44 (Part 2)

Third POV

Caesar’s footsteps echoed ominously through the room as he strode forward, each step carrying the commanding authority of the mafia king he was known to be.

His hands rested casually in his pockets, but there was nothing casual about the sharp, menacing look in his eyes.

Elijah and the other man in the chair, battered and barely conscious, flinched as Caesar approached, though they had nowhere to turn, nowhere to hide from the force that was descending upon them.

Meanwhile, Igor wiped the blood from his knuckles with a cloth handed to him by one of Caesar’s men and stepped aside. His stance was one of calm yet coiled readiness, arms crossed over his chest, a dangerous glint still lingering in his eyes.

Caesar finally halted in front of the man, his silence more terrifying than any threat. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing.

“Did you really think that you could take something from me and not face the consequences?” He began, his voice low and edged with steel.

The man tried to speak, his lips quivering, but no sound escaped. Caesar’s lips curved into a dark, chilling smile as he leaned closer to the other man, his voice dropping into a dangerously calm tone.

"All of this was never your plan...It was mine from the very beginning. You think you brought me here, but it’s you who’s been trapped all along" He began, his words measured and razor-sharp.

Aldrich’s eyes widened in shock, and he exchanged a frantic, disbelieving glance with Elijah beside him. Panic set in as the realization sank deeper, and both men began to tremble, their defiance slipping away.

Caesar’s eyes gleamed with a sadistic satisfaction as he uttered the name with cold precision.

“Yes, Aldrich. I know exactly who you are" He leaned in even closer, his face inches from Aldrich’s.

"And yes...I did kill your father and your brother" He whispered, his voice like a death knell.

Rage flared in Aldrich’s eyes, and he wrenched at his restraints, his muscles straining with fury.

“You bastard,” he spat, his voice hoarse and filled with raw hatred.

“I’ll kill you, Caesar! I swear!” But Caesar remained unfazed, his smirk only deepening. He stood up straight and motioned to Akim, who stepped forward with a calculated grace.

Akim held a tablet in his hands, the screen facing Aldrich.

“I have a small gift for you" Caesar drawled, his tone mockingly pleasant.

Akim pressed play, and the video began. Aldrich’s eyes went wide as the footage unfolded before him, showing something so horrifying, so personal, that his entire body went rigid.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he screamed, raw and anguished, thrashing in his chair as if he could somehow break free and attack Caesar.

“I’ll kill you!” Aldrich roared, his voice breaking.

“I’ll tear you apart, Caesar! Do you hear me?!” Caesar only tilted his head, watching Aldrich with a detached amusement.

"That is how I ended your family. And it was just as satisfying then as it is now" He said smoothly as the video ended and Akim stepped back.

Next minute, Caesar gripped Aldrich’s hair, yanking his head back with a force that drew a sharp gasp from the restrained man. Leaning in, Caesar’s voice turned into a deadly whisper.

“You should have stayed away, Aldrich,” he hissed, his eyes cold and unrelenting.

“You left your father’s gang, walked away from that life. But now, you’ve come crawling back, and for what? To die here, in a failed attempt to avenge a family that was doomed the moment they crossed me".

Aldrich’s breath was ragged, his eyes burning with a mix of fear and fury, but Caesar continued, his grip unyielding.

"Your brother tormented my baby brother. Hurt him in ways I will never forgive. He thought he could bully and break someone precious to me. So, he paid the price" He said, his voice low and venomous.

In a single, fluid motion, Caesar pulled a gleaming knife from his pocket and pressed it against Aldrich’s neck, the blade cold and unfeeling.

"And one more thing... No one touches what's mine" Caesar declared, his voice dangerously steady.

"And Igor is mine, forever!" He added, his eyes flicking briefly to where Igor stood watching.

With deliberate slowness, Caesar sliced the blade across Aldrich’s neck. Blood poured from the wound, dark and crimson, and Aldrich choked out his final, desperate breaths.

In the same breath, Caesar drew his gun, his movements swift and calculated. He aimed it at Elijah and without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, and the bullet pierced Elijah’s forehead, silencing him instantly.

Turning to Akim, Caesar’s voice was calm, almost businesslike.

“Clean this up" He ordered, slipping his knife back into his pocket. Akim nodded, already moving to carry out the command.

Caesar wiped the blood from his hands onto a cloth handed to him, then turned to Igor. Without a word, he laced his fingers with Igor’s, their connection a silent promise amid the violence.

Together, they walked out of the room, leaving the bloodshed behind, as the chaos faded in the wake of their departure.