Free Web NovelChapter 160: Kill every single person
"Where are you, Bastian?" Luca asked as he came to a place filled with silence, away from the party.
"In the car, on the way to the private airfield," Bastian replied. "Securing Martin was a mess. This man has more security than a vault. Did you identify the mole?"
"No," Luca clipped out.
"It’s someone in your inner circle, Luca. Watch your back," Bastian warned. "I’m at the hangar now, I have to go. Find that rat before they move on you; the second they realize Martin is gone, they’re going to burn every bridge to get to you."
The call cut to static. Bastian stepped out of the black sedan, his eyes fixed on the private jet idling on the tarmac.
Back at the event, Luca stood by the tiered fountain. Every guest in a tuxedo, every waiter with a tray, and every executive offering a handshake was now a suspect.
"There you are. We’ve been scouring the entire garden for you," Remo’s voice broke his focus. Luca turned to see Remo and Marco weaving through the socialites.
"You’re late," Luca remarked, his eyes lingering on them a second too long.
"Blame Marco. He spent three hours debating which vintage to gift you and Sara," Remo said, nodding toward the gift box in Marco’s hand.
"Let’s head over to Sara," Marco suggested. "She’s been the center of attention all night."
"Fine." Luca led his friends toward the garden center where Sara was stationed. She was flanked by her family, including her stepbrother, Diego, a man whose presence usually meant trouble.
"What the hell is Diego doing here?" Remo muttered. He gestured toward a stranger standing close to Sara. "And who’s the new face? The one with the designer suit and the predator eyes?"
"Joseph. Sara’s half-brother," Luca answered shortly.
"What? He just drops out of the sky?" Marco’s eyes widened in genuine shock.
"He appeared the same time her mother appeared. I’ll tell you both about it later," Luca stated, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Has anyone seen Fabio?"
"No. I’ve called him twice. No response," Remo replied, his playful tone completely vanishing.
Luca’s brow furrowed, a cold realization settling in. What if it was Fabio who was the mole? The thought was itself terrifying for him. He didn’t want to believe his own mind, but in this world, sentiment was a luxury he couldn’t afford. He couldn’t ignore the fact that sometimes the people you trust most are the ones who know exactly where to twist the knife.
"Sara! You look gorgeous," Remo complimented smoothly as soon as they reached her. She turned on her heels as her lips curved into a brilliant smile.
"Thank you. You two took your sweet time getting here," Sara teased, her eyes sparkling.
"Here’s a small gift from Remo and me for both of you," Marco said, stepping forward. He handed over a deceptively heavy gift box while Remo presented her with a massive bouquet of lilies. Luca moved quickly to take the weight of the box from her, and a servant rushed over to assist with the flowers.
"It’s so heavy!" Luca remarked, feeling the unexpected heft of the package. He arched an eyebrow at his friends. "What exactly did you gift us? A lead bar?"
Marco just smirked, adjusting his blazer. "That, you’ll find out after you open it. Let’s just say it’s meant to last as long as your marriage."
"Thank you so much," Sara said with genuine appreciation. She turned to the group of family members gathered around her, gesturing toward her friends. "I’ve known them forever, we went to the same school and even college. Except for Marco, of course, who moved on to med school."
"Wow! You’re a doctor!" Katherine exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked Marco up and down.
"Yes. A surgeon," Marco replied with a modest nod.
While the small talk flowed, the air around Luca felt increasingly stifling. Remo, always the most observant, noticed the way Luca’s eyes kept darting around.
He leaned in close to Luca’s ear. "You look stressed. Is everything alright?"
"Yeah," Luca replied promptly.
"Sir, I’m so sorry. I got late for tonight’s party," Fabio gasped, stumbling to a halt right behind Luca and Remo. He was out of breath, and he held a gift tightly in his hands. freewebnσvel.cѳm
"Where did you get stuck?" Luca asked. His eyes searched Fabio’s face for any sign of guilt or deception. "I expected you to be here an hour ago."
"Are you going to scold him here, too?" Sara chuckled, stepping in to bridge the tension. She walked over to Fabio with a kind smile. "Luca isn’t your boss tonight, Fabio. Don’t let him bother you."
"Yeah, we all know Sara is the real boss once they’re home," Remo added with a playful smirk, trying to lighten the heavy air.
The laughter was cut short by a sound of the gunshot.
It shattered the elegance of the party. Luca’s instincts kicked in instantly; his head whipped around, his gaze locking onto the person who fired the shot. His heart plummeted. A pistol was leveled directly at Sara’s chest with none in between.
It was Jameson who was holding the gun.
In an instant, the sophisticated atmosphere dissolved into chaos. Guests screamed, sprinting for the exits and sound of overturned chairs filling the room.
"Don’t take a single step forward, Luca," Jameson commanded, his voice eerily calm amidst the surrounding panic. His finger tightened on the trigger. "Because if you do, Sara is dead."
"Jameson, what the hell is wrong with you?" Michael shouted, his face reddening with fury as he stepped forward.
A sharp sound echoed through the garden as Jameson fired a shot into the ground, inches from Michael’s shoe. Vinni let out a piercing scream, grabbing her husband’s arm and begging him to stay back and be quiet.
"Hand over Sara to me," Jameson commanded, his eyes fixed on Luca with a threat.
"Jameson, why?" Luca’s hands clenched into fists. He looked behind Jameson, desperate for a glimpse of his security team, but his men were nowhere to be seen.
Remo tried to move when Jameson shot at his right leg, rendering him injured.
Sara’s hands flew to her mouth as she quickly turned to Remo.
"Jameson! Stop it!" Luca yelled the moment he saw the old man was ready to fire another bullet.
Remo whimpered in pain as he held his injured leg, his vision already getting blurred.
Meanwhile, Luca was unable to understand this betrayal from the man who wasn’t just an employee; he was the man who had been in Luca’s service since he was a boy. He had been the shadow behind Luca’s growth, the one person who knew every secret, every weakness, and every route out of the building. To see him holding a weapon at the woman Luca loved was like watching his own childhood memories turn to poison.
"Were you always working for Martin?" Luca asked.
"I think you’ve failed to hear me. I want you to hand over Sara, or I will kill every single person in this garden. Your security? They’re already dead, Luca," Jameson said, a slow, dark smirk spreading across his face. On his cue, dozen of armed men emerged from the shadows, their weapons raised as they formed a lethal perimeter around the guests.
"I’ll come with you, Jameson. Just don’t hurt anyone," Sara said, straightening up her posture. She began to step away from Luca’s side. "But let us send Remo to the hospital. He’s losing blood."
"Don’t hand over Martin to him," Remo said. "We went through a lot to have him."
"No, don’t go to him," Luca hissed, shaking his head. He couldn’t let her go. He took a step forward, his heart hammering against his ribs as he watched Jameson’s finger tighten against the trigger. "Jameson, take me. Leave Sara and the others out of this."
"Tell your man to release Martin," Jameson countered, ignoring the offer.
"Luca, do it! Who the hell is Martin?" Michael shouted from the sidelines as he looked at the guns pointed at his family.
"Do it, Luca," Jameson commanded. "Before I lay bloody bodies right at your feet. You wouldn’t want this place to become a bloodbath once again. Think of the history... Think of the mess your grandfather once made. The things you also did seven years ago."
"Alright. I’m asking my man to send Martin from where he’s picked. But Jameson, you’ve to swear you’ll let me send Remo to the hospital and also the others. No innocents shall be harmed. It’s between you and me. Mafias have rules, don’t they? So, let’s just keep it like that."
Jameson rubbed the tip of the gun on his temple when Luca got the opportunity and stood in front of Sara, holding her hands tightly, not letting her step up.
"Jameson, if Martin is dead, you’ll not either get anything. So, just accept my offer," Luca asserted.
