Chapter 11 - Ashes of the Past
The heavy iron poker clattered against the marble floor, spinning away into the fire. Lorenzo drove his fist square into Julian’s jaw with a sickening crunch, sending the older man sprawling backward over a shattered mahogany desk. Julian gasped for air, blood pooling at the corner of his mouth, his manicured composure completely shattered.
""Do it,"" Julian spat, coughing up blood as he glared up at the barrel of Lorenzo’s retrieved pistol. ""Kill me, and you'll never find out where Isabella hid the offshore accounts. The empire dies with me.""
Lorenzo’s finger tightened on the trigger, his breathing heavy and ragged. For a second, the entire room seemed to hold its breath. The weight of generations of lies, murders, and stolen lives hung in the balance. But before Lorenzo could pull the trigger, a tiny hand brushed against his sleeve.
""Don't do it, Lorenzo,"" Valeria whispered softly, her eyes filled with a quiet, grounding strength. ""Don't let him drag you down into the dark with him.""
Lorenzo looked down at her, seeing the reflection of a future free from ghosts and blood. He slowly lowered the gun, stepping back from the broken lawyer. With a swift, merciless motion, he holstered the weapon and brought his heavy boot down squarely across Julian’s wrist, hearing the bones snap cleanly before kicking the silver briefcase away.
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""You're not worth the bullet,"" Lorenzo said coldly. ""The authorities are already waiting outside.""
As if on cue, the distant wail of police sirens pierced the night air, growing louder by the second.
