Chapter 16 - The War Starts Now

The sky was dark, and it was decorated with a beautiful moon and numerous shining stars. As midnight fell, the city fell silent, but at the same time, it wasn't. 

One-third of the people in the city were asleep, and one part was busy with pleasure, while the other part was busy doing illegal trade and activities.

It was a time when dangerous people came out and roamed on the streets. It was the time the underworld started their vicious works.

It was a perfect time to do illegal deeds. It was a perfect time for predators to hunt their prey. And that was what Andrew planned to do. He planned to hunt his prey.

Tonight was the day Andrew was supposed to meet the man who knew the killer of his parents. Alonzo Rossi was the leader of the Rossi clan. A man in his forties. Apparently, he knew who the murderer was and also the reason behind the murder. 

How he knew, or if he had any connection with the murderer or not, was still unknown to him. It was Andrew's sheer luck that he found him. 

Andrew had been sending Dante to Italy to make deals instead of him and, at the same time, to prepare for their return. He was building his power in Italy.

When Dante was in Italy at Club Midnight Blue for a deal, he accidentally overheard Alonzo talking about Andrew's parents. 

Among all Andrew's men, only Dante knew about Andrew's parents and also all his secrets. He also knew about his plan for revenge. It was because Andrew trusted him and saw him as his friend. They became best friends while working together. 

Dante swore to help him get his revenge. So, when he heard Alonzo, it alerted him, and he gave all his attention there.

Alonzo slipped his tongue when he was drunk and mentioned Andrew's parents' deaths. He scoffed at how Andrew's parents' one mistake led him to kill them. But before he could mention who the murderer was or what the mistake was, he passed out.

Dante informed Andrew about it right away. Andrew at first thought of abducting him and bringing him to Averna. But when Dante gave him Alonzo's information, he dropped that idea, as it was risky.

Alonzo was the leader of a well-known clan in the underworld. He wasn't that powerful, but strangely he had a good amount of wealth, and he had some sort of connection with a few powerful clans. And it made Andrew guess that he might have a connection with the murderer.

Although he was not sure, his feelings were giving him a warning. And if his feelings were true, that would explain how he knew about his parents.

So, abducting him wasn't an option because if he had abducted him, the murderer might have known about it. And it might alert him. He might have known about his existence and his location. And Andrew couldn't let him find him, find them. Not yet. He would come out at the right moment.

That was why Andrew decided to move silently. He thought meeting Alonzo personally would be the better option. He would be able to interrogate him himself 'nicely'. Also, it was a good time for them to return to their homeland.

Andrew tried to make an appointment with him in the name of a very good deal so as not to be suspicious. But he kept getting rejected. In the end, he decided to choose another way. 

Tonight, Alonzo will go to the Cub Midnight Blue for his regular visit. It was like his habit to visit the club once a week. There, Andrew planned to approach him and try to make a deal with him in exchange for information.

From the information Dante gave him, Andrew learned that Alonzo was too greedy. So, money might be able to make him talk. But the problem was that he was also loyal. But again, anything was available for the right price.

If money didn't work, Andrew had no problem with using violence. He would do anything to get him to talk. He might even brutally torture him and, when he spoke, kill him. Of course, he wouldn't kill him until he spilled every single truth and secret. 

Andrew had checked that the twins and Isabella were asleep. He didn't want Isabella to come with him. Who knew what might happen? He wanted his little sister to be safe. 

And knowing Isabella, he was sure that she would tag along if she knew. That was why he told Isabella that he would go tomorrow. 

After securing the weapons on his body, Andrew made his way downstairs. The mansion was filled with darkness as he walked down the stairs. And the moment he stepped into the living room, all the lights turned on, brightening the room.

Andrew froze in his place as he saw an angry Isabella standing a few steps away from him, leaning on the wall. He swallowed hard and muttered, his tone nervous,

"Princess, I'm just—"

"Don't try to lie to me. I'm coming with you," Isabella uttered, cutting Andrew off and glaring at him.

Andrew sighed and said softly,

"It's dangerous, princess. Please try to understand me. I promise I will tell you every detail when I return."

Isabella shook her head and uttered, her tone firm,

"No, I'm going. I want to hear the truth myself. I deserve it. Moreover, I can protect myself. You trained me. I'm not weak anymore. Please."

The tone of Isabella made Andrew realize that she was firm in her decision and, no matter what he said, she wasn't going to listen. So, he gave up and sighed in defeat before saying sternly,

"Okay, but don't leave my side, got it?"

Isabella rolled her eyes at Andrew's words and said with a smile,

"I'm not a child."

Andrew smiled and walked to Isabella.

"For me, you will always be a child," he said while patting her head, making her smile.

"Let's go," Isabella whispered.

In a second, the atmosphere around them turned serious, and they released a deep breath. They nodded at each other before making their way to their destination.

The loud music banged on their ears as they stepped inside the club. The view from the club was magnificent, as it was located on the rooftop.

As it was night, the city looked more beautiful. Even though it was on the rooftop, it was a huge and well-decorated club.

It had a VIP area, a bar, a main stage, and a dance floor. Here, anything could be found. Including illegal drugs. It was a trendy nightclub.

Knowing where Alonzo would be, Andrew and Isabella made their way toward there, along with Dante and a good number of Andrew's men.

Alonzo had arrived at the club a little while ago. He went straight to the VIP section and sat at his fixed table. A waitress in her twenties wearing a tight, short dress walked toward Alonzo's table, swaying her hips with a tray of alcohol. 

Alonzo's lustful gaze swept the waitress' revealing body as she placed the tray on the table. The girl smiled and sat beside him. She entwined her hands on his arms and rubbed her breast against him.

"I missed you, Mr. Rossi," she purred seductively in his ear.

Alonzo smirked and ran his hand through her exposed thigh before saying,

"You missed me or my cock?"

The girl bit her lips seductively and looked at him lustfully before whispering,

"Both, Mr. Rossi."

Alonzo's smirk widened, and he slid his hand under her dress before muttering,

"You will get it later. Now pour me a drink."

The waitress smiled and happily poured a drink for him. Right when she handed him the drink, Isabella and Andrew stood in front of his table. Dante was behind Andrew, and the rest of the men surrounded the table in disguise.

Alonzo's eyes fell on Isabella, and his lustful gaze slowly trailed through her body. Andrew, noticing his gaze, stood in front of her. Alonzo looked at Andrew in anger and asked while glaring,

"Who are you? How did you get here? Move." 

"We will do the introduction later based on your answer, Alonzo," Andrew said, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Andrew's smile made a chill run down his spine, and he gulped. The cold look in Andrew's eyes made the waitress yelp and sink into her seat.

"We will move to another place for our deep conversation. But before that, let me ask you something. And you should answer it honestly if you want to live, okay?" Andrew said, not paying any attention to the waitress.

"You know who killed Massimo Russo and Luna Russo, right?" Andrew asked coldly, making Alonzo's eyes widen.

Alonzo's brain started working, trying to find out how he knew and who he was. Not many people knew about them or that they were killed. And among the people who knew, only he and another man were alive. He wondered who he was to know that. 

"I asked you something." Andrew's cold voice pulled him out of his thoughts. 

No, he couldn't let the truth out. He would be dead if he did. He composed himself and stated,

"I don't know who or what you are talking about."

Andrew clicked his tongue and said, while shaking his head,

"Wrong answer. I hate liars. Answer again. And before that, let me tell you that you are surrounded by my people. So think before you answer. If you give me the information I want, you will earn a huge amount of money. By huge, I mean HUGE."

The mention of money made Alonzo's eyes gleam with greed, but it didn't last long, as soon his eyes filled with fear. It made Andrew realize that he was afraid of the killer. But he could also see that money indeed piqued his attention. Also, something was making him consider his offer.

Andrew realized that if he put in a little more pressure, he might give in. But before he could utter a word, a bullet went past his ear and went through Alonzo's head.

Isabella and Andrew's eyes widened as Alonzo's empty gaze stared at them. The waitress and the people around the table screamed, seeing the dead Alonzo. Everyone's attention in the club went to the table, and they gasped and screamed.

The people panicked, and in a second, the club went into chaos. Andrew hurriedly looked around, scanning the nearby building to find the shooter, but he didn't find anyone. 

The killer killed Alonzo. He killed him to stop him from telling the truth. He knew about them. He knew they had returned. 

Andrew cursed under his breath and grabbed Isabella's hand. 

"We need to leave." Andrew stated before running toward the exit along with Isabella.

Dante and his men followed them from behind. It was easy for them to get out of there because of the chaos. As they ran out of the club, Isabella's mind was running a millimeter a second.

They were so close to the truth. They were so close to finding the culprit. The culprit they had been waiting five years to find. But now there was nothing. The source of the truth was dead. He killed it. He killed him.

At the same time, a realization settled inside her: he knew that they had returned. He knew they wanted revenge. He knew that they had started looking for him.

So, the war starts now.