Chapter 35: The Trap Tightens

Cavalli hadn't slept in days. His empire—once untouchable, once feared—was crumbling around him like a house of cards in a storm. Ethan wasn't fighting him like a man desperate for power. He was fighting like a man who had already won.

Paolo stood in the dimly lit office, his expression unreadable. "We need to retaliate."

Cavalli clenched his fists. "You think I don't know that?" His voice was hoarse, edged with something Paolo had never heard before—uncertainty.

Retaliation. That was the only language he had ever known. But every move he made, Ethan was already three steps ahead. Every ally he tried to hold onto had already been turned. His money was bleeding out, his security detail was leaking information, and the streets whispered the same thing: Cavalli's time is up.

And then, the final humiliation.

A gala was being held that night—one where every major figure in the city would be in attendance. Business tycoons, politicians, underworld bosses. A place where presence meant power. Cavalli had planned to make a statement, to remind the city that he was still in control.

But when he arrived, the message waiting for him was one he never expected.

The moment he stepped onto the red carpet, cameras flashing, journalists waiting—he saw it. The whispers spread like wildfire. Murmurs, laughter, gasps.

Behind him, a giant screen flickered to life. Security footage, clear as day. His last failed shipment, his men being taken down effortlessly. The world watching as his empire fell apart, moment by moment.

And then, the final image.

His most trusted accountant, his financial backbone, shaking hands with Ethan.

Cavalli's breath caught in his throat. His stomach twisted. This wasn't just an attack. It was an execution.

And when he turned, searching for the man behind it all, Ethan was there. Standing at the far end of the ballroom, drink in hand, watching him with an almost lazy smirk.

A predator watching his prey take its last breath.

Cavalli had never felt powerless before. But as he stood there, drowning in whispers, in humiliation, in betrayal—he realized the truth.

Ethan had already won.