Chapter 9: A Fateful Decision

Dominic Valente had spent his entire life building an empire that was feared, respected, and seemingly indestructible. From the moment he had stepped into the underworld, he had known that there were only two ways men like him left it—in a coffin or in chains. But Dominic was different. He had never been one to accept the rules set by others. He had rewritten them before, bent the world to his will, and now, he would do it again.

But walking away wasn't as simple as turning his back on the empire he had spent years constructing. His exit had to be calculated, precise, invisible. If anyone sensed what he was doing before he was ready, it could set off a chain reaction that would bring everything crashing down around him.

His men had been conditioned to follow him, to depend on him, and to believe that he would always be in control. If they knew he was abandoning them, what would stop them from tearing each other apart in a war for power? More importantly, what would stop his closest ally—Enzo Mancini—from seeing it as the ultimate betrayal?

Dominic had avoided this conversation for as long as possible. He had hoped to ease Enzo into the idea, to make him understand why he needed to step away. But Dominic knew Enzo wasn't the kind of man who accepted change. And when the moment finally came, when the words left Dominic's lips, he saw the truth in Enzo's eyes.

Enzo would never let him leave.

The meeting took place in one of Dominic's private estates, a sprawling villa nestled in the hills outside Vienna. It was far from the prying eyes of their men, a place where conversations could unfold without the risk of being overheard. Dominic had requested Enzo meet him alone, and his right-hand man had obliged, though not without suspicion.

Enzo arrived late, dressed in his usual tailored suit, his movements sharp and measured. He had always been a man who sized up every room he entered, and tonight was no different. His dark eyes flickered over the lavish surroundings before locking onto Dominic, who stood near the bar, pouring himself a drink.

"You're being secretive," Enzo said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "That usually means I won't like what you have to say."

Dominic offered a small smirk, setting the whiskey bottle down before turning to face his old friend. "Then I won't waste your time."

He took a slow sip before saying the words that would change everything.

"I'm leaving."

The room fell into silence, thick and suffocating. Enzo's expression didn't change immediately, but Dominic saw the way his shoulders stiffened, the way his fingers curled slightly, as if preparing for a fight.

"Leaving what?" Enzo finally asked, his voice deceptively calm.

Dominic exhaled, setting his glass down. "All of it. The business, the operations. Everything."

For a long moment, Enzo simply stared at him, his face unreadable. Then, slowly, he let out a low, humorless chuckle. "You're joking."

"I'm not."

Enzo's smile faded. "You built this, Dom. You don't get to just walk away."

"I do," Dominic countered, his voice steady. "And I will."

The shift in Enzo's demeanor was subtle but unmistakable. His amusement vanished, replaced by something colder, sharper, more dangerous.

"And what happens to the empire?" Enzo asked, his tone laced with an edge. "Who do you expect to run things when you're gone?"

"I've already made arrangements," Dominic said carefully. "The transition will be smooth. The business will survive."

Enzo narrowed his eyes. "You've already made arrangements?" His voice dropped slightly, his Italian accent thickening with anger. "So you've been planning this. Behind my back."

Dominic didn't answer. He didn't have to.

Enzo shook his head, stepping forward. "You really think this will work? That you can just disappear and live like a normal man?" His voice was rising now, his composure fracturing. "You think the men who built this empire with you will just accept that? That I will accept that?"

Dominic held his ground, his voice calm but firm. "You don't have to accept it, Enzo. You just have to respect it."

Enzo let out a short laugh, shaking his head. But there was no humor in it. Only disbelief. Only betrayal.

"You're a coward," he muttered, eyes burning. "You always told me power was everything. That we fought for this because no one else could hold it. And now you're throwing it all away?"

Dominic clenched his jaw. "I fought for this because I thought it would give me something real. But it hasn't, Enzo. It's a cage, and I'm done living in it."

For a brief second, Dominic thought Enzo might actually hit him. His hands were clenched into fists, his entire body coiled with tension. But instead, he stepped back, his expression hardening into something far more dangerous.

"You're a fool, Dom," Enzo said quietly. "You think you can control how this ends, but you can't. You might be walking away, but this empire isn't going anywhere. And if you won't run it, then I will."

Dominic's blood ran cold.

This was the moment he had feared. The confirmation of what he had already suspected.

Enzo wasn't just angry—he was preparing to take over.

And Dominic knew what that meant.

If Enzo wanted control, he wouldn't just accept ownership of the empire. He would take it by force.

The meeting ended with no further words. Enzo left without another glance, slamming the door behind him. And Dominic stood there in the silence, staring at the empty room, knowing that the war had already begun.

In the days that followed, Dominic could feel the tension shifting beneath the surface of his empire. Enzo wasted no time. He began quietly gathering support, meeting with lieutenants, whispering to the men who had once been loyal to Dominic. At first, the changes were subtle—conversations that stopped when Dominic entered a room, glances exchanged between men who had never questioned his authority before.

Then, the real moves began.

Operations that had always gone through Dominic suddenly had Enzo's approval instead. Men who had been fiercely loyal to him now hesitated before answering his calls. Information was being withheld, decisions being made without his input.

Enzo was consolidating power, piece by piece, testing how far he could go before Dominic retaliated.

But Dominic didn't retaliate.

Not yet.

He watched. He listened. He measured every step Enzo took, preparing for the inevitable confrontation.

He had known leaving wouldn't be easy. He had known Enzo wouldn't let him walk away without a fight. But this wasn't just a struggle for power anymore—this was personal.

Enzo saw Dominic's departure as a betrayal. And there was only one way betrayal was handled in their world.

Someone would have to fall.

For years, Dominic had ruled with a firm hand, maintaining order through loyalty and intimidation. His leadership served as the glue that kept the syndicate intact, balancing the desires of powerful individuals who would have otherwise destroyed each other in their quest for supremacy. However, with rumors of his exit spreading among the ranks, that stability was beginning to falter.

Rival groups, both within and outside his organization, began to see a chance where there had once been security. Dominic had been the Hawk—the brilliant strategist, the untouchable leader. But the moment he was seen as weak, as one ready to leave the throne, opportunists started to swarm.

And none were more relentless than Enzo Mancini.

The first signals of trouble emerged quietly—men who were once dependable ceased to respond to Dominic's calls, lieutenants hesitated in executing his orders, and key members of the syndicate initiated meetings without him. The gossip had started, growing louder with each day.

In the criminal underworld, silence was often more perilous than an outright threat. Dominic quickly realized what was unfolding—Enzo was probing for weakness, eager to gauge how much control he could claim before Dominic took action.

But he wasn't alone in his observations.

Outside his organization, foes who had long feared his power were now sensing vulnerability. Crime families in Hungary, Turkey, and the Balkans, previously suppressed under Dominic's strict rule, recognized this gap as a chance. They were eager to carve out their share of his empire, willing to face bloodshed for it.

It began with discreet maneuvers for power. A shipment of weapons vanished during transport—not stolen but rerouted, intercepted on its way to its intended target. Soon after, a trusted contact within the Vienna police went silent, only for his body to wash up in the Danube days later.

Dominic understood precisely what was happening. His absence had empowered his adversaries. They were making moves, testing how far they could push before someone responded.

But the true chaos erupted when Enzo launched his first major attack.

This event occurred at one of Dominic's pivotal warehouses in Budapest, a distribution center crucial for everything from arms shipments to illegal financial dealings. It was an integral component of the syndicate's operations, a place no one had ever dared to assault.

One night, it erupted into flames.

The fire blazed for hours, consuming everything within—millions in weapons, documents, and assets, all reduced to ash.

Dominic had no doubt about who was behind it.

The message was unmistakable. Enzo was finished waiting.

This wasn't merely an act of destruction—it was a declaration of war. Enzo sought control and was prepared to decimate the empire to gain it.

However, the fire wasn't solely about Enzo. Rival families interpreted it as a signal, a confirmation that Dominic was losing his hold.

That very night, Dominic's Turkish allies withdrew from a significant deal, citing "instability" as their reason. The Russians, once shadowy allies, began striking deals with Enzo behind closed doors. Hungarian factions started bribing Dominic's men, offering them protection in exchange for loyalty.

The empire was splintering, and Dominic realized he needed to act swiftly before it entirely fell apart.

The Power Vacuum Expands

With each day that passed, Dominic noticed the divisions growing deeper. His organization began to fracture into factions, each contending for dominance in his absence. Some men remained devoted to him, convinced he was still the rightful leader, while many others became uncertain, waiting to see which side would prevail.

There were those who followed Enzo, believing his aggressive tactics were the way forward. Enzo had always been Dominic's shadow, a loyal second-in-command, but now he was crafting his own identity—one based on brute strength and total control.

Yet Enzo wasn't the only competitor.

Giancarlo De Rossi, an old-school mafioso from Naples, had been a trusted partner but had never dared challenge Dominic's authority. Now, as uncertainty spread, Giancarlo began making moves in Italy, shifting alliances and excluding Dominic from crucial operations.

Then there was Mikhail Petrov, the head of a Russian syndicate that had long cooperated with Dominic but never fully trusted him. Petrov's men started taking over Dominic's drug routes in Eastern Europe, using sheer force to eliminate those still loyal to the Hawk.

It turned into a free-for-all, and Dominic no longer had the luxury of dismantling the empire on his terms.

The men he had once commanded were choosing sides, and if Dominic didn't act, he risked losing not just his empire but his life as well.

Dominic's Countermove

The old Dominic—the one who had built this empire with ruthless efficiency—would have crushed the uprising instantly. He would have dealt with Enzo, sent a message to his foes, and reasserted his dominance in one decisive action.

But Dominic wasn't that man anymore. He had already made the choice to step away. But how could he do that when the empire was imploding?

He needed a different strategy—one that would let him depart without leaving behind a battlefield.

Dominic recognized that Enzo wouldn't relent until he took everything. The man was too driven, too eager to prove himself. Yet, Dominic also knew Enzo's brutality would eventually expose his weaknesses.

And therein lay the secret.

Enzo had alienated too many people too swiftly. He had acted aggressively, turning potential allies into enemies. The Russian syndicate didn't trust him, the old-school Italian families resented his lack of respect, and even within his own ranks, many of Dominic's men feared that Enzo's leadership could lead them into an all-out war.

That was where Gregor Horvath entered the picture.

Horvath, the Hungarian crime lord with whom Dominic had been quietly negotiating, had no interest in feuds or unnecessary conflict. He sought business, stability, and profit.

Dominic had been preparing Horvath to take control of vital areas of the empire, but now he needed to expedite that process.

If he could position Horvath as a preferable alternative to Enzo, he could corner Enzo into a difficult situation. If the syndicate perceived Horvath as the one who could restore stability, they would abandon Enzo before he could secure his power.

It was a risky game—one that required perfect timing.

But Dominic had played high-stakes games before.