Chapter 14–The Unseen Blade

The Perfect Fall Guy

Power wasn't just about how many men you commanded or how much money you controlled. It was about perception. If people saw you as weak, you were weak. If they believed you were in control, then you had already won half the battle.

And right now, Lorenzo needed to believe he was the one in control.

He needed to think he had uncovered the deception on his own, that his instincts had led him to purge the traitor.

And I was going to give him exactly that.

It had to be Rico.

His loyalty was strong, but his vices were stronger—gambling, women, drugs. His arrogance made him believe he was untouchable, that his place in the De Luca family was permanent. But in this world, nothing was permanent.

Men like him were born just to be pawns to others, especially the most powerful,and when pawns outlived their usefulness, they were sacrificed.

The dim yellow light was glowing faintly above us as I say in a rundown motel room,one can perceive the scent of cigarettes smoke in the air and something darker—the kind of tension that signaled a move that couldn't be undone.

Viper was sitting silently with every confidence,he hunched over his laptop just across from me, his cybernetic eye glowing faintly as his fingers flew across the keyboard.He look more like a specter than a man,as the glow from the screen cast eerie shadows on his face.

He was no doubt the best hacker in the underworld. A ghost in the system.

And tonight, he was mine.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" he asked me going through the lines of code scrolling across his screen.

"Of course,I needs to do the needful."I answered sharply,without hesitating.

Viper exhaled a slow chuckle. "Damn, princess. If Lorenzo knew his sweet little sister was setting him up like this—"

I gave him a look that made his grin fade.

"Just make it clean," I said, stepping closer. "I want bank transfers. Call logs. Suspicious meetings. Make him look like he was selling De Luca secrets to the enemy."

Viper nodded, his fingers moving with mechanical precision. Within seconds, the screen filled with fabricated data—offshore accounts, encrypted messages, and wire transfers that painted Rico as a mole working with the Mendez cartel.

Fake conversations appeared on the screen:

Encrypted Text Chain – 01:45 AM

Unknown: "Shipment will arrive Tuesday. Payment expected in full."

Rico: "De Luca's security patterns haven't changed. Easy access."

Unknown: "Good. Keep feeding us updates. You'll be rewarded."

I leaned forward. "Change 'De Luca's security' to 'Lorenzo's latest shipment details'—make it personal."

Viper smirked. "Damn. Cold."

Alessia, standing near the window, folded her arms. "It's almost cruel."

"Almost," I echoed.

Viper let out a low whistle. "Damn. You really weren't always like this, were you?"

I didn't answer.

"Get it done," I said.

---

The Execution of Rico

The fallout came faster than I expected.

Lorenzo had been on edge for weeks, his paranoia clawing at him like a caged beast. When the fabricated evidence landed in his lap, it was like handing a loaded gun to a desperate man.

Rico never stood a chance.

The moment Lorenzo summoned him to the warehouse, I knew it was over.

But Rico was a survivor. He didn't beg. He didn't plead.

He ran.

I watched everything that took place from the security feeds as Rico bolted out of the warehouse, knocking over crates, shoving past guards. The alley outside was slick with rain, the neon glow of the city reflecting in dirty puddles. His breath came in ragged gasps, his suit drenched in sweat.

The sound of footsteps. Heavy. Unforgiving.

Lorenzo's men surrounded him within seconds.

A knife flashed—Rico lunged for one of them, slicing deep into his arm. But it was too late.

Lorenzo stepped forward, the click of his gun silencing everything.

"You betrayed me," he said, voice quiet.

"I didn't!" Rico's voice cracked, desperate.

Lorenzo turned the phone screen toward him, showing the forged messages, the offshore accounts, the betrayal in black and white.

Rico's face drained of all color.

"This isn't real," he whispered. "You know me, Lorenzo. You know me."

Lorenzo's jaw clenched. His hand shook slightly as he pointed the gun.

For a second, I thought he might hesitate.

Then he pulled the trigger.

A single gunshot. A sickening thud as Rico's body hit the ground.

Lorenzo turned away before the blood even reached his shoes.

I exhaled.

One less loose end.

---

The Mafia King's Curiosity

One can perceive the scent wof oil, steel, and blood in the warehouse.The walls bore the scars of a thousand bullets—ghosts of men who had begged for mercy and found none.

At the head of the long wooden table, Rafael sat in silence, his fingers wrapping loosely around a glass of whiskey. His presence alone commanded respect—the kind that made men hesitate before speaking.

I had seen men tremble before Rafael Moretti,the feared mafia king.

But as his dark eyes settled on me, there was something different.

Curiosity.

"You changed," he said simply.

I lifted a brow. "Did I?"

He took a slow sip of his drink, studying me. His silence stretched, thick with unspoken thoughts.

"The Isabella I met years ago,not even years ago,few months back or will I say few days back was Lorenzo's sweet little sister, the naive princess of the De Luca family—she wouldn't have done this."

I leaned back, my fingers tracing the rim of my untouched glass. "That girl died a long time ago."

Rafael tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his expression. "Did she? Or was she just waiting for the right moment to wake up?"

I said nothing.

I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You kill with ease now."

I met his gaze, unblinking. "Maybe it's just second nature."

A pause.

Then Rafael smirked.

"Interesting."

The tension broke, but something unspoken lingered in the air.

Then, he lifted his glass in a silent toast.

"To the unseen blade."

I lifted mine, and as the whiskey burned its way down my throat, I knew.

This was only the beginning.