The city felt like a war zone. By morning, the news was filled with footage of the warehouse fire, reporters breathlessly speculating about explosions and gang warfare. But Alessandro didn't have time to worry about headlines—he knew Vittorio Bellucci wouldn't hide for long. Vittorio would strike back, and soon.
Alessandro and Rachel regrouped at one of Alessandro's most secure safehouses, a fortified townhouse in the old quarter. His men patched up their wounds and reinforced the windows, every shadow outside a potential threat.
Rachel spread photos and documents across a table lit by a single hanging bulb. "Vittorio has a network—contract killers, dirty cops, even politicians. If we just chase him, he'll stay ahead. We need to hit him where he's weakest."
Alessandro's eyes hardened as he scanned a photo of Vittorio's younger brother, Stefano Bellucci, who ran their finances from a private club downtown. "If we take out his money, his men will scatter."
They moved before midnight.
Rachel hacked into the club's security feeds, directing Alessandro's team as they slipped through alleys and rooftops. The Bellucci club was a gilded fortress—red carpets, crystal chandeliers, and steel-eyed guards with earpieces.
Through his earpiece, Rachel's voice was steady: "Stefano is in the VIP suite, second floor, guarded by two men. Cameras are disabled. Go."
Alessandro and his lieutenant, Nico, burst through the suite door, catching Stefano mid-toast with a coterie of smug-looking financiers. The music from the club below barely covered the gunfire as Alessandro's silencer barked twice, dropping both guards before they could react.
Stefano stumbled back, wine splashing across his white shirt. "You… you wouldn't dare—"
Alessandro grabbed him by the throat, slamming him against the glass window overlooking the city. "Your brother declared war," he hissed. "And you're the first casualty."
Stefano's eyes bulged with terror. "Please—I can give you everything. Accounts. Names. Offshore vaults. Just don't kill me!"
Rachel's voice crackled in his ear. "We've got everything downloading from his laptop now. Ten years of transactions. It's enough to dismantle the entire Bellucci syndicate."
Sirens wailed in the distance—someone in the club had called the cops. Alessandro released Stefano, who collapsed sobbing onto the marble floor. "You're done," Alessandro said coldly. "Tell Vittorio: I'm coming for him."
As they exited the club, flames erupted behind them—Nico had planted charges on the way in, and the Bellucci family's palace of power went up in a towering inferno. Smoke billowed into the night sky, a fiery symbol of Alessandro's declaration of war.
Back at the safehouse, Rachel reviewed the financial records with eyes wide. "This is everything," she whispered. "Shell companies, weapons deals, bribes… The Belluccis are finished if we get this to the FBI."
Alessandro sat heavily, exhaustion and adrenaline battling inside him. "Vittorio will know we're coming. He'll throw everything he has at us."
Rachel looked at him, fierce determination in her eyes. "Then let him. Because we're not running. Not anymore."
Alessandro reached for her hand. "This ends now. One way or another."
Outside, thunder rumbled low over the city—a storm gathering for the final showdown.