The underground chamber was alive with low, sultry music and the faint scent of expensive cigars mixed with sweat and desire. Dim red lights cast across velvet furniture and polished marble floors. The usual sounds of pleasure had fallen eerily silent.

A man dressed in a fitted black suit walked in, supported by an ornate cane in his right hand. Behind him marched fifty armed men, their faces hardened and eyes cold. Their very presence sucked the air out of the room.

The guards who had once searched Santiago now trembled visibly, pressing themselves against the walls as if trying to disappear.

The man’s steps were measured slowly as he was taking his time to walk. The cane tapping softly against the marble like a death knell.

His face was aged but commanding, with silver hair slicked back and eyes that seemed to pierce through anyone who dared meet them. He was known only as "The Emperor" in these circles — a title no one questioned.

The guard who had searched Santiago last time hurried forward, eyes fixed on the ground. His voice shook. "Sir... this way. Boss is already waiting for you."

"Boss?" The Emperor’s baritone voice rumbled through the chamber, deep and mocking. "Between him and I, who is the boss?"

The guard dropped to his knees instantly, forehead touching the cold floor. "You are the one and only Emperor. No one is ahead of you."

"Good. I like you already." The Emperor waved his hand lazily. Five of his men rushed into the inner chamber without hesitation.

Screams and the sound of furniture crashing echoed from inside. Moments later, they dragged out the manSantiago always meets. The prideful man was now looking small and broken.

His shirt was torn, blood trickled from a split lip, and his eyes were wide with genuine fear for the first time in years. They dumped him roughly at the Emperor’s feet.

The Emperor crouched slowly, using his cane for support. He lifted the man’s chin with the tip of the cane, forcing the man to look up at him.

"Viktor," he said softly, almost affectionately, "you really are growing wings now, huh?"

Viktor clenched his jaw, but the fear was unmistakable in his eyes. Sweat beaded on his forehead. "Emperor... I didn’t mean to overstep my boundaries. I didn’t know you were already here, I’m—"

The Emperor’s laugh was low and chilling. "You didn’t know? You were playing king in my territory. Why would your men know of my whereabouts and you don’t know of where I’m. I have you my resources, and allowed you, touching things you were never meant to touch."

He pressed the cane harder under Viktor’s chin, tilting his head further back. "Did you really think I was playing with you?"

Viktor’s breathing grew ragged. "I was plotting out a safe way out for you. For us—"

The Emperor’s eyes flashed with cold fury. He straightened up and nodded once. Two of his men grabbed Viktor by the arms, forcing him to his knees properly.

Another came out and begins to hit Viktor until his eyes were swollen. The emperor waves his hands to dismiss those men.

"It’s being days since I came here, I need to see your completed assignments."

A blue limousine drove inside the underground house, an a skinny man I’m glasses came out of it. In his hands were compose md folders, he walked towards emperor and bowed a little. "Sir he has managed to complete some of your missions. We managed to secure some part of Silas company though it’s a little."

The man handed over the folders to the emperor and helped Viktor to his feets. "Well done advisor, perhaps I should organize a wedding for you both. With a happy married life pasted on your foreheads."

This skinny man was the advisor that came to visit Viktor about Santiago identity. He didn’t flinced at the man’s words only stared at him and replied calmly. "You bought Viktor freedom not mine. If I choose to leave I can leave, but do you want to lose a valuable asset now."

"Are you threatening me, Liam you sure are bold. What if my men buries you here. What will you say."

Viktor taps the advisor shoulders telling him to free him, but he didn’t let go of his hands. "You have a bad knees emperor why don’t we go inside and discuss better. I don’t know if you can survive on those weak knees."

The emperor scorns and gave the files to a man standing beside him. "The same room he used to pound your men or what. Just because I haven’t been around those not mean I’m dumb you know."

The advisor let out an air. "I never called you dumb by the way, moreover I had those men inside clean it up."

"Alright, lead the way."

The advisor supports Viktor hands and walked into the private room in the underground house. The room wasn’t dusty or reek of sex, the air was refreshef already.

Two men followed the emperor in while the remaining forty eight stood guard outside.

The emperor sat on a high chair, while the advisor and Viktor sat in the opposite chairs facing the advisor. "Alright, five me details of all that went through my tents, since I left here."

"Our tent, the emperor." The advisor corrected him. "Viktor got a scapegoats to be used as our representative, he did manage to get seven percent of Silas company."

The emperor ignored the previous comment, and swipe through the files that he gave his men. "Hmmm...I see you have been working well. But why is a big unknown on our fucking scapegoat, you actually used someone unknown to deal with my prey."

The advisor tilted his head, and shook his head. "That is Viktor work not mine."

The emperor turns to Viktor. "Explain."

Viktor stammers and wanting to kneel when the advisor pull him to sit. He swallows deeply and stares back at the emperor. "It’s because he has a strong background."

The emperor sneers and waited for him to continue. "I ran through his records but I didn’t see anything related to him. But his distinct feature made me search for his country."

The emperor taps his men and points towards the wine bar. The men pour a glass of whiskey and gave it to the emperor. "And when you searched it up what did you find."

Viktor swallows hard and continues. "His distinct feature is that of an Asian, his manner and intellectual is more of an European. Moreover he doesn’t bait an eye at any of my men."

He swipes the blood flowing from his lips. "He is either from a wealthy family or a mafia family. After digging deep after he reached out to me for an assistant, I found two clues connected to him."

The emperor drinks the whiskey finished and asked his men to bring another bottle. "Continue, I’m listening to your old ass story."

"The Rocco and Steele heir are not in their castle."

The advisor who has been quiet since, widened his eyes in total disbelief. "What!!"

The emperor about to take another sip from the previous one given to him by his men stooped and looked at him. "The Rocco and Steele heir..... The famous family. Are you kidding me Viktor."

Viktor shook his head continuously. "I’m not."

The Rocco family was a famous Italian mafia gang, they control every dart deals in Italy. Also has controls over the black market in Italy.

As for the Steele family they are also a gang family as the Rocco but far superior than them. The Steele family has their hands in ten different countries and the Rocco in just two countries.

The Steele family were known for being ruthless, every dirty works was done by them. They had an assassin group ruled by the demoness, a blood thirsty woman.

The emperor placed his hands on his forehead, thinking at the words for Viktor. "Why would you use a behemoth to fight a cockroach for me."

Viktor gaining his moral continues. "Silas has his hands deep in the underworld."

The emperor frowns his face. "What do you mean by deep."

Viktor wipes his face with a handkerchief passed to him by the advisor. "I sent people to kill him multiple times but you had never died. Why do you think a poor boy will rise to the top without any government officials wanting to eat from him."

The advisor looks at Viktor and smirked. "So you sent assassins to him behind our backs."

Viktor coughs awkwardly and looks away. "It was effective between, at least I know Silas hands are in the underworld."

The Emperor sneered and took a sip of whiskey from the glass one of his men handed him. "Effective? You risked my entire operation on a ghost. If Silas finds out who he really is before we’re ready, everything collapses."