It was late at night when Luke quietly left the mansion.

Dressed in a long black coat with a hat covering his head, he slipped into the waiting car. Moments later, the vehicle rolled away, disappearing into the darkness.

After nearly two hours of driving, the car finally stopped in front of an old, isolated building deep within the woods, far from the city.

Luke stepped out slowly, lighting a cigar before shutting the car door. Smoke curled around him as he stared at the decaying structure.

A man greeted him. "Mr. Bellini." He bowed to him slightly.

Luke gave a curt nod and exhaled smoke. "How is he doing?"

"Quiet," the man replied. "Stopped causing trouble."

Luke raised an eyebrow as if he couldn’t believe what he had heard. Then his lips curled slightly.

"Interesting."

He stepped into the house.

The building was dim and damp, carrying the scent of mold, dust, and rust. Luke crossed the hallway and stopped in front of a heavily guarded room.

The door creaked open.

Inside, a man stood shackled against the wall.

His wrists were chained wide apart to iron hooks. Heavy restraints bound his ankles as well.

His clothes were stained with dried blood and dirt. Bruises covered his body. His hair had grown long and messy, nearly hiding his face, while a thick beard covered his sharp jawline.

The moment he lifted his head, fury burned in his exhausted eyes. The shackles rattled violently.

His dark eyes darkened a shade more.

It was Dominic.

Yes, he was still alive. Hatred surged through him the instant he saw Luke.

His mind raced back to the accident that had separated him from Mila.

Flashback...

Dominic crawled out of the wrecked car. His body ached all over.

"Mila..." Ignoring the pain, he moved forward.

Then a tall figure appeared before him, pointing a gun directly at his head.

Dominic froze right there, his eyes widening. His pulse skyrocketed. But what terrified him wasn’t death.

It was Mila.

If he died there, what would happen to her?

"Dominic Russo," the masked man sneered, finger tightening on the trigger. "Your game is finally over."

Dominic didn’t want to give up even at that moment. He tightened his grip on the gun. Taking a deep breath, he swung his hand to shoot him.

Bang

A deafening gunshot exploded through the air before he could pull the trigger.

Dominic instinctively shut his eyes, expecting pain. But it never came. He was still breathing. His heartbeat was roaring in his ears.

’I’m still alive.’

A moment later, he heard a dull thud.

His eyes snapped open.

The masked man was lying on the ground, blood pouring from a bullet hole between his eyebrows.

Dominic’s breathing turned ragged. ’What the hell? Who killed him?’

Just as he tried to turn around, something struck the back of his head violently.

His eyes rolled back, and he passed out instantly.

When he woke up again, he found himself imprisoned in this room.

It was Luke Bellini who had brought him here and kept him captive for two months.

End of flashback.

Dominic glared at him, his blood boiling inside. He wished nothing but to kill him. His fingers tightened around the shackles until the metal dug into his skin.

"Well, well..." Luke smirked as he settled into a chair. "The guard told me you’ve been quiet lately. I was honestly surprised."

Dominic held his gaze, cold and dangerous. "You chained me up like an animal and expected me to keep fighting forever?" he said hoarsely. "I’m tired."

Luke studied him carefully while taking a slow drag from his cigar.

"You mean," he said lazily, "you are finally ready to work for me?"

Dominic slowly nodded.

Luke’s smile froze. He watched him skeptically. "You are not planning to betray me the moment I release you, are you?"

That was exactly Dominic’s plan. But first, he needed freedom.

"A man trapped in chains for two months only thinks about escaping this hell," Dominic replied quietly. "Not revenge."

Luke watched him for a few seconds before chuckling softly. "Fair enough."

But he had not dropped his guard fully.

"How do I trust you?" he asked. "What if you stab me in the back later?"

Dominic was silent. He lowered his gaze briefly.

"You saved my life," he said at last. "No matter your reason, that fact won’t change. I owe you."

Luke laughed.

"You really are impressive, Dominic. Fine, I’ll release you. But you have to promise me that you will work for me and remain loyal to me."

The next moment, his gaze darkened. "If you don’t, Mila dies."

Dominic’s muscles instantly tensed. Rage exploded inside him violently. His grip on the shackles tightened.

But he suppressed it. Right now, he couldn’t afford to make a mistake or risk Mila’s safety.

"Mila is now my son’s wife," Luke revealed.

Dominic froze. Shock cracked his composure.

The shackles jingled, this time louder.

"She registered her marriage with Max," Luke added. "And she is pregnant."

Dominic stared at him blankly. It felt as though someone had ripped his heart out with bare hands.

"You are lying," he muttered. "She... she would never marry another man. She can’t. Mila loves me."

"Of course she loved you," Luke interrupted. "She was devastated when she heard you were dead."

Dominic scowled. "You lied to her?"

"I saved you," Luke asserted firmly. "You have no idea what happened during these past two months. Mathias is furious with you. He vowed to destroy your gang."

At that, Dominic fell into a stunned silence.

"The moment he learned Victor and Stephen were dead, he went berserk. He activated all his connections to destroy your gang. Your men were hunted down one by one."

Luke continued darkly. "Someone recorded how Lucas had caused the massacre in Blue Lagoon. The authorities are after your people now too. I had no choice but to spread the rumor that you died."

Dominic’s breathing grew heavier, his anger rising. "But a lie is still a lie," he hissed. "You should’ve told Mila the truth."

His whole body shook in rage. "At least, you could have told Mila the truth."

"And then what?" Luke barked sharply. "Let Mathias discover she was your girlfriend?"

Dominic went still.

Luke’s voice lowered. "They were prepared to kill everyone connected to you."

He took another drag from his cigar. "Your gang is already shattered. Most of your men are either dead or captured. The few remaining are hiding like rats."

Dominic clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Only a few remained. But how long can they hide? Mathias or the police will find them anyway. In this situation, tell me, how could I keep her safe?"

He snorted. "Mathias is not a fool. He already knew what kind of relationship you had with Mila. But I told him Mila hated you, that you kidnapped her and forced her to stay beside you as his mistress."

Dominic’s eyes burned with fury.

"She was never your lover in their eyes," Luke added. "She was your victim."

Dominic’s heart trembled. He was furious – so furious that he wished he could beat him to death. But he also understood the gravity of the situation.

Luke continued to speak, "I made him believe that Mila was actually Max’s girlfriend. But that alone wasn’t enough. Mathias still suspected her. So I made Mila marry Max."

Dominic’s chest tightened violently. Every word felt like another knife twisting into him.

"And now, she is pregnant."

Dominic looked shattered.

"She is safe now," Luke said. "Mathias believes she truly belongs to Max."

Dominic’s teeth clenched so tightly that his jaw hurt. It was hard to believe that Mila had married another man. Above all, she was pregnant too, in just two months.

He couldn’t process it.

"How could this be possible?" he mumbled in a daze. "She definitely loves me. How could she marry someone else and get pregnant?"

"When people are desperate to survive, they make choices they normally wouldn’t. She didn’t want to die. So she agreed to marry Max."

Dominic clasped the shackles tightly, his muscles straining. His entire body trembled.

He remembered Mila crying in his arms, promising she would never leave him. And now she was another man’s wife.

Pregnant.

Happy.

The thought nearly destroyed him.

"You should be grateful she is alive," Luke muttered. "If she had remained your woman publicly, she would already be dead."

Dominic glared at him. His face twisted with unbearable rage and heartbreak.

Mila was his motivation, his love, his peace. He had dreamed of a happy future with her. But now she was someone else’s wife. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

He wanted to burn down the whole world.

"Why did you save me?" he hissed. "You could have let me die there. Why keep me alive? To make me suffer? To mock me?"

Luke clicked his tongue and shook his head. "You are useful to me alive. I never intended to kill you."

Dominic watched him coldly. "What do you want from me?"

"Work for me, Dominic," Luke said, his tone turning serious. "I want Mathias destroyed."

Those words were enough to stun Dominic. His eyes narrowed.

"You want to destroy Mathias?" he repeated with confusion and doubt. "But you are a core team member. Why do you want to betray him?"

Luke’s expression darkened. "Mathias no longer treats us like partners," he muttered. "He acts as if he owns us."

Dominic listened silently.

Dominic had heard whispers before that tensions were growing among the core members and that they had begun feeling suppressed under Mathias’s control. Now, he realized those rumors had been true all along.

"I’m done taking orders from him," Luke continued. "I want his throne."

His gaze sharpened.

"And with you beside me, Dominic, we can be invincible."

A dangerous smile spread across his lips.