Till Death Do us Apart - Episode 61,62,63&64

  

TILL D£ATH DO US APART

Till Death Do us Apart - Episode 61,62,63&64

(The•Devil•I•Loved)

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, or reposted in any form, or by any means without a BOLDLY written permission from ME.

Copyright © 2025

Naomi Cindy B.

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★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

[Leonardo's Citadel, 8am]

After staring at Ivanna on the jet cameras for an hour, Leonardo was finally able to get his senses back in a line. He was finally able to have his clean shower and dress up.

He went casual today, doesn't wanna spill blood on his priceless suit again or have to cover anyone with it.

Wearing a black shirt which moulded his body and carved out his abs on the first p+nts he could get his hands on in his closet, he strolled out of his room, breathing out the name of the person he has assigned today for.

Valon.

Leonardo has never heard about forgiveness. No preacher has ever been able to get that across to him, so Valon is either losing his life or losing everything he has ever worked for.

Giving his drugs to Monika? Unforgivable.

Monika of all people? Her face makes him feel nauseous, and her aliveness till today is only cos he has been intentionally shifting her deathday.

He didn't bother shifting his hair away from his eyes. Through the shock of his hair, he stared at the estate roster today.

All top mobsters have one mission or the other.

Bobby and Robert to the warehouse.

Island and Bacardi are going to get the next shipment of xax from the dock, and it'd take all day.

Nino and Sandra are helping with arranging new incoming documents in the Don's office.

The other tops are as busy as f+k too, which means he'd have to use his private guards.

He shut down his tab and was about to drop it on the table when his mind did a twitch. 

He switched to the jet camera screen, watching Ivanna again.

She's on her window seat, not far from Hilda, and she looks totally restless. Her thumb nail is in her mouth, and she has bit it down so deep that it's bleeding slightly.

Her lips are moving. She's not audible, but he could make out her words from the way her lips moved.

She's chanting... "Mum, Dad."

And as she did, she switched between the thumb and index. She's tapping her black sneaker on the floor too.

Leonardo's eyes left those lips and went to her tummy. 

Her blouse isn't cropped, but it folded on her tummy area, her navel is out.

Obviously, she doesn't know. Does she even know she's on a jet? She looks too lost to even see herself.

His eyes lingered on her little navel for another long minute before he rode them back to her face.

She's wearing a face cap, but it still wasn't enough to cover her anxiety.

Leonardo jerked. If he continues like this, then fûck knows he might stare all day, so he dropped the tablet and entered the elevator.

Instantly, he received a call from the Section V... From Tierney.

He picked as the elevator went down.

"Ghost, I swear her fingers moved! I saw it! I f+kin did!" Tierney shouted, his mouth busy with something.

He's definitely eating... again.

"Call the estate doctor. Don't contact me unless she opens her eyes." Leonardo muttered, hanging up as he entered his private park.

He assigned ten guards with himself, and the moment they moved the cars to start their journey out, Don Anthony entered the park.

He stood in front of the car like he sold his life to hell, and the driving guard quickly pulled back, stopping the car right in front of his knees.

His eyes widened.

"Pardon me, Don!" He jumped out of the car to give a proper bow.

Ignoring him, Don Anthony opened the backdoor of the car and entered, sitting with Leonardo.

"This explains the sudden drop in the atmosphere. Padre, your name might still command rispetto, but your presence only carries a scent I despise." Leonardo muttered.

"Been long since we bonded, let's fix that." Anthony purred, taking Leonardo's bandaged wrist, but Leonardo snatched it away before he could even start checking it out.

"Get out of the car, or I'll have to tell the guards to drag you out." He rolled eyes, winding the window down.

His accent is sharper now, meaning he's getting really mad.

Don Anthony looked up, his eyes catching Leonardo's dark face which is shrouded by his hair.

"You should get an haircut, don't you think? Or better still..braid it. This clan revolves around your appearance." He said.

Angrily, Leonardo barged out of the car, and instead of rounding it, he jumped over the trunk and flung the other door open, dragging Anthony.

"Sitting in that car for one minute is the last luxury you'd ever get to taste here. Come here again, and I'll take blood from you!" He threatened.

"Vera was a bad mother to you, and a bad wife to me, it's normal for me to get over her fast. You don't have to stand on my throat cos of that!" Anthony spat.

"Throat? I'm standing on your life, you obviously don't get the intensity of this shit. That day, mum would have cancelled our park outing after hearing that Lissa followed her parents on a business trip, but she couldn't cancel cos you had one of your blind arguments with her again and she couldn't stand staying with you in the Penthouse, so she had to go to the park with me alone, and she fuckin got killed right in front of me!" 

"One month later, you dragged Felicia into this estate as the new Donna, and what? I'm supposed to sit, sip bourbon and call her mummy while receiving pats from her three fingers? You f+kin parasite!" Leonardo snapped, laughing crazily and finally touching his hair, brushing it back with his well-defined fingers.

"I did what I had to do! You don't even know the story! You don't know your mum! She kept you close the most but you're the most clueless about her! She messed with your mental health, and now you do deranged things! You only ever listen to Padrino Marko—your deranged grandpa, but listen; he was the one who ruined Vera mentally, and in turn, Vera ruined you!" Anthony slammed.

By now, the guards has left the private park. It's not proper to witness their argument like this.

"Ah..." Leonardo lifted his brows. "You came here to preach to me cos Marko is coming next week? And you don't want me to get too close to him again cos he hates you?"

"I don't care about his hate for me! He hated me even when Vera was still alive. Stay away from Marko next week! He's only coming to wreck you completely and I won't watch that! You are my son weather you like it or not! You won't be alive if I didn't fûck Unfortunate Vera that night!" Anthony gnarled.

Leonardo's hand moved—with instinct. He stuck Anthony in the face twice.

Anthony staggered so hard, but he held the car and pushed himself back, then he returned the punch to Leonardo's face.

Leonardo's lip got red in the corner.

He didn't shake, but after Anthony gave him that punch, the man still held the car to balance.

"You're already ruined in half. I won't allow the complete ruin." He muttered, wiping the blood on his lips with an hanky.

He dumped the hanky in a trash before staggering out of the park.

Still angry, Leonardo jumped back into the car and pulled his phone, dialling his most capable Albania spy.

"At your service..." The husky voice dropped immediately.

"Is there any of my people in the Albania police headquarters?" Leonardo asked.

"There are two of our people at the station. One is an officer, and the other is the wife of the Chief Of Operations." The spy replied straight.

"Contact the wife, she must inform her husband about the velkrona drug production ongoing in Valon's Empire. Of course Valon would have fingerlings in the police too, but if anyone tries to save him, simply make them collateral damage...(you are reading from www.mhiztaemy.com.ng)Kill them mysteriously and leave their bodies in the open for flies." Leonardo said, snapping his fingers for the driver to start the drive.

The driver obeyed.

"During my stay in his empire last week, I studied his empire operation style. They only pretend to ship drugs out at night cos people already suspect them to be nocturnal. All the boxes they ship out at night were lighter, meaning they didn't contain drugs, and that's why cops always meet emptiness whenever they search their trunks at checkpoints. Their real operations is in the early morning through a east door in his empire, I'll send you the drawing. They use one hour, 5 to 6am. So...by tomorrow morning, strike. I want Valon deported to me." Leonardo continued his instruction.

"Expect good news tommorow morning." The spy replied, and Leonardo hung up.

"Where do I go, Ghost?" The driver asked from the front.

"I have my own share of the incoming racketeering documents to work on." Leonardo replied.

"But you always work on documents in your Citadel office." The second guard said beside the guard driver.

"I'm against the office today, drive me to a private hotel, book a hall before we arrive. A hall with not less than twenty slûts." Leonardo replied.

"Copied" The second guard picked his phone to start the preparations.

Leonardo rolled up his window, relaxing on the headrest.

Working in his Citadel office is a no today. He's just gonna spend all day staring at HER jet video.

Five minutes later, the Rolls Royce Wraith drove into a private hotel called X Hotel, and as it stopped in the valet park, the remaining eight guards from another car got down in two lines, trailing after Leonardo as he entered the hotel like an entity.

--

[House Of Esposito~Don's Office]

Since Don Anthony left the office thirty minutes ago, he hasn't returned, so it's has been just Sandra and Nino.

Sandra is working on paperwork signatures, and Nino is rearranging.

Body Clearance documents to a side, Shipments documents to another side. Death games documents to a side, and newly initiated members documents to another side.

And several other illegal papers.

They did it in silence, and Sandra could swear she wasn't hearing Nino's breathings throughout.

She stared at him for long till she couldn't take it anymore. She dropped her electric pen.

"Tell me, everything..." She said.

Nino stayed mute, so she angrily shot up from her chair and went to snatch the document with him.

She threw it on the ground and pulled him up by the polo.

"Tell me...what's going on with you! What exactly!"

"So you can usher me to your Condo to go wash underwear again?" He said without flavour.

She roughly let him go, then her arms went crossed over her chest.

"Yes! Your answer determines if that happens or not. Tell me what Island is holding you with! I can't stand that bî+ch! You didn't rape her, so why be a lapdog for her! You willingly follow her everywhere without a leash!" 

Nino's jaws grinded at the word R@PE, and Sandra's eyes lowered.

"You didn't r@pe her, did you?"

"Leave me the f+k!..." Nino snapped.

"You r@ped Island!?" Sandra snapped back immediately.

"I didn't! I'd never rape anyone I don't know how the f+k it happened! Give me a f+kin break!" Nino yelled.

Sandra's arms dropped from her chest, and her mouth came wide a little bit before she slammed her palms on the table intentionally.

"You're a fool! What the f+k!" She stomped off to the door angrily.

"You better rearrange the documents yourself. Everything!" She shouted before slamming the door shut.

Nino sat back, sighing with closed eyes and hurting shoulders.

--

[Roses Sanctuary]

"An Underboss laying hands on the Don? Leo will never not be an outlaw, how dare he even touch you?" Felicia complained as she used a wet cotton bud on Anthony's jawline.

He sat beside a cluster of hydrangea flower pots, and she stood between his legs, gently pressing the bud to the blood smears on his jaw.

"Law doesn't hold that boy, you know it." Anthony replied.

"Boy? He's a man, stop it. 28 is a fuckin man" Felicia frowned.

"No matter how huge or tall he grows, he'd still be my boy. Don't argue and just disinfect." Anthony replied, and Felicia sighed.

"What did you tell him to warrant this punch?" 

"To stay off when Marko arrives next week, and he was being headstrong like the typical him...I called Vera unfortunate in front of him, and hell broke lose." Anthony replied.

"You should know he'd never agree to stay off Marko. I mean... Marko is like Vera 2:0. Leo is bond to form thick obsessive attachments with anyone who has even the slightest Vera's characteristics." Felicia said, dropping the cotton bud.

Don Anthony's mind went to Ivanna immediately; Tough, asthmatic, always glaring, strong-willed. Ivanna even once whipped him like Vera.

"Thony?" Felicia waved an hand in front of him when she sensed he's spacing out.

"Yeah? You said you wanted to go to the roses shop yesterday too, but I don't see any new rose here." He said, throwing a cursory look around.

"I didn't get the chance to go. I only went for the dresses and spa session with Penny. Come, I'll show you the dress." Felicia pulled him up, hoping he won't press further.

"I have documents to handle in the office, Felly." He said, standing.

"Documents can wait, and besides, Nino and Sandra are helping, even Leo himself will be helping. Worry not, I won't ask for s+x when we get inside," she winked.

Anthony laughed shortly, following her in.

On their way in, he saw a small white pill below a flower pot. 

He almost asked what it was, but he sucked it up and concluded he was just being over-cautious 

--

[Armando Constructions New Site]

Since Thaddeus got back, he took over the Chairman spot, right beside Penny as the Chairwoman, but even the collaboration of the two couldn't ease the heavy workload of Lissa who's the CEO.

This new contract site is located in the heart of Chicago, and the contractors want the biggest hospital in this city on the land.

The whole Armando Constructions team came for the inspection.

It's their biggest contract this month.

Despite Thaddeus' jail record, the company stayed rigid. In fact, it got stronger after he got out of jail.

His iron fists hardened behind bars. His connections lengthened.

He was smoking weed pipe with an hand, rubbing his head with the other hand as they emerged from the site with the contractors after the last negotiation on the starting price.

Lissa, Penny and Emma are behind.

"Feels like this hospital will take this December plus January and February, but we can't start next week yunno. We have a ceremony." Lissa said professionally.

"Who said we can't start next week? There are enough workers on ground, and our managers will do the inspection work." Penny shrugged.

"You heard when the contractors said they want US to supervise right from the foundation, there must be no mistakes!" Lissa snapped.

"Why getting defensive all of a sudden?" Penny faced her.

"I'm currently having a hot head with the ongoing Leo stuff, I don't want public attention again or another protest from people!" Lissa shot and walked off.

Emma followed her with a run, opening the umbrella on her till they got to the car. She opened the door.

Lissa entered, shut her eyes and relaxed for a beat.

"Drive, I'll give you directions to my secret place." She said when she opened her eyes.

"Your... secret place? Me?" Emma faced her shockingly.

Lissa gave her a blank, shrilly stare, and she quickly faced front, grabbing the steering wheel.

She drove off.

After they left, the contractors left in their cars too.

 Thaddeus with Penny hopped into their car too.

"Lalissa left?" Thaddeus asked.

"She has been on the edge for days now, and it got worse today. She left with Emma." Penny sighed.

"Don't give me that sound, wife. Your husband is becoming a brigadier next week." Thaddeus held her chin.

"I know, and that's why you have to be careful with your moves. You know how we started this company, you know the blood of how many people we shed, you know a family was ruined to get here. One single mistake might drag everything away from us." Penny said seriously.

Unapologetic evil blazed in her eyes without restraints as she spoke.

"You found out I sent people to New Orleans to target the girl?" Thaddeus frowned, letting go of her chin.

"You're a smart husband, Thaddeus. I have to match up to your freak by getting smart too, so yes...I know." She replied, still so serious.

"Calm down, Penny. I'm always ahead." Thaddeus replied, and Penny took his weed, having a long drag as the car ate into the black tar.

--

[Panda Port, 5pm]

The new supply of xax drugs and confidential illegal funds documents from Hong Kong is heavier than the first one, but this time, there's no Monika, no Crimson Cave.

They must still be recovering from their loses in the Hydra forest hit.

Bacardi and Island are in charge.

While Bacardi directed the loading into the trucks, Island typed down the sum totals in an ipad.

The transport truck made ten journeys already, but the drug boxes are still so much here they might not leave till nighttime.

Bacardi paused the moving and retrieved her phone at a point. 

She texted Robert.

Bacardi: How's it going at the warehouse? Damn busy day, right?

As expected, she didn't get a reply. 

He didn't even see the message, it only delivered.

"At this rate, we need another warehouse, bigger and more spacey." She said, staring at her unread text.

Then...she got a call from Sandra.

While she talked to Sandra, Island used the opportunity to text Nino.

Island: Hey mine, don't eat dinner without me. I think we'll be at the dock till late. Clearing the goods is taking a whole lotta time.

Immediately she hit send, Bacardi ended her call with Sandra, and with a slow twist, Bacardi faced her.

She said nothing, but Island felt the cutting effect of her stare.

"Do I need to correct anything, Miss Cardi?" She asked.

Bacardi came closer with two short but calculated steps.

Island blinked.

"Nino raped you?" Bacardi scoffed.

Island's head rang, and the iPad nearly hit the ground, but she gripped it very tight, almost spreading ink on the screen.

How did it get out? Did Nino get so bold to the point of spitting it?

But then...this game is still in her hands. She's still the queen of the board. Nino won't win no matter the tactic, so she blinked. A tear dropped from her left eye, accompanied by a sniffle from her nose.

"Yes...I was raped by Nino on the night of the teaparty," she muttered.

Bacardi scoffed, again.

--

[Hellfire Brothel]

Bacardi's guess what more than right.  The brothel view looks like a carnival is happening tonight, and it's understandable cos the druggies are having the best night of their lives. 

The new velkrona drug is taking them to a whole new level of highness, and too many mad druggies are roaming the brothel rooms.

The warehouse at the back is pulsating like the main brothel. Bobby made sure to bring extra speakers and music to the warehouse too, so as they secured the money bags and sent drug boxes out of the warehouse, Bobby was performing his own madness inside.

Robert was awed, cos Bacardi's words came to pass.

Last time, they stood on 1.5, but tonight, it's extending to 4 already, and they've barely even started. 

He immediately understood the concept of the rich and powerful being above the law.

The clan—Esposito family, are the richest peeps in this city, no arguments. They're even richer than the government with their insane income from this warehouse, no wonder the president couldn't even have them arrested.

"C'mon! Stop gawking!" Bobby snapped Robert from where he stood, and Robert jumped down from the tower of money.

"Sorry, just haven't seen this much money all my life..." He said, moving to another side of the warehouse.

As he walked there, Bobby stared at his leg muscles cos he's wearing shorts, so they're flexing.

Bobby found himself smiling again, lust curled inside him. His eyes didn't leave Robert's toned legs till Robert reached the other end.

They might not even be returning to the estate tonight.

There's still a lot to do, so he called the clan to send more mobsters, chewing gum savagely as he spoke.

He was still on that call when a insider guard came with a report.

"A madman is going around stealing drug pills from the rooms,, he killed two courtesans!"

Bobby signalled at Robert immediately, and both left the warehouse to the room of the commotion.

Truly, it was bloody when they arrived. The two courtesans are on the ground, dead in the pool of their own blood. The big rich men who're on drugs are in a corner, scared of the madman, and the madman himself is standing on top of the table, holding a sharp glass shard which looks like it was extracted from the ruins of a vase.

"Come at me!!! Come at me if you have the balls!!!" He laughed, white power shaking off his nose.

"He's one of our richest customers, dude's madly high on the new drug. The new drug will surely shake this city." Bobby muttered.

"And now?" Robert asked him.

"He killed two courtesans, there's no forgiveness for that... Highly or soberly, he still killed our people." Bobby replied, taking a step closer.

But Robert beat him to it. With a madly high jump, Robert was on the table with the madman.

He almost got stabbed on the neck, but the back of his elbow jagged the man's throat, and he gagged.

The glass shard fell from him, Robert took it, and thrusted it into his neck, cutting an important vein.

As the body bled to death, Robert let go of it, his face wet with crimson.

Bobby laughed from where he stood, looking so proud of him. He climbed the table too and took the glass shard. 

He thrusted it into the dead man's belly, re-killing him.

Robert was smiling too as he watched him, and Bobby grinned eventually.

He rose, matching Robert's height on the table. He raised his hand to Robert's brow, but before he could touch, Bacardi entered.

"You were supposed to be at the dock!" Bobby frowned.

"I left Island to do the rest of the movement, now if you'd excuse me!" Bacardi pulled Robert.

He jumped down the table, following Bacardi out just like that.

Bobby stayed still on that table, chewing his gum aggressively.

He was already imagining how huge Robert's c0ck must be, and now Bacardi killed it.

"Killjoy..." He muttered.

--

Bacardi pulled Robert to the brothel club, and she surprisingly yanked her top away when they arrived.

Left in her bralette, she dragged Robert to the dancefloor and handed him a glass of beer.

She picked a glass too, and they drank at a time.

Robert stayed unmoved, watching her after they dropped their cups. 

"Your mood seems to be lighter tonight," he said.

"Next week, there'll be no clubbing. Marko is strict, so just dance now...or never!" Bacardi shouted loudly over the pop electronic music.

She kept moving, hands to her hair to her shoulders and hips, whining slowly and expecting him to join her, but Robert just stood there, still unmoved till she got frustrated.

"Cazzo..." She cussed, turning around to walk out, but Robert followed this time. He grabbed her laps from behind, dragging her back to himself.

Then her arse met his middle, his heaviness pressed on her, and she pressed her teeth to her lip...

"Yeah...cazzo." He whispered the cuss in her ear, trying to imitate her slurring Italian accent. 

Bacardi smiled, rubbing herself on him. His right hand grabbed her neck from behind.

The second hand was rubbing her ass and hips as he began moving with her, dancing like tonight is their last night alive.

--

[ X Hotel ]

Leonardo has been successfully focusing on his documents—on his papers.(you are reading from www.mhiztaemy.com.ng) He signed electronically, and he hasn't looked up for once like an obsessed motherfucker.

But...the hall is full.

Full of sl+ts who're performing their slût show like he ordered. Sucking each other, eating pu+xies, f+kin themselves with d¡ldo in their arseholes and m0aning to keep the hall alive, but Leonardo isn't looking.

The ten guards are surrounding the hall, each with his gun intact in the easiest reach, and no one's talking.

They've been standing since morning, watching how Leonardo took the documents serious like a workaholic.

His eyes hasn't blinked too like he's not even alive.

But he's checking the time though, watching when the Albania spy is gonna call and say Valon is caught.

Time is 8pm currently, and it still doesn't look like he's stopping.

When one of the sl+ts orgasmed so hard with four good fingers inside her coochie, she couldn't keep her voice minimal. She screamed out so loud it took over the whole hall.

That was enough to make Leonardo look up. Immediately.

He picked a stone from a small golden bowl on the table, then a catapult from the drawer.

With a simple sling, he shot her with the stone on her eye.

He shot the second stone instantly to her second eye.

The third stone went into her mouth, brushing her teeth down.

He just wasted her calmly cos she crumbled to death immediately.

"Told y'all to keep your moans minimal." He said with crazy casualness, throwing the catapult away like he didn't just kill a person.

The other sl+ts clustered, stopping their show immediately.

Leonardo stood, dialling his spies in New Orleans as he faced the window which gave him the city view.

"Send me her performance video, now!" He ordered.

--

[Crimson Cave]

Monika went crazy totally.

After returning the goods, there's still no locket, so craziness won't even start describing what's going on.

She spent a whole day in her hall, throwing things around in rage and screaming like a lunatic till she decided to open up this evening.

She barged out of her hall, and the gangsters who have been in suspense about her next action since yesterday quickly moved out of her way as she walked through the hallway with her shoulders high and face up as usual.

Bradshaw and Moo are at the end of the hall, but just like the rest of the gangsters, she ignored their greetings and bypassed, going to the cave clinic where Hayden is.

Hayden is just waking up, but heaven knows he can't even lift himself from the bed. He's lying on his stomach, and he could still feel intense pains from the shot wounds on his body, but Monika doesn't seem to care.

"Leader..." He started, voice weak.

He was actually injected, and right now even if he magically becomes hulk, he won't be able to stand up.

"You got the girl, tried to elope, you even threw away your phone..." Monika said, raising the phone.

Hayden gulped.

"You were shot twice, and you couldn't even get to hit Leo with any of your bullets. You could have been killed, but thanks to our underground vaults, you were saved. Now that you're back here, it's mandatory to take the punishment you were meant to take." She continued, moving her head.

Hayden's eyes widened when the hugest gangster entered the clinic, n+kedly. His d+k swung wildly in front of him, so mighty.

Hayden felt like puking immediately, but at the same time he's trying to get off the bed which is impossible.

His trousers were torn off with a blade, and he became naked too.

"Please...I messed up I know!!! But you can punish me in any other way, not this!!! Please please!!! Please no! No!!! I'm going to kill you if this really happens! I'm going to ... Agghg!!!!!!!!"

Monika stood there, watching the traumatic s+×ual act without expression—without mercy.

Hayden's loud cries perforated the clinic, filtering outside where Bradshaw and Moo are standing.

Bradshaw is smiling, but Moo isn't. Her palms are balled.

She's aware that after Hayden, their own punishment is next.

--

[New Orleans, French Quarters~7pm]

The French Quarter is loud, crowded and alive at this time of the night. 

Music spill out of bars and balconies, mixing with laughter, shouting, and the clink of glasses. 

Neon lights glow over old buildings, and people move through the streets, drinking, dancing, and watching street performers. 

It feels chaotic but electric, like celebration and danger wrapped in one. Night never really sleeps there.

Wearing a face cap, long leather pants and tight blouse, Ivanna peeked down from a two storey building, scanning the area with her spasmed attention.

She either gets this mission right or get it right. There's no room for f+kin up, so she's gripping tight to her wits in the edges.

She has heard a lot about how the French quarters is always busy, but she wasn't expecting this kind.

She arrived with Hilda since morning, but they had to wait for this moment...the busiest hour to carry out their mission.

Hilda joined her on the railings, and as they both watched the thrilling nightlife together, they knew it was time to move.

They went back inside.

The dismembered body is already in a black body bag. Hilda did a good job cleaning it up, wiping professionally.

She used  bleach and other potent chemicals on the floor, so right now, a murderer case accusation here would become a lie.

Together, they carried the body bag down the building where a old car is waiting. They threw the body in the trunk and proceeded to entering the car themselves.

The night jubilations covered for them as Ivanna drove away from the building, releasing a huge breath.

They're going to incinerate the body in a quarry.

"You didn't tell Robert that Ghost has your parents?" Hilda said on the passenger seat.

"No. Robert is finally gripping his trainings tight, I can't distract him again. I can handle this myself." Ivanna replied absentmindedly.

Too loaded with anxiety to talk any further, and Hilda understood.

Behind the wheel, her hands were steady, her eyes scanned the slick streets for the slightest opening. 

Hilda groaned, trying to adjust her fractured spine against the seatbelt, but Ivanna's grip on the wheel left no room for hesitation.

 

Bright headlights flared in the rearview—too close, too fast. 

Someone's following them—chasing them.

The person is trying to crush them into the wrought-iron railings. 

Ivanna didn’t flinch.

Knowing the nature of the clan, she expected at least one trial like this.

She slammed the accelerator, feeling the engine roar beneath her. Every turn was precise, calculated—a dance on the edge of chaos.

 

"Ivanna!!" Hilda grabbed something to hold tightly.

"Keep holding that, don't let go!" Ivanna instructed, eyes focused.

She weaved through narrow alleys, tires screaming over bends, bouncing off curbs. 

A stray cat barely leapt out of the way as she spun around a corner, the scent of exhaust thick in the air. 

Their chaser's car clipped a lamppost, and sparks flew up.

 

"Ivanna!!! Ivanna!!" Hilda screamed, her eyes turning. The woman vomited on herself.

"I'm so sorry Hilda but I can't stop! We're being chased!" Ivanna yelled.

There's a sharp bend ahead, so she braked, tires locking for a heartbeat, then she twisted the wheel and launched into a gutter that would have stopped any normal driver. 

The car lurched, but she absorbed it, body leaning, eyes fixed ahead. 

Hilda’s hand gripped the dashboard, pain shot through her, but she didn’t scream. 

Ivanna glanced at her, a faint smirk, and she accelerated again.

 

They burst onto the main avenue, their chaser's car swinging wildly behind them. 

Ivanna didn’t just drive, she danced with death. 

Cars swerved out of the way as she drifted past. The engine whined, tires leaving black trail in the neon light. 

 

Finally, a highway exit appeared like a lifeline. She cut through it at an impossible angle, their chaser's car unable to match her turn. 

In seconds, the distance stretched, her hands never loosening from the wheel, Hilda’s groan of pain finally turned to a shaky breath of relief.

 

But fate wasn't done with them, cos the car stopped working when they needed it the most.

"F+k!! F+k it!!" Ivanna cursed, slamming her hand on the wheel.

The car just won't start in the middle of that silent road.

"Let's get out, Hilda." She breathed.

"No...the chaser..." Hilda gulped.

"Do you trust me?" Ivanna faced her, and Hilda nodded immediately.

She didn't even hesitate.

They both hopped out of the car, but Ivanna made sure Hilda stayed behind her.

The chill of the night barely registered. 

Across them, the chaser emerged, knife in hand, eyes glinting with malice.

He's probably in his mid thirties...a hefty man whom Ivanna hadn't seen before all her life.

She moved first, but not like a normal human. In a blur, her body twisted, struck, and countered so fast the chaser barely registered the attacks. 

Her fist hit caught him in the shoulder before his knife even left his hand. Her leg followed, sweeping his feet from under him. 

By the time he hit the ground, she was already three steps away, pivoting, sliding, striking again.

Each motion was ruthless. She intercepted every swing, parried every lunge, all while keeping Hilda behind her, shielded from harm. 

Her strikes were like flashes—punch, kick, elbow, knee.

So fast that when the chaser tried to raise his arms, she broke a bone and gave him a punch which split his lips. Blood spattered before his brain could catch up with the pain.

He delivered a wild stab to Ivanna's ribs successfully.

"Ivanna!" Hilda gasped.

Grabbing that opportunity, the chaser pulled her leg, and Hilda fell back, her head slammed on the rim of the car tyre, and she remained there.

Ivanna twisted her torso in a heartbeat, catching the man's wrist, snapping it with a sickening crack. 

She landed him a spin-back kick, a palm to the jaw, a knee to the chest.

Each move flowed seamlessly into the next, and the chaser's attempts to retaliate were futile. 

By the time he tried to scramble away, Ivanna was already behind him, dragging him down with a precise throw that left him broken.

She stood over him, chest heaving, every muscle taut and coiled, like a predator who had just toyed with its prey. Sweat ran down her face, mixing with the grime and blood on her knuckles.

She let out a gasp when she remembered Hilda, and she rushed back to her immediately...

She's still lying down, looking lifeless.

Ivanna squatted beside her, lifting her body and feeling her pulse.

Nothing.

Her breaths.

Nothing.

Blood is trickling slowly from the head she hit on the rim.

Ivanna's eyes widened.

"Hilda please..." She held her face, shaking her head. "I successfully brought the attacker down... please don't... don't scare me." 

"Hilda... Hilda please breathe... Hilda. You said I was like your beautiful daughter, you can't die now that the mission is almost done.... Hilda..."

Her hot sweat dropped on the woman's cheek, and her eyes opened.

"Hilda...." She sniffled.

Hilda smiled. "I was only gone for two minutes, don't make a scene."

"Don't scare me like that." Ivanna hiccuped, and Hilda smiled wider, getting up and using her neck scarf to tie her bleeding head.

"But girl... you're a crazy driver. What the hell, I vomited my dinner." She said, impressed.

"Mum taught me." Ivanna replied.

"Seriously?" Hilda stood.

"Yeah. Mum's versatile. There's barely anything she can't do." Ivanna replied with a faint smile.

"You might be seeing her soon, mission accomplished." Hilda smiled, and Ivanna nodded.

"Is he dead?" Hilda asked, looking at the attacker.

"No. I just broke a few bones in his body. I'll take him with us back to Chicago, torture him to confess who sent him." Ivanna replied.

"But our car is ruined..." Hilda said.

As if heavens could hear them, a car drove to a stop on the road. When the window went down, it turned out to be one of Leonardo's spies in this city.

"A spy?" Ivanna asked, sighting his hidden tattoo on his elbow.

He simply nodded and came down to help Ivanna place the chaser's broken body in the car.

They transported the dead body from the ruined car to the spy's car too, then they all hopped in the car.

The spy drove them to the quarry first. At the quarry, they incinerated the dead body to ashes.

Mission complete.

"If you wish to return to Chicago tonight, a red-eye flight is ready, but if you wish to return tomorrow morning, a morning flight is also available." The spy said.

"Let's go back tonight," Ivanna replied. She needs to see Leonardo and present her victory in person for her parents release.

The spy led them out of the quarry and drove them to the airfield.

--

[Chicago, House Of Esposito, 2am-Park]

Since it's already Sunday, the mob guards are busy. They celebration preps is already starting little by little. The aggressive snowfall didn't stop them from doing their job.

Padrino Marko stays in the estate big mansion whenever he comes, and the mansion is already tidied up, but he won't be coming alone, so the large suites around the estate are currently getting taken care of.

Shortly, the car that went to pick Ivanna and Hilda up the airport drove into the estate park.

Impatiently, Ivanna jumped down from the car. She didn't even wait for Hilda. She was about to rush over to the Citadel when Leonardo's limo drove into the park too.

Immediately the headlights went off, she rushed closer to the car, and Leonardo stepped down too.

"I did it! The body got to the quarry and was incinerated. I brought a bastard who tried to ruin the disposal too. It's only fair if you let go of my parents right now." She said.

Leonardo said nothing, he just looked at her with frostbitten eyes and led the way with those uneventful steps of his, and she followed quickly.

"My parents..."

"Are you gonna follow quietly, or keep talking and lose your parents despite your mission success?" He replied without turning.

She went quiet, following him. When she looked back at Hilda, Hilda gave her a 'go ahead' wave, and she focused back on her trudge.

He led her to Section V, and she wasn't even surprised that there's yet another unnoticed building in this estate. There are too many buildings here it's hard to keep up.

She perceived the choky smell of antibiotics and antiseptics as she walked behind him in the thin corridor, but it wasn't for long.

He pushed the door of the only room open, she followed him inside.

"My parents are—"

The scene she met made her stop talking. She gasped and staggered first, her back hit the door.

Her hand went to her mouth to cover it slowly, and the space between her eyebrows squeezed tightly.

Cos in the room... Tierney is eating on a chair, but on the bed, Ginny sat.

She's awake.

It was Tierney's call that made Leonardo come back to the estate.

"Anna..." Ginny muttered, smiling with her dried, chapped lips." 

"Ginny Jewel Cooper..." Ivanna dropped her palm from her mouth, taking slow steps to the young girl as if checking if she'd disappear if she got there late.

She sat in bed, and Ginny's weak eyes and skinny body made her almost break into tears.

"My baby..." She sniffled, covering her mouth with her palm again, stopping the tears with everything she has.

"I woke up an hour ago, and this Tierney here said I have been in coma for more than a month. It's so good to see you again, Anna." 

"I thought you were de...ad... We all thought..." Ivanna muttered, finally letting the tears out as she engulfed her in a tight, very tight hug. The tears ran freely down her cheeks.

The emotions took over her completely. She let them out shamelessly, stroking Ginny's hair.

"Don't cry...I'm alive." Ginny smiled, her voice so small as she hugged Ivanna back fondly.

"When did Ghost even leave?" Tierney muttered, dropping his plate of fried rice.

That made Ivanna break the hug with Ginny. Truly, Leonardo is gone from that room, so she stood with a sprang and rushed out.

Luckily, she saw him. He's walking down the corridor alone under the bright long lights.

She ran after him, fast.

"Ghost!" She called when there was just a step left to cover.

Leonardo stopped for some seconds, standing there without moving..

Then...after those seconds, he finally turned, and Ivanna did what she can't believe she'd ever do...

She opened her arms and went closer with the remaining step, giving him a hug not so tight but it's a hug.

She was sniffling as she stayed there, head on his chest.

"Thank you...and I mean it. Thank you for letting my baby live. Thank you so much..." She muttered.

Nothing came from him, not even an arm movement or a word.

The flickering of the long light above them alerted her that she has been hugging him for a minute, so she pulled away quickly.

She took that one step away from him, but she stepped closer again immediately cos Leonardo finally decided to move.

He held her right shoulder, and with it, he drew her back to himself, hugging her like that.

A real tight hug which made Ivanna's mouth close. 

His arms went around her back, caging her to his huge body frame.

He smelled her vanilla-scented body cream on her neck, and his fingers pressed down on her back, locking her tighter into the hug.

TBC.

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