Chapter 16 - the unexpected guest
The grand gala was a flawless, monumental triumph, permanently cementing Dante’s undisputed rule over the city. However, amidst the joyous celebration and clinking champagne glasses, a dark shadow detached itself from the crowd.
An older man, impeccably dressed in a vintage, tailored suit, slowly approached Dante and Elena. His face was deeply weathered, his eyes sharp, calculating, and holding the heavy weight of decades of underworld history.
Dante instantly recognized him. It was Don Salvatore, a retired, legendary national boss who had once mentored Dante’s own father. Salvatore commanded immense, unquestionable respect across the entire country.
"Dante," Salvatore rasped, his voice cutting through the ambient music. "Your absolute victory over the Rossi family was... brutally efficient. But it has deeply unsettled the national commission."
Dante’s jaw tightened. The commission was a delicate, highly dangerous alliance of the country's five most powerful mafia families.
"My power protects my family, Don Salvatore," Dante replied, his tone perfectly respectful but utterly, fiercely uncompromising.
Salvatore’s calculating gaze shifted to Elena, his cold eyes softening for a fraction of a second. "I see why," he murmured. "But absolute power demands balance. The commission requires a massive gesture of goodwill to ensure the national peace."
Salvatore paused, the cinematic tension spiking violently. "They demand that you surrender your newly returned wife, offering her to the remaining Rossi heirs to cement a permanent blood alliance."
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The sheer, apocalyptic audacity of the demand hung heavily in the freezing air.
👉 read part 17 to witness the king's absolute defiance.
