He Lay Still, Pretending to Be Unconscious—Then the Maid Whispered Something That Changed Everything

By midnight, Matteo had traced the fraudulent wire transfers to a private account owned by Paolo—Vincent’s chief logistics officer.

Instead of executing Paolo immediately, Vincent used him.

Under Vincent's direct orders, Paolo was forced to send an encrypted message to Dominic Vane, confirming that Vincent Costa would be attending a private meeting at the old grain silo near the docks to negotiate a truce.

The rain poured heavily over the rusted iron structures of the grain silo at two in the morning.

Four black armored SUVs pulled into the muddy yard, their headlights cutting through the dark rain.

Dominic Vane—a ruthless, silver-haired mobster from Chicago—stepped out of the lead vehicle, flanked by ten heavily armed mercenaries.

"Costa!" Vane shouted over the howling wind, holding a cigar between his teeth. "You should have stayed in your coma! It would have saved you a lot of blood!"

The heavy steel doors of the grain silo slid open.

Vincent walked out into the rain alone, wearing his heavy wool coat, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.

"You came to my city, Vane," Vincent said, his deep voice carrying clearly over the storm. "You burned my warehouses. You threatened my people."

Vane laughed, raising his hand. His ten mercenaries instantly raised their submachine guns, aiming directly at Vincent's chest.

"You're alone, Costa," Vane sneered. "Your underboss is dead, your fiancée is gone, and you're listening to advice from a kitchen maid. Your empire is finished."