Chapter 42
Before the Storm
The sun sinks over the New York City skyline, casting a bruised, amber glow across the rooftops of Brooklyn. Lucius sits alone on the terrace, a heavy crystal glass held loosely in his hand. The remaining whiskey swills against the edges as he moves. Two empty bottles already rest near his boots.
He looks out over his empire, but the view brings no satisfaction.
He has everything. He commands the finest assets money and terror can buy—a brilliant hacker, ruthless psychopaths, and Victor, the gang leader whose terrifying body count eclipses even Lucius’s own dark history.
There is Alex, the fiercely loyal right hand whom Lucius pulled out of the gutter when he had nothing left to live for.
There is Teajun, the exceptional doctor rescued from a Russian black site, still haunted by the memory of the woman he failed to save.
They are a lethal machine, flawless and feared.
Yet, sitting in the fading light, a crushing weight settles behind Lucius's ribs.
Two months of relentless warfare replay behind his eyelids.
Every decision, every casualty, and every strategic move since the day he started this life flashes forward unbidden.
He is entirely broken inside. He closes his eyes, the lids heavy with an exhaustion no words can describe.
A cold droplet hits his forehead. Then another.
Rain begins to fall, steady and cool against his skin, but he does not move from the rooftop.
His mind drifts to his father. The ghost of their last conversation echoes in his ears, sharp and demanding.
He stares down, weighing the silent question in his thoughts. Should I call him or not?
A soft touch breaks the silence.
A hand taps his shoulder, unexpected but familiar. Tessa leans down, her breath warm against the damp air. "What is my honey doing?"
Lucius does not flinch. He merely takes a slow sip of his drink. "Just enjoying my time."
Tessa slides into the seat beside him, her eyes tracking the rain splashing into his glass. "Can I have some?"
"Why not?" He reaches for the bottle, pouring a fresh glass and sliding it across the damp iron table.
She picks it up, a playful glint in her eyes. "Can I drink too much?"
Lucius snaps his head toward her, his voice slicing through the sound of the rain, much louder and sharper than intended. "What? What?"
Tessa breaks into a bright, breathless laugh, the sound ringing out over the quiet rooftop. "Oh my god! Ha-ha!"
She shifts closer, tilting her head until it rests firmly against his shoulder. The laughter fades into something softer, quieter. She looks out at the rain-slicked city. "What do you want, Lucius? A daughter or a son?"
Lucius stares ahead, his features softening just enough for the tension in his jaw to bleed away. "For me, I want a daughter."
Tessa tilts her head up, studying his profile. "Why not a son?"
"If it is a son, he will be too mischievous," Lucius murmurs, his voice dropping to a low, gravelly tone. "He will trouble his mother. But a daughter... she will be calm and gentle. She will understand her parents' sorrow. Daughters are cute, and they mature much faster than sons."
Tessa smiles against his shoulder, her fingers tracing the line of his jacket. "Then you will have a son."
"Nope," Lucius replies softly, his gaze locked on the horizon. "A daughter."
Tessa chills, raising her glass in a silent toast before taking a small sip. "Fine. Enjoy the whiskey."
The rain keeps falling on the rooftop as the whiskey takes full hold, making them both drunk and filled with silly jokes.
Suddenly, Lucius shuts his mouth. The laughter dies. He looks at Tessa and asks, "If I am not coming back from the battle with Alessio... what will you do?"
Tessa looks straight at him. "I am never leaving this empire. You made this."
"No illegal like this," Lucius says firmly.
Tessa looks into his eyes and promises him right there. She will never leave the empire, but she will take it forward in a completely legal way.
Lucius looks up at the moon. "What’s the time now?"
Tessa checks her phone. "8 pm."
"We need to go inside of the penthouse," he says.
Just then, the maid comes back onto the rooftop and says that dinner is ready. Tessa tries to stand up, but she is completely off-balance, her body swaying as she moves.
Lucius watches her, a faint smirk on his face. "The side effect of too much drinking."
Tessa pouts at him, her cheeks burning a bright, fiery red from the whiskey. "Why are you not doing like me? Why are you not unbalanced?"
Because it is freezing and raining on the rooftop, the maid steps in to help her walk down the stairs.
Lucius stands there watching her face. A deep blush creeps onto his own skin.
In his mind, a beautiful dream forms—he sees the future, picturing exactly how she will look when she gives birth to his child.
But the sweetness fades into a dark realization.
This mafia world can completely destroy a family, and it destroys innocence, too.
A silent promise escapes his lips into the cold air. He will die, but he will make sure Alessio never touches Tessa. He will arrange the upcoming battle so perfectly that even if he falls, she will remain completely safe and untouched.
Lucius walks downstairs and enters the living room. The relaxed mood vanishes instantly. Kai and Kael are sitting right there on the couch.
Lucius looks at them. "Any problem?"
Kael looks up. "First of all, the Chinese man’s case—Alex won it. And second of all, Victor left the country for a honey trap."
Kai nods, confirming the details. "He is going to Italy on the 4:50 am flight. I don’t think too much about it, he will do everything flawlessly." Kai then shifts closer, his voice dropping as he begins to tell Lucius the highly private information he uncovered about Alessio’s sister.
Kai lounges against the back of the sofa, a mocking smile on his lips as he continues detailing the private information regarding Alessio's sister. "She is incredibly childish, honestly. And she loves money. What does Victor think he is doing?"
Lucius shines a dark look toward him, his posture stiffening as he listens from across the living room. "What do you mean?"
"First of all, she has a boyfriend," Kai points out, leaning forward.
Lucius raises an eyebrow, his jaw tightening. "And?"
"Victor says he is going to tell her that it doesn't matter if she has a boyfriend," Kai replies, exchanging a deeply sceptical look with Kael.
"He plans to tell her that he has no problem with it. If needed, he'll spend the night, give her his time, and stay emotionally available just to crawl under her skin. But honestly, how does he think he will even get the chance?"
Lucius lets out a harsh breath, his eyes flashing with sudden anger. "Victor is doing this type of fucking shit again."
"Quiet, both of you," Kael interrupts, his cold, authoritative tone cutting through the room. He looks up from his device, his expression flat. "I am making a structural plan because Victor clearly does not have any good plan of his own."
Lucius relaxes slightly, gesturing with a brief nod. "Yes. Go ahead."
Kai frowns, looking between Kael and Lucius. "How is he supposed to do all of those works alone? Can I go? If I go, it might be an advantage for Victor."
Lucius freezes, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "What? Has he gone alone?" A sharp, low curse slips past his teeth. "Fuck."
Without a second of hesitation, Lucius grabs his phone and speed-dials Victor. The moment the line connects, he does not even wait for a greeting. "You are going there alone? What are you thinking? Did you think you could do it completely alone?"
Victor’s voice comes through the speaker, calm and entirely unbothered. "Yes! I do everything alone."
"No, you don’t, you brat," Lucius growls, his fingers tightening against the phone. "I am sending Kai there. Don’t you dare try to handle this alone until Kai reaches Italy. How much money do you need? Tell me everything."
There is a brief silence on the other end of the line. "Are you serious this time?" Victor asks, his tone turning cautious. "Are you really sending him here?"
"Yes, for safety purposes, you idiot motherfucker," Lucius snaps, his voice dropping to a dangerous register. "And Kai will go. No extra talk."
He terminates the call abruptly, throwing the phone onto the table.
Turning back to the room, Lucius assumes full command.
"Kai will go by private jet. Pack everything—guns, bullets, knives, whatever you need."
He lays out the exact strategic layout to Kai and Kael, his voice hardening as he delivers his final instruction.
"I don't want Victor becoming completely brutal."
Kai lets out a soft, confident laugh. "I am there, I will oversee everything. I’ll make sure to send Kael all the information regarding what Victor is doing, what Alessio has done, and what Alessio might do next."
Lucius fixes him with a sharp, warning glare. "Kai. Come here." He waits until Kai steps closer before speaking in a tone that leaves no room for negotiation. "Tomorrow sharp at 4:30 am. Don’t be late."
"I understood, Boss," Kai answers smoothly. He turns on his heel and exits the room.
Once the door clicks shut, Kael steps up to the desk. "Lucius, I already stored the data from the old phone and secured some records."
Lucius glances up. "Just that?"
"Some records are not working properly," Kael admits, his brow furrowing slightly. "My team is working on it right now."
"I will check tomorrow," Lucius replies flatly.
Kael nods. "Okay." He hesitates for a fraction of a second. "What about the letters?"
"Tomorrow," Lucius answers, his tone dismissing the topic entirely.
"Right." Kael turns and exits the penthouse, leaving the room in complete silence.
In the dining room, Tessa finishes the remaining bites of her steak and macaroni cheese pasta, washing it down with the last of her wine. Feeling the alcohol settling in her system, she calls out to the living room, telling Lucius to finish his dinner.
After a quiet, solitary meal, Lucius makes his way down the dim hallway and enters the master bedroom. The moment he lays down on the mattress, a warm weight shifts beside him.
Tessa, flushed and slightly tipsy from the wine, slides across the sheets and sits directly on his hips. She presses her palms firmly against his chest, her heavy, deliberate gaze locking onto his.
Lucius looks up at her, fully aware of exactly what she is asking for. "Do you want this seriously?"
Tessa leans down slightly, a slow smile curving her lips. "Yeah, honey."
Tessa smiles before capturing his lips in a slow, familiar kiss. Lucius melts into it, his hand settling gently around her waist. For a brief moment, the weight of tomorrow disappears, leaving only the quiet comfort they always find in each other.
They hold each other a little longer than usual—like neither of them wants to let go, like both already know time is running out. The world outside feels distant, unreal, as if it belongs to someone else’s story.
And when the night deepens, the door quietly closes behind them, leaving only silence and the soft rhythm of two hearts refusing to say goodbye.
Outside, the rain continues to fall against the glass, drowning the city in silence. The bedroom door closes, the lights fade, and the storm carries on through the night.
Hours later, Lucius lies awake while Tessa sleeps peacefully against his chest. He brushes a strand of hair away from her face, presses a lingering kiss to her forehead, and silently prays that this will not be the last time he sees her like this.
~