Inheritance Redefined

Chapter Twenty-Three

The boutique had gone eerily still, lit only by the flickering blue of police lights filtering through the frosted windows.

Then Nico’s phone buzzed.

He pulled it from his pocket, glanced at the screen–and the name there made even Thiago straighten.

Alessandro Calviero.

Without speaking, Nico walked toward the nearest gunman. The tension snapped like wire.

"Don’t move!"

"I won't," Nico said calmly. He extended the phone, screen out. "But my dad wants to talk to you."

The man sneered. "What kind of trick–"

"It's not a trick," Nico said. "It's the Calviero head."

The gunman snatched the phone and immediately flinched.

The voice on the other end wasn't loud.

It didn’t need to be.

"You will ask for a car. You will ask for safe passage. You will accept whatever the police offer you."

There was a pause. Then the voice sharpened, fangs unsheathed.

"Then you will go to the location I give you." Alessandro continued.

The man swallowed. His hands were shaking. "And… and then what?"

"You will wait there."

"Wait for what?"

"For the end," Alessandro said softly. "But you already knew that."

Click.

The phone went dead.

The man's face had gone white. Slowly, he turned to the others. "We're going to take the deal. We ask for the car. Then… we drive to the location they say."

"But–" the youngest one stammered.

"We're alive now," the older one snapped. "That's the deal. We follow it."

No one argued.

Because they weren't making a deal with the police.

They were making a deal with monsters in suits.

---

The boutique doors opened.

The assailants walked out slowly, tense and rigid. Their weapons were raised above their heads, white flags made of trembling hands.

The hostages followed.

But no one looked like victims.

The boys emerged with controlled expressions, scanning the perimeter.

And then came Elara, Anastasia and Olivia.

The second Elara's foot touched pavement, the world tilted.

"Elara!"

It was Alessandro. His voice cut across the chaos like a blade.

Elara broke into a run.

She collided with her stepfather midstride, and Alessandro caught her instantly, both arms locking around her in a protective cage.

"I was so scared Papà," she sobbed into his chest.

"You don't have to be now," he murmured. "You did so well, stellina. You made me so proud."

Behind them, Salvatore and Dante arrived at a sprint, Matteo just steps behind, Raffaele scanning the area like a soldier. Luca pulled Elara into another hug when Alessandro finally let go. Nico joined next, kissing the top of her head.