Chapter 87: Dragged Back Into Darkness
Meanwhile, Felix stared at his phone, busy replying to messages.
A new message popped up: I’ve already taken him to the Sungrace Hotel Apartments, room 304. Don’t drag my name into this. I’ll only do this once.
Felix smiled. He didn’t believe Salvatore had actually kicked Milo out, though he had expected the man to kill Milo. But anyway, it was better this way.
Then he made a call.
He held his phone tightly against his ear, his voice a low, hurried whisper as he stood on his balcony. "He’s out of the house. Salvatore kicked him out this morning. He’s at Sungrace, room 304. Salvatore left him unguarded right now. If you want him, you need to move fast before Salvatore brings him back. But I doubt he will. Just in case."
On the other end of the line, Nero let out a soft, delighted giggle. "Sungrace? How generous of Salvatore to provide such a nice, private nest for my bird. Thank you, Felix. You’ve been very helpful."
"Don’t you ever let him out again, or I will kill him myself."
Nero smirked. "Not this time. I’ll kill Salvatore myself if he dares take him again."
"No. You don’t touch him. Anyway, I’m more worried about you than him. You’d better be careful."
"Don’t worry. Nobody can touch Nero Hartley. Not even Portello."
"I hope so. Anyway, I’ll help you just this once since I’ve got my own issues with that bastard."
Nero laughed. "Oh well. Good luck then. I’ll take care of my bird right now."
The call ended with a brief click. Nero tossed his phone onto the desk in his study and leaned back in his leather chair.
He was genuinely amused by Salvatore’s weakness. Whatever the reason was, he had left his prize entirely exposed.
Nero signaled to Sean, who looked recovered. "Take Pablo with you," Nero ordered, his smile widening. "Go to the Sungrace apartment. Bring Milo back to me. Don’t make a mess this time."
Meanwhile, inside the room, Milo remained curled up on the edge of the bed. The silence in the room was heavy, broken only by the distant hum of traffic from the street below.
His stomach ached from hunger, but the emotional weight in his chest was far worse. He stared at the smooth cream-colored wall, his mind continuously replaying the cold, dark look Salvatore had given him the last time.
A sharp, firm knock at the front door broke the silence.
Milo flinched, his body tensing instantly. He stood up slowly, smoothing out his wrinkled trousers. He walked out of the bedroom and approached the door, his heart pounding against his ribs.
He wondered if Ramon had returned or if Salvatore had sent someone to finally give him an explanation.
"Who is it?" Milo asked through the door, his voice cautious.
"Hello, I’m security," a deep, professional voice replied from the hallway. "There’s a leak in the main water line directly below your bathroom. I need to check it out, please."
Milo blinked. He looked through the peephole. The man looked calm and resembled a hotel security guard.
He had to do something. He didn’t want to cause any trouble or damage to the apartment Salvatore had provided for him.
He reached out, unlocked the deadbolt, and pulled the door open.
Standing in the hallway was a tall man wearing a navy blue security uniform. He held a clipboard in his left hand, but his face was completely expressionless, his eyes cold.
The moment Milo stepped one foot over the threshold into the hallway, the man dropped the clipboard.
Before Milo could even process the movement, a massive hand grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him forward with brutal force.
Milo opened his mouth to scream, but a thick, chemical-soaked cloth was slammed over his face, covering his mouth and nose.
The sharp, sweet smell of chloroform flooded his senses.
No... No way!
Milo struggled violently, his hands clawing at the man’s thick wrists, his legs kicking against the carpeted floor. But another pair of arms grabbed him from behind, pinning his elbows to his sides. The hallway began to spin, the white ceiling lights blurring into long streaks of silver.
As his strength left him and his vision began to turn black, a final, terrifying thought echoed through his mind.
Did Salvatore do this? Had Salvatore sent these men to execute him quietly?
He wanted to say that he really hadn’t stolen the photo. It wasn’t him!
The fear and sadness felt like a physical weight crushing his lungs before everything went completely dark.
***
Portello’s mansion.
Later that afternoon, Salvatore stepped out of the car, his jaw set in a hard, rigid line. His foul mood had followed him all day. A series of problems had tested his patience, and the unresolved situation with the photo was grating on his nerves.
Felix walked a step behind him, trying to hand him a folder. "Sal, the vineyard delivery schedules need your signature before tomorrow morning."
Salvatore didn’t stop walking. He didn’t even look at the folder. "Give it to Roderick."
Felix opened his mouth to press further, but the sheer hostility radiating from Salvatore made him step back. He watched as the Don strode through the main foyer and headed straight toward his office.
Before Salvatore could reach the door, Roderick intercepted him from the side corridor. Roderick’s face was tense, his usual calm demeanor replaced by an expression of sharp urgency.
Salvatore looked at him, expecting that something bad related to their business had happened.
"Sal, we have a problem," Roderick said, keeping his voice low so the nearby servants couldn’t hear.
Salvatore stopped, his hand resting on the handle of his office door. "What is it now?"
"Milo is gone," Roderick stated bluntly.
Salvatore’s head snapped around, his eyes narrowing to dark slits. "What do you mean, gone? I told Ramon to leave him in the apartment and monitor him from the street."
"Ramon was there," Roderick explained, pulling up a security feed on his tablet. "He went up to check on the room an hour ago because Milo didn’t answer the door for the meal delivery. The apartment was empty."
Salvatore’s chest tightened, a sudden, cold burst of fury erasing his fatigue. He grabbed Roderick’s wrist, his grip tight enough to leave a bruise. "Did he run?"
"Well, it would be better if he had run. We checked the CCTV. Someone kidnapped him. He was wearing a security uniform. We’re trying to track him now."
Salvatore released Roderick’s wrist, his mind racing at a lethal pace. He looked down the hallway.
The trap he had set to make Teo confess had backfired spectacularly because someone else had intervened. Someone seemed to have been waiting for this to happen.
Damn!
"Get Teo here!" shouted Salvatore.
Roderick looked at him, trying to read his mind. But Salvatore looked so angry that his face was red.
He turned around immediately to get Teo while Salvatore slammed the door shut.
Teo followed Roderick in fear. He had spent the day in his room, and suddenly Salvatore had asked for him.
In the office, Salvatore was smoking, his eyes sharp as Teo entered.
"Who is conspiring with you? Tell me now, or I’ll shoot you right here."
Teo’s face went pale, his eyes widening. He could see just how angry Salvatore was.
"I know someone asked you to do this. You reported to him what happened here, and now I want to know who he is."
Teo was terrified, but at the same time, he was confused because he hadn’t reported anything to Felix.
"TELL ME!" Salvatore’s voice was so loud that it made Teo jump.
Teo began trembling immediately. He cried out in fear.
"Don’t cry, answer me! You know Milo might die right now. Who asked you to do this? TELL ME!"
Teo stammered, "I... I don’t know."
What happened to Milo? What should he do?
Roderick tried to calm Salvatore down, but he couldn’t do much.
Salvatore sighed deeply. "You know, Teo, I care about you. I know you lied, and I’m still giving you a chance to confess. But it seems you don’t understand my kindness. Now someone has kidnapped Milo, and if anything happens to him, I promise I’ll really kill you."
His voice was low and full of threat.
But Teo was focused on Milo’s kidnapping.
"Are you going to tell me how to save Milo quickly, or are you going to stay silent?" Salvatore pressed.
Teo was trembling. He looked at Salvatore. The man was serious. Milo was in danger.
What should he do?
That man already knew he was lying anyway.
But... but...
No buts... Milo was in danger.
Teo was crying. His hands were shaking violently. "Felix... Felix told me to put the box in Milo’s room. I’m sorry I lied to you."
He cried harder. "I’m sorry. But I didn’t mean to harm Milo. I swear! Please, don’t kill me..."
Salvatore clenched his fist. He knew it was Felix.
He looked at Roderick. "Bring that bastard here."
Roderick nodded. He was so fed up with all the drama here. But this time, the situation seemed genuinely dangerous.
***
Hartley’s mansion.
Milo woke up to the sensation of freezing cold.
His eyes fluttered open, his vision blurry and his head throbbing with a violent chemical headache. He tried to move his hands to rub his temples.
But he couldn’t.
His wrists were tightly bound behind his back with coarse rope that cut into his skin. His ankles were tied together just as securely.
He was completely naked, his bare skin pressed against the cold, filthy concrete floor of a dimly lit room. The air smelled of damp earth and rust.
He looked around. The room looked familiar.
Soon, he realized he was back at Nero’s.
NOO!
