Chapter 3: Interrogation

"The child's father is dead!" Emilia stated without hesitation.

She didn’t notice how Matthew’s gaze deepened. On the surface, his expression remained cold, but the burning anger in his eyes began to subside.

Fine. As cruel as it seemed, he was relieved to hear that the man was out of Emilia's life. What comforted him even more was that Emilia didn’t seem to miss him at all.

However, thinking about how Emilia had been raising their child alone all this time stirred an unsettling mix of emotions in him. His eyes lingered on the adorable child nestled in Emilia’s arms as his brow furrowed slightly.

Before he could voice his thoughts, Emilia spoke up again. "Could you prepare a room for me? Ray needs to sleep."

Matthew swallowed the words bubbling in his throat and gave a curt nod. He instructed the butler to lead Emilia to a room.

The room she was brought to was spacious but decorated in a stark black-and-white scheme. With just a glance, Emilia could tell whose room it was. She turned to the butler with a questioning look.

The elderly butler, ever polite, inclined his head slightly and explained, "Miss Emilia, due to the urgency, we haven't been able to prepare a guest room. Master Matthew said you could use his room for now."

Emilia nodded in understanding. Since Matthew had already granted permission, she didn’t dwell on the matter. The room, despite its monochrome and slightly impersonal design, was comfortable enough.

She gently laid Ray down on the bed. The little boy, who had earlier been crying in fear, now slept soundly as if the terrors of the day had never happened. Emilia couldn’t help but smile softly, leaning down to press a tender kiss to his forehead before quietly leaving the room.

There were things she needed to confirm with Matthew—questions about the ambush.

As Emilia descended the stairs, she caught the sound of Louis's voice. Louis, Matthew’s right-hand man and a technological expert within his organization, seemed to be discussing something important.

When Louis noticed her, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly fell silent.

"Continue," Matthew’s voice cut through the moment, commanding and calm.

Louis hesitated briefly but resumed. "From our investigation so far, the attack wasn’t just aimed at the wedding—it was an assault on all enterprises under the Adonis family. The news of the family patriarch and heir's deaths has already begun to spread rapidly. Although we’ve tried to contain it, the information will inevitably leak. Without leadership, the Adonis family is vulnerable to collapse.

"And Robert seems prepared for this. His men are scattered throughout central New York, waiting to pick apart the remains."

Robert—the name of the Russian mob boss. Clearly, the Adonis family was nothing more than a feast in the eyes of outside forces.

Although New York appeared calm on the surface, the underworld was teeming with unrest, each faction readying for action. What lay ahead for the Adonis family was uncertain.

Under Matthew’s direction, Louis laid everything out clearly, not hiding a thing from Emilia.

When Louis finished, Matthew’s voice turned icy. "A bunch of overreaching rats. We’ll make them pay."

Matthew’s bond with the Adonis family was strong—he and Curtis had been close friends. For Robert to attack the Adonis family was a direct affront Matthew couldn’t ignore.

Then, Emilia’s voice broke through the tension, just as cold and resolute. "I won’t let those Russians have their way. Matthew, I want revenge. I’ll stay here until this is finished. For now, I’ll trouble you with my presence."

They had dared to kill her family. Emilia wasn’t going to let this go. Even if it cost her life, she would have her revenge.

Louis stood off to the side, his gaze lowered slightly. He had heard many stories about Emilia, the prodigious daughter of the Adonis family—her unparalleled intellect and battlefield prowess rivaled the best. Yet, a mysterious incident had led her to abandon both combat and family affairs. Three years ago, she had defied her family’s wishes and fled to Italy, never looking back.

And now, her return was marked by witnessing her family’s brutal deaths. Truly, her misfortune seemed relentless.

Emilia had no idea what thoughts ran through Louis’s mind. She focused intently on Matthew, waiting for his response.

Matthew found the situation far too dangerous, but as he met Emilia’s amber eyes, blazing with determination, he knew there was nothing he could say to dissuade her. Emilia had always been stubborn like this.

With a quiet sigh, Matthew rose to his feet. "My men have captured some of Robert’s subordinates. Would you like to join me for the interrogation?"

Emilia nodded without hesitation. "Yes, let’s go."

She stood and followed Matthew as they descended to the underground levels of the estate. Passing through a long hallway, they arrived at the subterranean prison maintained by Matthew’s organization.

Emilia immediately recognized a few familiar faces among the prisoners—they were the same men who had chased her and Matthew earlier.

Some of the captives had already been taken elsewhere. Now, only Matthew, Emilia, and a single Russian henchman remained in the cell.

The man glared at Matthew and Emilia with pure hatred, his eyes burning as though he wished he could tear them apart.

Emilia’s gaze turned icy, while Matthew approached without hesitation, beginning the interrogation. Naturally, the process involved physical persuasion—something unavoidable in the world of the mafia.

One thing was certain: mafia members were notorious for their stubborn silence. Without the threat of pain or the taste of suffering, they would never divulge information.

The Russian’s agonized screams echoed through the prison, and the metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air, causing Emilia to wrinkle her nose in discomfort. She couldn’t deny the brutality of Matthew’s methods, but she understood that such measures were necessary to extract valuable intelligence.

“I’ll talk… I’ll talk… please, stop…” The Russian, barely able to breathe, finally muttered these words, his resolve shattered.

Matthew straightened up, blood dripping from his fingers onto the cold floor.

Under Matthew’s chilling gaze, the man shuddered, his body trembling involuntarily with fear.

He quickly blurted out, "Mr. Robert wants to eliminate all Adonis heirs to seize their territory and dominate New York’s underworld. Matthew, you’re too strong, but the Adonis family’s defenses are weak. Curtis’s incompetence created an opening..."

It became clear that Robert had meticulously planned everything. Even Alice, Curtis’s supposed lover, was merely a pawn in his scheme to destroy the Adonis family. Learning that Emilia would return for Curtis’s wedding, Robert orchestrated an ambush to annihilate the family swiftly and claim their power.

Emilia’s eyes grew colder with every word.

She stared at the man and asked in a low voice, "Is that all?"

The Russian didn’t fear Emilia. To him, she was merely someone relying on Matthew’s protection. The Adonis family, in his eyes, were fools blinded by their naive emotions.

Still, something about Emilia’s piercing gaze unsettled him. He stammered, "Th-that’s all… that’s all."

And then, as if hopeful, he added, "Now, can you let me go—"

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, cutting his words short.

Before he could comprehend what had happened, the Russian stared wide-eyed at Emilia, disbelief and rage etched on his face. He never would have imagined his end would come at her hands.

Emilia tightened her grip on the gun, her expression filled with fury as though she wanted to keep firing at his lifeless body.

At that moment, Matthew’s hand gently covered hers. His voice was uncharacteristically soft. "He’s dead."

Emilia pursed her lips, locking eyes with Matthew. Then, without a word, she flung his hand away, the gun slipping from her grasp and clattering to the ground.

"I don’t want to see them anymore," she said coldly, turning to leave. Her retreating figure was resolute, yet it carried an unmistakable air of loneliness.