Chapter 3 - A ruthless billionaire.

“Clean this up.”

Xander stood up from the couch, his black shoes glistening with the marbled floor as he marched towards the nearby table.

The husky men didn't hesitate to do as he ordered, leaving behind just Bruno Lorenzo, Xander's right-hand man and only friend.

They once stayed in the same orphanage in Italy before Xander joined the Mafia family.

“Why is it just one man? Where is his partner?” Xander asked, a rich sense of deep Italian accent emanating from his tone as he gently fixed his hands in his pockets.

Bruno stepped forward and replied, “he was found gambling in one of the downtown casinos. When we traced back to his hideout, his partner was long gone. Seemed like he figured us earlier.”

“But we'll definitely find him soon as he left some traces behind.” He quickly added.

“Bring him to me when you do.” Xander took a deep breath before turning back to face the angle of the room where he had just shot a living man dead.

The traces of blood splattered on the wall could still be seen, but that didn't quench his anger at all.

Groomed and trained in the Mafia family for thirteen years in Italy, he had come across different betrayals and knew how to deal with them quite well. But it didn't make him get used to seeing them almost on daily basis. It agitated him whenever he had to deal with the same thing over and over again which was why he loved to cut them immediately.

“What should we do about the Gonzalez? Since, they realized we already knew of their plan, they've laid low.” Bruno glanced at him in silence, awaiting his order.

Xander's fist tightened immediately in his pockets, but his face barely held any emotions. Then he smirked, “they took quite a lot from me. My goods fucking crumbled because of them, and they used my men against me.......” He trailed off as his face suddenly became void of emotion.

“Make them experience the damn same thing. And I heard they acquired new investors for their company?” He raised a brow and Bruno nodded instantly, “yes.”

“Make sure that contract signing never happens and withdraw all of our shares in their company. Lastly, I have a gift for them, but that would be given later, so prepare your mind.”

“Alright.” Bruno let the matter go despite his curiosity to know what the gift could be. Knowing fully well who Xander was, he was certain the gift wasn't going to be heartwarming at all.

Just then, the door swung wide, revealing four men in suits. They halted midway in the room.

“We couldn't find her anywhere in the building.” One of them reported back as his head fell low in a bow. Along with his partners.

Bruno's brows creased with uncertainty as his gaze swept across the faces of the four men, “she is not in the party?”

“Yes. We searched everywhere in the party, but there were no traces of her nor her husband.” The second man replied.

Xander scoffed out loud, “Aren't they the host of the party?” He asked quietly yet the way he spoke made their skin crawl.

The second man hesitated for a second as he sought the right answer to give to his boss—Xander, whose ruthlessness was second to none.

“They are, but we'll be sure to find her before the sun sets.”

Xander's mind flashed back to earlier when Matilda barged in on them, his initial reaction was shock as he wondered what the host of the party he visited was suddenly doing there. But the rule was the rule.

She could be of a prominent figure, but she just witnessed a murder scene which could jeopardize things for him later. This was the reason he always had different partners in terms of dealing with the company and the latter.

Only a few of his business partners there in New York was engaged in his underworld dealings. Majority of his partners were in Italy.

“Bring her to me as soon as you find her.” He uttered coldly as he brushed past them, heading out of the room.

“Yes boss.” The men chorused in unison, their head still lowered in a bow.

Then he halted near the door, “Clean this room, it still reeks of blood.” He walked out of the room and Bruno followed suit.

“When does this party end?” He checked his wristwatch and shot Bruno a glance.

“Since the hosts aren't even around, the party should already be in chaos.”

True to what Bruno said, the party was not organized as it was before and there was still no trace of Eduardo nor Tiffany. All the guards that were assigned to Matilda searched around aimlessly, and it brought total confusion to the people.

“Seems like there's nothing left to do here.” Xander said, his gaze roaming around the audience, and he turned towards the exit, finally having a reason to leave the party.

It was not his intention to be there in the first place, but business called, coupled with the fact that his grandfather persuaded him to attend the Smiths family's party.

Speaking of the devil, he was heading into the party when Tiffany blocked his path at the entrance.

“What are you going to say to the media now? That your wife suddenly vanished into thin air?” She crossed her arms against her chest.

“At least, I need to let them know she wouldn't be found anytime soon.” Eduardo replied,

“You know, this is all your fault. If you had done what you had to do five years ago, then this would have already been a forgotten story. But no! You chose to get things complicated by getting married to her.”

“You wouldn't understand anything if I tell you, so let's just end it here.” Eduardo spoke in a whispering voice. He would rather not raise any suspicions, even when they weren't in the spotlight yet.

“Why? We're in this together, so tell me the fucking reason you got married to her.” Tiffany lashed out, her tone rising than usual, but she only got yanked to the wall.

“Don't provoke me.” Eduardo breathed out to her face before leaving her behind and heading towards the media who in turn rushed to him as soon as they sighted him.

Xander scoffed at the little scene that just played in front of him and Bruno was left a little bewildered. Although, they were in a corner where they were barely seen, but they could see and hear the two's conversation clearly.

They stood there for a while before Xander proceeded out of the building with Bruno trailing after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Boss, please spare my life..... Please..... They forced us to work for them…. We were threatened and blackmailed....” A man whose body was bloody and injured all over, pleaded for his life in the darkness the loomed over.

Under a tall and giant tree, he was tied to the trunk, staring weakly at his predator. He could only beg for his life, but he knew fully well that would head him nowhere as he was entirely guilty of his crime.

“Still have the guts to lie, huh? Do you know why I chose to bring you here of all places? It was so you could feel the emptiness from within. Screaming for help and only hearing the echo of your screams should send my message across.” Xander eventually voiced out after series of torture from his men on his prey.

“No one dares to steal and lie to me at the same time. I should have killed you as soon as I laid my eyes on you but because you'll be used as my special gift, you'll face one of the most memorable deaths. So, in your next life, you wouldn't dare to betray me in any way.”

The man shivered, despite in his weakest state. He knew that gaze from his boss. That gaze which held so much callousness with no remorse at all and was ready to kill without blinking an eye.

Xander stood up from the folding chair and turned to Bruno, his gaze raised with a cold smirk plastered on his face, “send his head to the Gonzalez as my heartwarming gift.”

“No! Please, spare me. No!” The man's screams trailed off as he was finally put into the booth of the car and the car drove away.

Xander was left with just a few guards as Bruno had left with the first car. Just as he was about to enter into the car, a loud scream pierced into his ears. The lady's screams came again, and the voice sounded so familiar that had him stop in his tracks.

He found himself heading towards the path where the screams came from until he saw some men hovering around that familiar person—Matilda.

“Sign the divorce papers now if you want to live.” One of the men in suits said, pointing a gun directly to her head.