Instead of going straight to the hospital room, Valentine gestured to Eugene, whom he had left alone until now. The waiting room's attention immediately focused on Eugene. To escape the oppressive stares, Eugene quickly moved to Valentine's side.Upon entering the hospital room, Don Luciano greeted them from his bed. Standing beside him was a familiar figure—Don Santino Colvino, boss of the Colvino Family and a longtime ally of the Luciano Family.Don Colvino embraced Valentine, then returned to Don Luciano's side and took his hand."To see you lying here like this... Our era truly seems to be ending," Don Santino said with a sad expression. Don Luciano gripped Don Colvino's hand tightly."Listen, Santino. If there's any troubling movement afterward, please take care of Claudio.""Of course. The Lucianos and Colvinos have been longtime allies, haven't they? And we will continue to be."The two bosses reaffirmed the cooperation between their Families."By the way... I'm worried about B
The Chirico brothers who assisted Boss Santino Colvino. Carlo Chirico was the underboss among them.Leo nodded.His mind, momentarily empty, quickly became complicated again.While car accidents happen often, the timing was far too coincidental. There was a good chance this wasn't a simple hit-and-run.The Lucianos and Belmontes, long-standing enemies.The Lucianos and Colvinos, long-standing allies.Don Luciano and Don Colvino had worried last night that Belmonte might take advantage of the Luciano organization's vulnerability following Don Luciano's cancer diagnosis. The long-standing friendship between the Lucianos and Colvinos was well known to Belmonte... What if they targeted Colvino first before striking at the Lucianos? It could be a warning to stay out of the fight between the two families."Fortunately, he wasn't seriously injured. Looks like a week in the hospital will be the end of it," Leo added.The appetite he'd felt just moments ago had already vanished. Eugene put dow
"I'll do it with my life!"Jerry, who received the car keys, exclaimed passionately.Normally, Jerry would have been chattering excitedly, but not today. Whether because of Valentine or the current situation, instead of talking, he only glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror. Eugene stared at the passing scenery outside the window. The streets looked no different than usual, yet nothing seemed ordinary. If war really broke out between the two families, enemies with guns could jump out anywhere on these New York streets.Eugene shifted his gaze from the scenery outside to Valentine's face reflected in the glass. Then he mouthed the word: "Belmonte."Valentine, who had gone home with Eugene to his apartment, sat on the sofa as if it were his own home and began playing with his knife again. The usual kisses and skinship were completely absent. Throughout Eugene's shower, feeding Angel, and preparing a simple dinner, Valentine remained unchanged. He was completely focused. H
Three days had passed since Tony Rico smashed up Luciano's business establishment.Since that day, the two of them had been holed up in Eugene's apartment. Jerry brought groceries, and Leo visited once a day to report on the ongoing situation.While time passed quietly in Eugene's apartment, the situation outside seemed entirely different. When going out to buy groceries, Jerry showed signs of tension, and Leo also carefully checked his surroundings when entering the apartment. It was clear they were operating under the assumption that they could be attacked anywhere, anytime.Indeed, relations between Belmonte and Luciano had become very hostile. Due to the two incidents—the death of a Belmonte member and Tony Rico's attack—the long-standing grudge between the two organizations had resurfaced.Although there hadn't been any major clashes yet, there had already been three incidents where members from both sides had encountered each other on the street and ended up being taken to the h
The Black man shouted in confusion at the sight of Valentine walking fearlessly with his entire body exposed. The Black men were professionals by no stretch of the imagination. At best, neighborhood drug dealers. Or amateur gangsters.Now the distance between the Jeep and Valentine was half closed."Hey, get going now!"One of the attackers shouted urgently, realizing their ambush had completely failed and they would be caught instead. The Black man in the driver's seat threw his now-empty pistol into the car and grabbed the steering wheel. But before the driver could step on the accelerator, Valentine's blue eyes marked his target, his arm extended, and he pulled the trigger without hesitation.Bang-!A single shot rang out in the air. Simultaneously, the magnum bullet pierced the driver's temple. His head exploded from the large-caliber bullet, creating a crimson mist of blood and brain matter. It was a death without even a final scream.A corpse missing half its head now occupied t
"谁呀?" (Who is it?)Chinese words were heard from a corner of the small shop. Startled, Eugene turned to see an old man with white hair and a deeply wrinkled face. The old man showed no particular surprise at the intruders who had entered through the back door or the pistols they held, but simply stared at them with black eyes."Car keys."Valentine held out his palm toward the old man, who was barely tall enough to reach Valentine's waist. The Chinese old man glanced at Valentine's outstretched hand, then stared blankly again."Looks like he doesn't understand?"Jerry said. This time, instead of his palm, Valentine pressed the gun barrel against the old man's forehead. And spoke again."Car keys."The old man kept his mouth shut and stared up at Valentine. His face showed no concern whatsoever for the gun barrel pressed against his forehead. Meanwhile, chaotic siren sounds continued to flow in from outside the shop.Eugene thought Valentine would push the old man's forehead with the g
Having reached this conclusion, Eugene furrowed his brow.If the recent attack was truly due to an internal information leak—Those who knew Valentine was moving to the Long Island villa might not stop at the attack in front of the apartment. The route from Manhattan to the Luciano villa was predictable. There was a good possibility that other attackers were lying in wait somewhere along that route."Bullets?"Valentine broke the heavy silence. Jerry picked up the handgun on the passenger seat to check it, then shook his head. So all they had left was the .45 caliber Valentine had captured and the few bullets remaining in it."I guess we should have gone to the candy store."Jerry cast an anxious glance through the rearview mirror. Then he asked:"Should we turn the car around now?""These guys shot guns in the middle of New York. They're not the type to hold back from attacking in front of the candy store.""At the candy store, we could handle even several of these amateur gangs at o
Valentine held his gun with the barrel pointing upward. His finger moved almost imperceptibly on the trigger, as if oiling the finger muscle connected to it. His eyes were completely focused, marking his target, preparing to pull the trigger.Valentine shifted, moving away from the bumper as if about to exit the car. Eugene grabbed Valentine's arm firmly. Valentine looked at Eugene, who shook his head decisively. Exposing his entire body to gunfire was a crazy act he had witnessed enough of earlier. Besides, before they'd faced pistols, but now they were up against submachine guns. Absolutely not.Valentine smiled, showing his teeth slightly. His eyes seemed to say "How cute." They overflowed with confidence, as if asking, "You think something like this could hurt me?" Eugene tightened his grip on Valentine's forearm. The blue eyes looked down at Eugene's hand gripping his arm. Seeing how tightly Eugene was holding on—tendons and joints prominently showing—Valentine relaxed the finger
Eugene carefully pushed Valentine away and stood up from the chair. Then he pushed Valentine into the chair. Perhaps because Eugene was frowning, Valentine sat down obediently. His face was pale under the dim light.The door through which Jerry had left opened. Jerry entered first, followed by another man. Eugene's expression turned astonished at the sight of the young man in a white coat."Chan?""...Huh? Eugene?"The veterinarian Chan in his white coat stood there momentarily unable to hide his surprise, then scratched his head."You two know each other?"Jerry asked, looking back and forth between them."I came through the back door, so I didn't realize this was the place."Eugene said, recovering from his surprise."Yeah... I didn't know Eugene would be here either."Chan laughed awkwardly. Then he promptly approached Valentine."Let's treat this first."Chan took scissors and cut Valentine's clothes. When he cut away the blood-soaked shirt, a bright red gaping wound on his forear
Valentine held his gun with the barrel pointing upward. His finger moved almost imperceptibly on the trigger, as if oiling the finger muscle connected to it. His eyes were completely focused, marking his target, preparing to pull the trigger.Valentine shifted, moving away from the bumper as if about to exit the car. Eugene grabbed Valentine's arm firmly. Valentine looked at Eugene, who shook his head decisively. Exposing his entire body to gunfire was a crazy act he had witnessed enough of earlier. Besides, before they'd faced pistols, but now they were up against submachine guns. Absolutely not.Valentine smiled, showing his teeth slightly. His eyes seemed to say "How cute." They overflowed with confidence, as if asking, "You think something like this could hurt me?" Eugene tightened his grip on Valentine's forearm. The blue eyes looked down at Eugene's hand gripping his arm. Seeing how tightly Eugene was holding on—tendons and joints prominently showing—Valentine relaxed the finger
Having reached this conclusion, Eugene furrowed his brow.If the recent attack was truly due to an internal information leak—Those who knew Valentine was moving to the Long Island villa might not stop at the attack in front of the apartment. The route from Manhattan to the Luciano villa was predictable. There was a good possibility that other attackers were lying in wait somewhere along that route."Bullets?"Valentine broke the heavy silence. Jerry picked up the handgun on the passenger seat to check it, then shook his head. So all they had left was the .45 caliber Valentine had captured and the few bullets remaining in it."I guess we should have gone to the candy store."Jerry cast an anxious glance through the rearview mirror. Then he asked:"Should we turn the car around now?""These guys shot guns in the middle of New York. They're not the type to hold back from attacking in front of the candy store.""At the candy store, we could handle even several of these amateur gangs at o
"谁呀?" (Who is it?)Chinese words were heard from a corner of the small shop. Startled, Eugene turned to see an old man with white hair and a deeply wrinkled face. The old man showed no particular surprise at the intruders who had entered through the back door or the pistols they held, but simply stared at them with black eyes."Car keys."Valentine held out his palm toward the old man, who was barely tall enough to reach Valentine's waist. The Chinese old man glanced at Valentine's outstretched hand, then stared blankly again."Looks like he doesn't understand?"Jerry said. This time, instead of his palm, Valentine pressed the gun barrel against the old man's forehead. And spoke again."Car keys."The old man kept his mouth shut and stared up at Valentine. His face showed no concern whatsoever for the gun barrel pressed against his forehead. Meanwhile, chaotic siren sounds continued to flow in from outside the shop.Eugene thought Valentine would push the old man's forehead with the g
The Black man shouted in confusion at the sight of Valentine walking fearlessly with his entire body exposed. The Black men were professionals by no stretch of the imagination. At best, neighborhood drug dealers. Or amateur gangsters.Now the distance between the Jeep and Valentine was half closed."Hey, get going now!"One of the attackers shouted urgently, realizing their ambush had completely failed and they would be caught instead. The Black man in the driver's seat threw his now-empty pistol into the car and grabbed the steering wheel. But before the driver could step on the accelerator, Valentine's blue eyes marked his target, his arm extended, and he pulled the trigger without hesitation.Bang-!A single shot rang out in the air. Simultaneously, the magnum bullet pierced the driver's temple. His head exploded from the large-caliber bullet, creating a crimson mist of blood and brain matter. It was a death without even a final scream.A corpse missing half its head now occupied t
Three days had passed since Tony Rico smashed up Luciano's business establishment.Since that day, the two of them had been holed up in Eugene's apartment. Jerry brought groceries, and Leo visited once a day to report on the ongoing situation.While time passed quietly in Eugene's apartment, the situation outside seemed entirely different. When going out to buy groceries, Jerry showed signs of tension, and Leo also carefully checked his surroundings when entering the apartment. It was clear they were operating under the assumption that they could be attacked anywhere, anytime.Indeed, relations between Belmonte and Luciano had become very hostile. Due to the two incidents—the death of a Belmonte member and Tony Rico's attack—the long-standing grudge between the two organizations had resurfaced.Although there hadn't been any major clashes yet, there had already been three incidents where members from both sides had encountered each other on the street and ended up being taken to the h
"I'll do it with my life!"Jerry, who received the car keys, exclaimed passionately.Normally, Jerry would have been chattering excitedly, but not today. Whether because of Valentine or the current situation, instead of talking, he only glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror. Eugene stared at the passing scenery outside the window. The streets looked no different than usual, yet nothing seemed ordinary. If war really broke out between the two families, enemies with guns could jump out anywhere on these New York streets.Eugene shifted his gaze from the scenery outside to Valentine's face reflected in the glass. Then he mouthed the word: "Belmonte."Valentine, who had gone home with Eugene to his apartment, sat on the sofa as if it were his own home and began playing with his knife again. The usual kisses and skinship were completely absent. Throughout Eugene's shower, feeding Angel, and preparing a simple dinner, Valentine remained unchanged. He was completely focused. H
The Chirico brothers who assisted Boss Santino Colvino. Carlo Chirico was the underboss among them.Leo nodded.His mind, momentarily empty, quickly became complicated again.While car accidents happen often, the timing was far too coincidental. There was a good chance this wasn't a simple hit-and-run.The Lucianos and Belmontes, long-standing enemies.The Lucianos and Colvinos, long-standing allies.Don Luciano and Don Colvino had worried last night that Belmonte might take advantage of the Luciano organization's vulnerability following Don Luciano's cancer diagnosis. The long-standing friendship between the Lucianos and Colvinos was well known to Belmonte... What if they targeted Colvino first before striking at the Lucianos? It could be a warning to stay out of the fight between the two families."Fortunately, he wasn't seriously injured. Looks like a week in the hospital will be the end of it," Leo added.The appetite he'd felt just moments ago had already vanished. Eugene put dow
Instead of going straight to the hospital room, Valentine gestured to Eugene, whom he had left alone until now. The waiting room's attention immediately focused on Eugene. To escape the oppressive stares, Eugene quickly moved to Valentine's side.Upon entering the hospital room, Don Luciano greeted them from his bed. Standing beside him was a familiar figure—Don Santino Colvino, boss of the Colvino Family and a longtime ally of the Luciano Family.Don Colvino embraced Valentine, then returned to Don Luciano's side and took his hand."To see you lying here like this... Our era truly seems to be ending," Don Santino said with a sad expression. Don Luciano gripped Don Colvino's hand tightly."Listen, Santino. If there's any troubling movement afterward, please take care of Claudio.""Of course. The Lucianos and Colvinos have been longtime allies, haven't they? And we will continue to be."The two bosses reaffirmed the cooperation between their Families."By the way... I'm worried about B