One Hundred Eleven

After hours of brutal fighting, the sound of gunfire in Brooklyn finally began to fade. The air was still thick with the stench of gunpowder and blood, while the ruins of Leonardo’s main casino continued to burn, black smoke billowing high into the night sky. Antonio stood before the wreckage of what was once the center of Leonardo’s underground empire. His eyes were cold, filled with victory, yet the fire of revenge still burned within him. Behind him, his remaining soldiers stood, their faces exhausted but satisfied. They had won—at least for tonight. Marcus, his face smeared with the blood of his enemies, approached with heavy breaths.

“One part of Leonardo’s empire has fallen. Two more to go,”

he said, pointing at the map in Antonio’s hands. Antonio smirked, staring at the casino’s ruins with deep satisfaction.

“This is just the warm-up,”

he said in a low voice.

“I won’t stop until Leonardo himself is lying in the dirt.”

Amid the scattered debris and bloodstained ground, Antonio’s allies—Rafael Montenegro, Carlos Ribeiro, and Héctor Valverde—watched the destruction unfold.

“You managed to take the first district,”

Rafael said, sliding his pistol back into its holster.

“But you know damn well Leonardo is going to strike back harder.”

Carlos smirked, taking a slow drag from his cigar.

“Yeah, and if we really wanna take his empire down, we need to move faster. We still have two main targets—his secret weapons depot in Staten Island and his headquarters.”

Héctor, who had been mostly silent, finally spoke.

“We can’t underestimate Leonardo. He’s been preparing his defenses better than we thought. We need a tighter strategy to take Staten Island.”

Antonio nodded slowly.

“We’ll plan our next move soon. But before that…”

He took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with deep hatred.

“I have to find Cassandra.”

Meanwhile,

on a remote island… Cassandra’s eyes fluttered open, her head pounding from the aftereffects of being knocked out. She was still in the dark, damp room, with only a single flickering light barely holding on. She moved her hands carefully. The restraints around her wrists weren’t as tight as before. It seemed her captors had assumed she was too weak to try and escape.

“Bastards,”

she muttered, taking a slow, steady breath to clear her mind. Using all her strength, she freed her hands and began feeling around the cold walls. As her fingers brushed against an old hinge, she realized something—the door wasn’t locked. Her heart pounded. Why wasn’t there a guard?

Slowly, she pushed the door open and peeked outside. The hallway was silent. No footsteps, no armed guards. This was too easy. Maybe it’s a trap, she thought. But she didn’t have a choice. She crept forward, moving through the narrow corridor until she reached another door that was slightly ajar. Through the gap, she could see one of Leonardo’s men sleeping, his pistol still holstered at his waist. Cassandra swallowed hard. She had to act fast. Grabbing a wooden plank lying on the floor, she swung it with all her strength at his head.

THUD!

The man collapsed without making a sound. Cassandra snatched the gun from his waist, checking the magazine—fully loaded. As she stepped outside the building where she had been held captive, her stomach dropped. A remote island. The luxurious meeting room inside Nuovo Ordine’s headquarters suddenly fell into a tense silence. Seated at the center of a long table surrounded by his men, Leonardo tapped his fingers on the wooden surface in a slow, deliberate rhythm, his expression dark. In front of him, a massive screen displayed a live news broadcast covering the destruction of his primary casino district—the very core of his illegal empire. The images of ruins, his fallen men, and raging fires made his chest tighten with fury. Then, in one swift motion, Leonardo grabbed his wine glass and hurled it against the wall.

CRASH!

Glass shattered into countless shards, red wine spilling like blood down the white wall. His breaths were heavy. He felt humiliated. Antonio thought he had won? Leonardo stared at his men, who sat tensely around the table. With a low but deadly voice, he said,

"Antonio just started a war he can't win."

One of his men, Franco, swallowed hard and gathered the courage to speak.

"What are your orders, Boss?"

Leonardo shot him a sharp look, then stood up with an air of absolute authority.

"I want revenge. We’ll make Antonio pay dearly for what he’s done."

He walked over to the large city map pinned to the wall. With his index finger, he pointed at several key locations in New York.

"Listen carefully. We're going to strike back—brutally."

He turned to Franco.

"Gather all our execution squads. I want every official who ever did business with me hunted down and eliminated."

Franco nodded quickly.

"Understood, Boss!"

Leonardo continued, his eyes burning with rage.

"Burn their homes. Destroy their assets. Make sure they die in absolute terror!"

Then, he turned to another subordinate, Rico—a large man with a cold stare.

"Antonio thinks he can take down my main business?"

he said in a low voice, laced with menace.

"Wipe out his arms-smuggling network overseas. I want every trade route blocked, his ships sunk, his warehouses reduced to ashes."

Rico gave a curt nod.

"We'll make sure his supply lines are severed."

Leonardo smirked, but it was a cruel, ruthless grin.

"Perfect."

He walked toward the massive window overlooking New York City.

"Tonight, everything changes."

Turning back to his men, he declared,

"Antonio thinks he can take this city from me? I’ll make him regret it."

That night, New York turned into hell once again. In every corner of the city, Leonardo’s execution squads moved in the shadows, striking down those who had supported Antonio’s business empire. In a luxurious Manhattan apartment, a financial official known for laundering money for Nuovo Ordine was found dead, a bullet lodged in his skull inside his bedroom. On the outskirts of the city, a grand mansion—once a secret meeting place for Antonio’s mafia operations—suddenly exploded, reducing everything to smoldering rubble. Antonio’s smuggling business began crumbling—his weapons warehouses overseas were set ablaze by Leonardo’s men. Inside his car, Leonardo received reports one by one. His grin widened.

"This is just the beginning, Antonio."

"You want war? I'll give you hell."

Antonio’s Headquarters – A Blood-Soaked Interrogation In the dimly lit basement, the sharp clanking of chains echoed as a man sat bound to a metal chair, his body covered in wounds. Leonardo’s captured soldier was already bloodied, his face bruised after hours of brutal interrogation by Antonio’s men. Yet, he still tried to withhold the last piece of information Antonio demanded. In front of him, Antonio stood with eyes blazing in fury, his fists clenched tight.

"I’m going to ask you one more time."

"Where is Cassandra?"

The man took a ragged breath, fresh blood still dripping from the wound on his lip. He looked at Antonio, terror evident in his gaze, but he still tried to hold out.

"Y-You think I’ll talk?"

His voice was hoarse, but he still resisted. BANG! A gunshot rang out, the bullet tearing through the man’s thigh. He screamed in agony, his body jerking against the chair, blood pooling on the concrete floor beneath him.

"I don’t have time for this bullshit." Antonio’s voice was ice-cold. He grabbed the man and effortlessly yanked him up, slamming him against the concrete wall, pressing down hard on his shoulder. "I’m asking you for the last time."

Antonio’s gaze was filled with a deadly hatred.

"Where is Cassandra? Tell me before I kill you right now."

The man gasped for air, pain etched across his face. After several seconds, he finally broke.

"S-Small island off the coast..."

he stammered, his voice filled with fear.

"Mr. Leonardo said she had to be taken out slowly there…"

Antonio stiffened. A small island? Fuck. His eyes snapped to Marcus, who stood beside him.

"Marcus, find out about that island. Now."

Marcus quickly pulled out his phone and began searching their secret database. He typed in the keywords

"small island near New York’s coast"

and scanned through possible locations based on the captive’s information. A few seconds later, Marcus’s expression hardened.

"Got it."

He turned his phone around, showing a satellite image to Antonio. On the screen was a small island about fifteen miles off the New York mainland.

"It used to be a storage facility for secret naval research, but it was abandoned years ago."

Antonio clenched his jaw.

"That has to be the place."

Marcus looked at him seriously.

"We have to move fast before Leonardo kills her."

Antonio turned back to Leonardo’s battered soldier, still tied to the chair. With a low, dangerous voice, he said,

"I don’t need you anymore."

BANG!

A single bullet tore through the man’s skull, his lifeless body slumping to the floor. The room fell silent for a few seconds. Marcus and Antonio’s men weren’t surprised—they knew there was no mercy for anyone who dared to take someone precious from Antonio. Antonio slid his gun back into its holster and turned to Marcus and the rest of his team.

"Get the boat ready."

"I don’t care how many people have to die tonight. I’m taking her back."

Remote Island – Fading Hope and Desperation The cold night wind swept over the small island, making Cassandra shiver even more in her torn, filthy clothes. For hours, she had tried to find a way out, but all she discovered were thick forests and towering cliffs that plunged directly into the vast ocean. The sky was growing darker, with only the moon as her single source of light. Cassandra let out a long breath, staring at the old building behind her—the place where she had been held captive. Inside that building, she had found an old radio, but as expected, it didn’t work.

"Damn it…"

she muttered, pressing the buttons repeatedly. No signal, no sign of life beyond this island. I can’t keep going like this. She ran a hand through her tangled hair, trying to calm her increasingly chaotic thoughts. I have to do something. I can’t just sit here and wait to die. Using what little strength she had left, Cassandra dragged a large wooden log to the shore. She began tracing three giant letters in the sand with the log—SOS.

Then, she searched for large stones and arranged them in a distress signal, hoping it would be visible from above. Finally, she stepped back and looked at her work from afar. It’s done. But… will anyone see it? She bit her lower lip, fear creeping into her heart. I’ve done everything I can… but is it enough? I don’t know how much longer I can last. She sank to the ground, leaning against the cliff, staring up at the star-filled night sky. But even though the stars shone brightly, her world felt dark. Meanwhile, aboard the speeding boat heading toward the island, Antonio stood on the deck, his face tense. Marcus stood beside him, giving a quick report.

"The island is just a few miles away. We’ll be there in less than ten minutes."

Antonio didn’t respond, his eyes locked onto the horizon. Every second felt like torture. Every breath felt heavy. The only thing on his mind was Cassandra. Was she still alive? Was she hurt? Was she still waiting for him? Marcus finally spoke again, trying to read his mind.

"We’ll find her, Boss."

Antonio clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing.

"Yeah."

"And whoever touched her… will pay in blood."

Cassandra sat on the shoreline, her empty gaze fixed on the dark horizon. The small waves crashed against the rocks with a soothing sound, but to Cassandra, it was like a death knell. Hours had passed since she carved out the SOS signal. No sign of rescue. No boats passing by, no sound of aircraft in the pitch-black sky. Is this the end for me?

Cassandra wiped at her heavy eyes. I don’t want to die here… But more than that… I don’t want to die without seeing him again. Antonio…

She closed her eyes, picturing his face—his piercing stare, his cold yet passionate touch, the way he protected her with a brutal force that somehow made her feel the safest in the world. I want him here. I want him to find me. I want to tell him…

that I love him. A faint sound in the distance suddenly shattered the silence. Cassandra’s head snapped up, her heartbeat accelerating. Boat lights. A helicopter’s beam cutting through the night sky. They were coming! Cassandra staggered to her feet, her body weak, but adrenaline forced her to stay upright. She waved her hands, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"I’M HERE! ANTONIO!"

On the approaching speedboat, Antonio stood at the bow, his sharp eyes scanning the shore. His breath caught when he saw the silhouette of a woman standing in the sand, frantically waving. Cassandra. "Fuck!" Antonio immediately signaled the captain.

"Get us to shore, NOW!"

Marcus stood beside him, relief evident in his expression.

"She’s alive, Boss."

Antonio didn’t respond. He had only one thought—getting her back. As soon as the boat hit the shore, Antonio jumped off before it even stopped completely. His legs carried him across the sand at full speed, his breath ragged, but his eyes fixed only on the figure before him. Cassandra stared at him, tears brimming in her eyes. Without thinking, she ran toward him.

"Antonio!"

Antonio opened his arms just as Cassandra crashed into him, trembling in his embrace. He clutched her tightly, his face buried in her tangled, filthy hair. She was alive. She was here. Cassandra sobbed against his chest, gripping his jacket as if terrified of losing him again. Antonio pulled back slightly, staring at her with a mix of fury and relief.

"Damn it, Cassandra! I was losing my mind looking for you!"

Cassandra smiled through her tears.

"I knew you’d find me… I trusted you."

Antonio cupped her face roughly, his breath still heavy with anger and relief.

"I swear, this is the last time I let anyone take you from me."

His eyes darkened, his voice low and possessive.

"You’re mine, Cassandra. Only mine."

Before she could say anything, Antonio crashed his lips against hers, kissing her with raw desperation and hunger. Cassandra gripped his jacket tightly, kissing him back as if this was the only thing real in the world. She let herself melt into Antonio’s warmth—

the man she had tried to resist, but who had completely claimed her heart. Behind them, Marcus and Antonio’s men remained silent, watching the moment with quiet respect. They knew Cassandra wasn’t just any woman to Antonio. She was both his greatest weakness and his greatest strength. One of Antonio’s men leaned toward Marcus, whispering,

"We don’t see Boss like this often."

Marcus smirked slightly.

"He can kill without blinking, but for that woman… he’d burn the whole world down if anyone dared touch her."

When Antonio finally pulled away from the kiss, he stared deeply into Cassandra’s eyes. His hand brushed against her dirty cheek, his expression shifting to something more serious.

"Now, we end this."

Cassandra met his gaze, her breath still ragged. Antonio turned toward the sea, his dark eyes filled with hatred and resolve.

"Leonardo dies by my hands."

The ocean breeze howled, carrying the promise of an even greater war to come.