One Hundred Twenty

Edward Novaries sat in his chair, his jaw clenched tight, eyes burning with madness and fury. In front of him, a group of men from various mafia organizations sat around a circular table. Some of them looked hesitant, while others stared at him with disbelief. Antonio had destroyed all his financial networks, burned his businesses to the ground.

Now, he had no choice but to seek new allies. His gaze flicked to the right, where Hernando Diaz, a Colombian cartel boss, lounged lazily in his seat. Across from him sat Rafael Montenegro, head of the Spanish syndicate, arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable. Edward exhaled sharply before speaking.

“We all have one common enemy—Antonio Franches and The Silver Thorn. If we don’t act now, he’ll take us down one by one.”

Hernando scoffed.

“You talk big, Edward. We all know who Antonio is and what his men are capable of. He’s not just another threat—he’s a goddamn killing machine.”

“You expect us to go against a man who never fails to wipe out his enemies?”

Rafael added skeptically.

“My men still remember how he beheaded one of our bosses at the border just for messing with his operations.”

Edward growled, his jaw tightening.

“Listen to me!”

he snapped, his eyes ablaze with hatred.

“Antonio may be strong, but he’s not invincible! Right now, he’s alone with the remnants of his forces. We can hit him from all sides!”

Hernando simply shook his head before leaning back in his chair.

“I’m not interested in dying like an idiot, Edward.”

“Neither am I,”

Rafael chimed in, his expression making it clear he wanted no part in this war. Edward slammed his fist on the table, his face turning red with rage.

“Fucking cowards!”

Hernando stood up, his sharp gaze locking onto Edward.

“No, Edward. This isn’t about being brave or weak. It’s about being smart or stupid. And right now, you’re acting like a fool.”

Rafael rose as well.

“I suggest you find another way to survive. If you go after Antonio now, you’ll be dead before you can even pull the trigger.”

Without another word, Hernando and Rafael exited the room, followed by several other mafiosos who wanted nothing to do with this suicidal mission. Edward was left with only a handful of small-time gangsters—men who had no idea what going up against The Silver Thorn really meant. His fists clenched tighter, his entire body shaking with frustration.

“You’ll all regret abandoning me!”

But deep inside, for the first time in his life… Edward felt something he had never experienced before. Fear. Meanwhile—Antonio’s Mansion Inside the grand strategy room of the mansion, Antonio stood at the head of a large mahogany table, surrounded by his five most trusted men: Marcus, Ben, Dominic, Silvio, and Luca.

“Edward is desperate,”

Marcus reported.

“He’s reaching out to other mafias for help.”

Antonio smirked, his expression filled with absolute confidence.

“Of course, he is. He knows he can’t survive on his own.”

Ben leaned back in his chair.

“The question is—who’s dumb enough to help him?”

Dominic chuckled.

“A few, maybe. But not many are crazy enough to go toe-to-toe with us.”

Silvio placed a thick file on the table.

“We have intel that only a handful of small factions agreed to join him. They’re mostly low-level gangs who have no idea who they’re fucking with.”

Luca arched a brow.

“So we take them out before they can make a move?”

Antonio nodded.

“Exactly. We’re not going to wait for them to attack first. We’ll wipe them out before they can even form a plan.”

Marcus grinned.

“Ah, my favorite part.”

“First target?”

Ben asked. Antonio pointed to a location on the map.

“They’re hiding in a warehouse near the docks. We move in tonight.”

Dominic grinned, pulling out his gun and checking the ammo.

“I’ve been waiting to put these cocky bastards in their place.”

Silvio nodded.

“Let’s make sure they don’t get a second chance.”

Luca turned to Antonio.

“And Edward?

Do we capture him or kill him on the spot?”

Antonio’s gaze darkened, his eyes locked onto the map, filled with suppressed rage.

“We make him kneel first.”

“Then we make sure he dies in the most painful way possible.”

Marcus clapped Antonio on the shoulder, smiling.

“I like that plan.”

Antonio took a deep breath, knowing that soon, everything would end in blood. The war was inevitable. And Antonio was ready to kill Edward with his own hands. Mexico—One Month Later The night sky over the Mexican border was dark, but below it, a silent war was brewing. Inside a massive warehouse on the outskirts of town, Edward Novaries sat with his jaw clenched, his eyes burning as he stared at the report in his hands. His empire was collapsing. His smuggling routes—drugs, weapons, and black-market goods—had all been shut down, thanks to Antonio’s relentless attacks. His men were starting to doubt him. His clients had switched to other suppliers.

“FUCK!”

Edward slammed the report onto the wooden table, his fists trembling. One of his underlings, Ricardo, swallowed hard.

“Boss, we’ve lost three major shipments this week. Our entire East Coast trade route has been wiped out by Antonio’s men.”

Edward let out a guttural growl.

“You think I don’t fucking know that, asshole?!”

Suddenly, the warehouse doors creaked open. Marcus, Ben, Dominic, Silvio, and Luca entered first, their guns ready. And right behind them, Antonio Franches walked in with calm, measured steps—his black eyes filled with the cold hatred he had been holding onto for the past month. Edward immediately yanked the gun from his waistband, pointing it straight at Antonio.

"You think you can just walk in here and take everything from me?!"

Antonio let out a small, amused chuckle—relaxed, like he was enjoying watching a dead man’s last struggle.

"I didn’t just take your business, Edward," he said smoothly.

"I fucking destroyed it."

Edward growled and squeezed the trigger— But before he could fire, Marcus was already one step ahead, raising his gun and pulling the trigger first.

BANG!

Edward let out a sharp scream, his gun clattering to the floor as blood poured from his hand. Luca chuckled.

"Damn, you really don’t learn, do you?"

Ben shrugged. "Guess he thought he still had control of this game."

Edward panted, gritting his teeth against the pain, his gaze still burning with pure hatred.

"Fuck you, Antonio!"

Antonio stepped closer, eyes locked on Edward like a predator studying its prey.

"I warned you, Edward."

"I gave you time to run."

"But you chose to fight."

Edward’s glare darkened. "I will fucking kill you, Antonio. You think this is all I have? I have more weapons, more men!" Antonio smirked, tilting his head slightly.

"Oh yeah? Then why do you only have two guys left in this place?"

Edward’s eyes darted to his left and right—his heartbeat quickening as he realized the truth. Most of his men… were gone. Dominic lit a cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke before saying,

"You really thought your men would stay loyal after we burned down every last cent and business you owned? They ran faster than you could fucking blink, Edward."

Edward clenched his teeth, realizing he had lost. Antonio pulled out his gun, pressing the cold barrel against Edward’s forehead.

"I should kill you right now."

"You won’t get a second chance."

Edward’s breathing turned shallow, sweat trickling down his temple. Hatred still filled his gaze, but this time—so did fear. Antonio took a deep breath—then pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The bullet tore through Edward’s knee. He let out a guttural scream before collapsing onto the ground, clutching his bleeding leg. Marcus chuckled.

"That’s for all the fucked-up shit you’ve done."

Antonio crouched down in front of Edward, his gaze ice-cold.

"I could kill you now, but I want you to suffer first. I want you to feel the same fear, the same pain Cassandra felt when she lost her parents—because of you."

Edward panted, his face drenched in sweat and blood.

"Fuck… you… I’m… not… done yet…"

Antonio let out a small, almost pitying smirk.

"Too bad, Edward. You lost the moment you crossed me."

With a single nod from Antonio, Marcus and Dominic grabbed Edward by his arms, dragging his screaming, writhing body out of the warehouse. Tonight, the game was over. And Antonio had finally crushed the enemy that had haunted him for so long. Antonio’s Mansion – Cassandra’s Bedroom Cassandra woke up feeling sore, her muscles aching in places she didn’t even know could hurt.

"Ugh… I feel like I got run over,"

she groaned, her voice raspy. She reached out, her fingers searching for the warmth beside her—but found nothing. Antonio must’ve woken up earlier. Letting out a deep sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment as last night’s memories slowly came back. And, just as she expected, all she could think about was how Antonio had completely exhausted her with everything he did. Every night. Without fail. Cassandra groaned in frustration.

"I can’t even feel my legs properly… this is ridiculous."

But before she could complain any further, a strange sensation twisted in her stomach. Nausea. Oh no. Cassandra quickly sat up, almost tripping over the sheets as she rushed toward the bathroom. She barely made it before dropping to her knees in front of the toilet, feeling her stomach turn as she got sick.

"What is happening…?"

Sweat formed on her forehead as she gripped the sink, trying to steady herself. And then… the thought hit her like a ton of bricks.

"No way… could I be…?"

Slowly, she lifted her gaze to the mirror, staring at her own pale reflection, eyes wide with shock.

"This can’t be happening… right?"

Cassandra sat at the edge of the bed, anxiously biting her nails. Oh my God, I’m really doing this. But… there was no way she was going out to buy a pregnancy test herself. There was absolutely no way she was going to stand at the pharmacy counter, all embarrassed, and purchase one like it was nothing. So, she came up with another solution. She called one of Antonio’s men—Luca, who happened to be lounging outside the mansion. Luca arrived with a confused look.

“What’s wrong, Miss? Did Antonio ask me to watch over you?”

Cassandra stepped closer with a serious expression, making Luca even more suspicious.

“Luca… I need your help.”

Luca immediately straightened up.

“Is it serious?”

“Very serious.”

Cassandra nodded, trying to keep a straight face. Luca instinctively reached for his waist, checking if his gun was there.

“Who do I need to kill? Just say the name.” Cassandra blinked.

“…Huh? No one needs to die!”

Luca frowned.

“Then what’s the mission?”

Cassandra let out a deep breath, stepped closer, and whispered in his ear.

“Buy me a pregnancy test.”

Luca froze on the spot.

“…W-What?”

Cassandra cleared her throat, avoiding his gaze.

“Yeah… I need a test. A good one. Something accurate. Something fast.”

Luca still looked like his brain had just short-circuited.

“Wait… A pregnancy test? That one?!”

Cassandra gave him a small, embarrassed nod. Luca coughed, clearly struggling to process what was happening.

“So… you… think you might be… you know…”

“Do NOT say it out loud!”

Cassandra slapped a hand over his mouth, her face burning. Luca quickly nodded, though his eyes were still wide in shock.

“Okay, okay! I’ll get it! But… oh God, Antonio’s going to kill me if he finds out I was sent to buy a pregnancy test.”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes.

“Antonio won’t find out if you keep your mouth shut.” Luca gulped.

“Alright, alright! I’m going now!”

And with that, he hurried out of the mansion like his life depended on it.

Minutes Later…

Cassandra stood in front of the bathroom sink, holding the pregnancy test with trembling hands. Luca had come back with several test kits—various brands, as if making sure there was no room for doubt.

“No hesitation, Miss! The pharmacist said these are the most accurate ones!”

Luca had said earlier, handing her the bag with a disturbingly serious expression. And now, here she was. Taking a deep breath, Cassandra closed her eyes for a moment before finally daring to look at the result. Two red lines. Positive. Her eyes widened.

“Holy… I’m actually pregnant?!”

Her hands shook. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Not out of fear—but out of pure shock. She was really carrying Antonio’s child.

Meanwhile –

Antonio in His Office Antonio sat at his desk, reading through Marcus’ report on Edward’s movements. But his focus shifted when he heard hurried footsteps approaching. Cassandra. He looked up just as the door burst open, revealing Cassandra—her face pale, her hair slightly disheveled. Antonio raised an eyebrow.

“Rough morning, huh?”

Cassandra pointed at him, her expression a mix of panic and disbelief.

“We need to talk!”

Antonio smirked, closing the file in his hand.

“You usually say that after we’re done making love, sweetheart.”

“This is NOT a joke, Antonio!”

She stormed toward him, her eyes wide with urgency, before slamming a small object onto his desk. Antonio’s gaze lowered to the item. A pregnancy test. Two red lines. He froze for a second. And then… Antonio laughed. Loud.

“Hahaha! Finally!”

Cassandra stared at him, completely dumbfounded.

“Why the hell are you laughing, Antonio?!”

Still chuckling, Antonio leaned back in his chair, his eyes gleaming with victory.

“Because I finally have my heir! The future of The Silver Thorn! Hahaha!”

Cassandra remained still, staring at him like he had lost his mind.

“You’re insane,”

she muttered, rubbing her temples.

“You’re already naming the baby a mafia heir before they’re even born?” Antonio grinned.

“Of course. What else did you expect from me?”

Cassandra let out a deep sigh, then shot him a sharp look.

“Listen, I don’t even know how to process this yet. So don’t start planning military training for our child just yet, okay?”

Antonio chuckled before pulling Cassandra onto his lap.

“I won’t pressure you, sweetheart. But I want you to know one thing.”

Cassandra met his gaze, waiting. Antonio placed a gentle hand on her stomach, his dark eyes filled with a rare kind of tenderness.

“I will protect you. And I will protect our child—with my life.”

Cassandra felt warmth spread through her chest. She knew Antonio wasn’t just any man. He was ruthless to the world, but to her—he was home. And now… they weren’t just lovers anymore. They were about to become a family. A small smile formed on her lips as she rested her head against his chest.

“I still can’t believe this is real.”

Antonio pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

“Believe it, sweetheart. Because this is just the beginning.”

New York –

A Few Years Later The nights in New York were never truly silent, but tonight, the echoes of explosions and gunfire roared louder than usual. A thick cloud of smoke rose from a massive warehouse at the city’s edge, mixing with the screams and the sound of bodies hitting the ground. A new war had begun. In the middle of the battlefield, Antonio Franches stood tall among the fallen, his silver-plated pistol still gripped tightly in his hand, the fresh blood on its barrel glistening under the dim lights. Before him, the remnants of the British Mafia knelt on the ground, their bodies trembling, faces pale with fear. One man—once dressed in a pristine, expensive suit, now stained with blood—gasped for breath, pressing a hand against the gaping wound in his abdomen.

"You bastard… you’re a fucking demon,"

the man spat on the ground, his glare filled with hate. Antonio lifted his pistol, pressing the cold barrel against the man’s forehead.

"If you mess with my life or my business… you’ll end up as nothing more than a name on your own tombstone."

The man swallowed hard, his breath shaky. They all knew—Antonio’s threats were never empty.

A Few Minutes Earlier –

The Brutal Battle That warehouse had once been the British Mafia’s main base, a group that foolishly believed they could take over the illegal drug and arms trade in New York. They came from London with overconfidence, thinking they could overthrow The Silver Thorn—without realizing they had just dug their own graves.

“Shit! They’ve surrounded us!”

one of the British Mafia’s men shouted, panic setting in as Antonio’s forces stormed in like a hurricane, slaughtering everything in their path.

“Don’t panic! We can still get out of here—”

BANG!

Before the man could finish his sentence, a bullet pierced right through his skull. Marcus, Antonio’s right-hand man, blew the smoke from his gun’s barrel with a smirk.

"Well, that’s one less idiot to deal with."

Dominic grinned, throwing one of their enemies against the wall with a single, powerful punch.

“Seriously, Antonio? These are the guys who thought they could take us down? I expected more.”

Luca laughed as he drove a knife into a man’s shoulder, then kicked him to the ground.

“This is easier than a damn school exam.”

Ben sighed, shaking his head.

“Don’t get cocky, guys. Who knows? They might have a surprise waiting for us.”

And that surprise arrived. From the shadows, a massive man emerged, his body covered in tattoos from Birmingham, his face scarred from battles past.

“Fucking disrespectful brats.”

Antonio’s eyes narrowed. He recognized the symbols inked on the man’s arms.

"The Shelby family…" Marcus raised an eyebrow.

“No way. They’re still alive?”

The man chuckled darkly.

“Not all of us. But enough to wipe you out.”

Dominic scoffed, cracking his knuckles.

“I love your ambition. Really, I do. But you lost this fight before it even started.”

Antonio didn’t waste his breath on useless conversation. He simply pulled the trigger.

BANG! BANG!

One bullet shattered the man’s knee, forcing him down, while another destroyed his hand, making him drop his weapon. He screamed in agony, collapsing onto the cold concrete floor. Antonio stepped closer, crouching beside him.

“London isn’t some small-town playground where you can run your little street gangs. This is New York. And here… I’m the fucking king.”

The man spat blood, his glare burning with rage.

“Go to hell, Antonio.”

Antonio gave him a small, deadly smirk—then pulled the trigger one last time.

BANG!

The war was over.

At Home –

The Mafia is Now a Father Antonio’s Mansion – A Few Hours Later The soft cries of a newborn echoed through the master bedroom of the mansion. Antonio leaned back in his chair, cradling a tiny baby in his arms—one with the same dark eyes as his own. Cassandra stood nearby, watching him with a tired but radiant smile.

"How about you wash your hands first before touching our child, Mr. Mafia?"

she teased, crossing her arms over her chest. Antonio looked up at her with a mischievous grin.

"You know I never bring work home."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, really? Say that again after I just saw bloodstains on your shirt."

Antonio chuckled, then gently kissed the forehead of their baby, Damiano Franches.

"My son… You will grow to be strong."

Cassandra playfully pinched his shoulder.

"Hey! Don’t just declare him the next mafia heir already!"

Antonio smirked.

"You can’t escape fate, sweetheart." Cassandra let out a long sigh before sitting beside him.

"Do you remember how we used to be? The fake marriage, the conflicts, all that stupidity?"

Antonio nodded, a soft glint in his dark eyes.

"And look at us now. A family."

Cassandra gazed at him, warmth filling her heart, before whispering, "I love you, Antonio."

Antonio pulled her closer, pressing a soft kiss against her lips.

"I love you more, Cassandra."

Outside, New York was still drowning in darkness and blood. But within their home, The Silver Thorn finally had something they never had before. Peace. And a love that would last forever. The End.