The mansion was massive, almost castle-like. Finally, Matteo reached the last room at the top.
He knew.
Mario was in there.
Matteo pressed his ear to the door. He could hear movement inside the room. He knew Mario was waiting.
He considered opening the door quietly—but then changed his mind. With a sharp breath, he raised his leg and kicked the door open, sending it flying off its hinges. The door crashed into one of Mario's thugs who had been waiting just behind it, knocking him unconscious instantly.
Mario stood at the center of the room, smiling. As if the chaos outside meant nothing to him. As if everything Matteo had done, every life lost just moments ago, didn't even scratch his mood. He looked completely unshaken.
Arrogance ran in his blood.
"Matteo," Mario said with a smirk. "I was wondering when you'd show up. Took you long enough. I've heard all about your little nickname. About what you've done. I'll give you credit—you're strong. You beat all those men yourself. You should be tired by now. So, what's the plan? What do you think you're going to do now?"
Matteo walked in slowly, his expression calm—but rage was burning behind his eyes. Every word Mario spoke stoked the fire inside him.
"I didn't come here for cheap talk," Matteo said coldly. His voice was deep. Sharp.
"I came here to teach you a lesson."
Mario laughed.
"You? In no position to teach anyone anything. You look tired. You must be. You think you can bring me down? You're nothing. Nobody. Just because they made you the final Mafia boss, you think you're a big shot now? That title means nothing. You mean nothing. Get that into your head," Mario snapped, his voice laced with venom.
But Matteo didn't flinch.
His eyes never left Mario's.
He didn't even blink.
He kept walking forward—slow, steady, deliberate.
In a flash, Mario reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun. Fast. Very fast. He fired a shot.
The bullet flew past Matteo's head, missing by an inch.
But Matteo had already moved. His reaction was like lightning.
In a heartbeat, he closed the distance between them.
He could've pulled his own gun.
But he didn't.
He changed his mind—Mario didn't deserve a quick death.
Matteo grabbed Mario's wrist and twisted it hard. A loud crack echoed as Mario grunted in pain. The gun slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.
Matteo kicked it far across the room.
Mario stood there, stunned.
He looked Matteo in the eyes, disbelief written across his face.
He should have been exhausted.
Everything had gone according to plan. Matteo was supposed to be drained—out of bullets, out of strength. Mario had sent his men to wear him down, to make sure he'd be weak before getting here.
So how?
How was he still standing?
How did he still have this much strength?
How had he defeated everyone?
Why?
Do you know what I sacrificed to be here?"
"You're asking me why I did what I did? Why I fought? Do you even know what I've lost? Do you think any of this was easy for me?"
"At the age of seven, I was alone on the street. No parents. No guidance. Sometimes, the only way I survived was by stealing. And when I got caught, the people didn't show mercy—they beat me, right there in the open. Every single day, that was my life. I didn't have a reason to live… but I knew I wanted to survive."
"I've killed a lot of people. My hands are soaked in blood. I know I don't deserve to live. But if there's even one reason left for me to keep going—it's Luna. She's my everything. And I can't let her find out about any of this. She can't know the kind of man I've become."
"You'll never understand. You were born with a silver spoon. The Gambino family head was rich beyond measure—and you inherited everything. You don't know what it means to starve. I've gone three full days without food. Nothing. Just sitting there, wondering what I'd eat, if anything at all."
"You've had it all handed to you. That's why you act the way you do. You've never felt pain. You've never suffered. You've never stood in the middle of the street with nothing. I don't even know who my real parents are. They left me to die. I was just a f*ck*ng orphan."
"And even though the former head of the Gambino family gave me the dirtiest jobs… I saw him as a father. He trained me, raised me in his own way. And they killed him. Now you, of all people, are trying to attack me—in front of my wife? You know that's wrong."