The city was trembling, but not everyone bowed. In the smoke-filled halls of a rival family, the Grimaldi Syndicate, men gathered with forced bravado. They had heard the whispers of the Devil's Mafia, the massacre at the docks, the piss-stained death of Marco Vescari. Yet pride made them blind.
"Draxion is just another thug," scoffed Don Matteo Grimaldi, the gray-haired head of the family. He slammed his glass against the table. "We have money, men, and politicians in our pockets. He bleeds like anyone else. If we let fear rule us, then we are already dead."
But even as he spoke, some of his men shifted uneasily. They remembered the stories—how Marco begged for his life before the Devil snapped his neck, how Ravenna laughed while cutting down men like animals, how Cain Mortalis never spoke but left only corpses behind. Pride might hold their Don together, but fear gnawed at the bones of his soldiers.
Back in the Devil's chamber, Silvio Marcellus was already watching the Grimaldis. He placed a black pin on their estate on his map and said, "They think they can resist. They will make noise soon. If we let that noise grow, the city might believe the Devil can be challenged."
Lucius leaned back in his throne-like chair, his crimson eyes narrowing. A cruel smile crept onto his lips. "Then we will not simply kill them. We will break them." His laughter spilled into the air—cold, sharp, unholy. "Let the Grimaldis learn what it means to spit in the Devil's face."
Darius cracked his knuckles, eager for the order. "Shall I bring their heads, Boss?"
"Not yet," Lucius replied. His gaze swept across the council. "Ravenna, spread whispers among their women. Cain, leave their soldiers headless in the streets. Silvio, leak their crimes to the nobles they bribe. Adrian, prepare their fall in court. Victor, choke their businesses until their empire starves. And when Don Matteo finally crawls, begging for mercy…" His grin widened. "Then I will greet him with laughter."
The council bowed, shadows stretching long in the flickering light. Each would play their role, weaving terror around the Grimaldis until no escape remained.
And so, the Devil's Mafia set its sights on its next prey—not just to kill, but to erase pride itself.