Chapter 124 – It'll Be Over Soon
It was already deep into the night.
The lobby of the Continental Hotel was even quieter than it had been during the day.
Then—
Glass shattered.
Two figures crashed through the high windows, rolling violently across the marble floor—
John and Cassian.
They had fought all the way here from outside.
The moment they hit the ground, both already had guns in hand—
only for each weapon arm to be instantly locked down by the other man's free hand.
They grappled in place, muscles straining, breathing rough, neither willing to yield even half a step.
"Gentlemen."
The voice was calm and low, yet the entire lobby seemed to cool the instant it sounded.
Julius stood atop the stairs.
His suit was immaculate, his hands resting naturally at his sides, his gaze cold and unreadable.
"This is the Continental Hotel."
He paused.
"Do I need to remind you of the rules?"
Several men in black had already formed a perimeter around them, hands hovering near their waists, waiting only for a signal.
John and Cassian released each other.
Cassian stepped back half a pace and looked toward Julius.
"That won't be necessary, sir."
John holstered his weapon as well.
"No need, sir."
Julius nodded once.
"Good."
"Now I suggest the two of you go to the bar, have a drink, and calm yourselves."
---
At the bar counter.
The two men sat side by side, one empty seat between them.
"Gin," John said. "I remember that's what you always drink."
"Yes," Cassian replied expressionlessly. "And bourbon whiskey for you?"
"That's right."
The drinks were quickly placed before them.
John took a sip and set his glass down.
"I had a marker."
Cassian's hand paused on his glass.
"Who gave it to you?"
"Her brother."
After several seconds of silence, Cassian gave a slight nod.
"I understand. You had no other choice."
"He wanted her seat at the High Table," John said.
Cassian emptied his glass in one swallow.
"And now he has it."
"I don't think so."
Cassian placed the glass down hard, his eyes turning cold.
"So now you're free."
John looked at him.
"You think I'm free?"
Cassian stared back.
"No."
"Not even close."
"You killed the person I was assigned to protect. Someone close to me."
"An eye for an eye, John. You know what happens next."
John fell silent.
Not far away, on a lounge sofa, sat Santino's mute bodyguard.
She looked as though she had been there the entire time.
She casually raised a hand and signed toward John:
[Long night?]
Her gaze never left him.
[Don't worry.
He can't kill you.]
Tilting her head slightly, she continued:
[Because you belong to me.]
John glanced at her and signed back calmly:
[Even if you hadn't come looking for me…
I would've come looking for you.
See you soon.]
---
John stood and walked to a quiet corner, pulling out his phone.
"Doctor."
"John." Ethan's voice came through the line. "We're back at the hotel. In my room."
"Good."
John paused briefly.
"There's someone else here with me."
"Who?"
"Cassian. Gianna's bodyguard."
On the other end, Ethan could be heard asking Gianna something.
Then:
"Bring him up," Ethan said.
John ended the call and returned to the bar.
"Come with me."
Cassian let out a cold laugh.
"You think I'm going anywhere with you?"
"Right now, the only thing I want to do is kill you."
John looked at him steadily.
"There's someone who wants to see you."
"Who?"
"You'll know when you get upstairs."
"It's someone you want to see."
Silence.
Cassian slowly stood.
"Lead the way."
---
Outside Ethan's hotel room.
John knocked in their agreed rhythm.
A moment later, the lock clicked softly and the door opened.
The two men entered one after the other.
Cassian glanced at Ethan as he passed him—
then walked through the sitting room.
And stopped.
At the bedside, beneath the warm glow of the lamp, sat Gianna.
Not the cold corpse from the bath.
She had showered and changed into a clean robe.
Her hair was still half damp, resting against her shoulders. Her face remained pale.
But her eyes—
were awake.
"That's impossible…"
The words escaped from deep in Cassian's throat.
He simply could not believe what he was seeing.
For one brief moment, he froze.
Then instinct returned.
His arm snapped out, dragging Ethan against him as a shield while pressing a gun against him.
John exploded forward instantly, wrenching Cassian's wrist aside as the two crashed to the floor.
At the same moment, Ethan completed a Power Word: Shield, stumbling rapidly backward as shadows gathered in his palm.
"Drop the gun," John growled while pinning Cassian down, his voice low and absolute.
Almost simultaneously—
"Relax, Cassian."
Gianna spoke.
Her voice was weak, yet perfectly clear.
Cassian jerked his head toward her.
That voice wasn't an illusion.
It was unmistakably Gianna.
"Put the gun down."
Cassian's hand slowly lowered.
The gun fell to the floor.
He stared at Gianna in disbelief.
"…You died. I saw your body with my own eyes."
"Yes." Gianna nodded. "But he brought me back."
John released Cassian.
"What you just did was extremely dangerous," he said calmly. "Don't try it again."
"Why?" Cassian asked, though his eyes never left Gianna.
"Because…" She glanced toward Ethan and paused briefly.
"…even pointing a gun at him could be considered an attack here."
Then she looked directly at Ethan.
"He's Ethan Rayne. I died earlier tonight, and the reason I'm sitting here now… is because of him."
The room fell completely silent.
Cassian stared at Ethan, trying to process the meaning behind those words.
A long moment passed.
Then Cassian turned toward John.
"So…" The corner of his mouth twitched faintly. "This was your plan."
John didn't deny it.
"It was the only way to resolve the marker peacefully."
"Gentlemen."
Gianna exhaled softly, her voice still weak.
"Let's all sit down… and discuss what happens next."
---
The tension in the room gradually eased.
At that moment, John's phone vibrated.
A message from Winston.
[Mission complete.
The marker has been satisfied.
You are now free.]
John stared at the message for several seconds before putting the phone away.
"It's over," he said to Ethan.
Almost at the same time—
Cassian's phone lit up.
He looked down.
A message from an unknown number appeared on the screen:
[Target: John Wick
Status: Open Contract
Reward: $7,000,000
Notice: Target is operating near a non-combat third party — Ethan Rayne. Exercise caution.]
Cassian's thumb paused over the screen.
He looked up at John.
"Your bounty just went live."
John nodded calmly.
"I know."
Ethan finally spoke up.
"So what now?"
He looked between them.
"You go talk to your brother? Or John does?"
He frowned.
"You can't seriously expect John to kill literally everyone, right?"
And silently, in the back of his mind, he added:
Please don't let this turn into some ridiculous brother-complex situation.
If she suddenly says something like 'It was wrong for him to kill me, but it'd be wrong for me to retaliate,' then honestly, they should've just buried both siblings together from the start.
Gianna slowly rose to her feet.
She walked toward the window and looked out over Rome's night skyline through the glass.
"I won't hide," she said quietly.
"And I won't use bounties or guns to settle this."
Then she turned toward Ethan.
"Because that isn't the High Table's way."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Then what is the High Table's way?"
Gianna was silent for a moment.
"Santino thinks he's already won."
"He believes the marker is fulfilled, the succession secured, and all risks eliminated."
"John's bounty will remain active for a while."
"But not for long."
Her tone remained perfectly calm.
"I'll return to the Camorra."
"And when they discover I'm still alive, everything Santino has done will become meaningless."
"I'll submit a formal review to the High Table through the Camorra."
She looked at the three men in the room.
"After that…"
"…there will be a very quiet, very efficient purge of power."
Her gaze steadied.
"So soon enough…"
"…this will all be over."