Antonio calmly motioned for them to introduce themselves, as if he had all the time in the world.
"What is your goal in joining the organization?"
A brief silence fell.
They exchanged glances, each waiting for the other to speak first… like a test. Whoever spoke first could succeed or fail, and the others would learn from their answer.
Antonio looked at Pete with a faint smile.
Pete swallowed and said in a hoarse voice, without thinking:
"I'm Pete… my goal… uh… to make money. A lot of it."
Antonio slowly shook his head.
(Boring…)
He realized Pete's thinking was superficial, that he wouldn't grow. Not the type he was looking for.
But his smile didn't change.
Stephen stepped forward confidently.
"I'm Stephen Skoll. I have many ideas… and I want to help the headquarters evolve."
His words weren't empty; his tone was firm and his gaze steady.
It was clear he meant what he said. He had a solid plan that could complete a task in two months.
He hadn't told Lucas, not trusting his abilities.
(Decent…)
Antonio thought, though in his mind he remembered seeing many like Stephen… who ended up failing quickly due to overexcitement.
Antonio then turned to Lucas.
Lucas lowered his eyes.
He had nothing to say.
(Damn… what should I say? I don't want to repeat what they said…)
(Think… improvise something!)
He suddenly opened his mouth and said:
"I want to be your assistant… help you advance, and advance with you."
Even he was surprised by his own words.
But he continued, as if the idea was forming in his mind:
"My goal is to help you become one of the Big Three."
He looked at Antonio, trying to read his expression.
Antonio smiled.
(Flattering… but interesting.)
He clapped twice, then placed his hand on Lucas' shoulder.
"That's my goal too… I think we'll become friends."
He then gestured with his hand:
"Sit down."
They all sat at the same time, as if they had passed a test.
After a moment, Antonio stepped aside and Carlos called him over.
Carlos approached, his expression grim.
"It's Harry again… he needs to stop using."
Antonio sighed, placing his hands on his hips.
"I'll talk to him."
Carlos leaned closer, lowering his voice:
"It's out of control."
Harry had been using drugs hysterically every day, affecting his mind. He had become addicted, always hungry, making mistakes even children wouldn't make.
Carlos had tried everything with him… but he didn't stop.
He had become a burden.
Antonio raised an eyebrow, then suddenly clapped his hands and turned back to them.
"Stephen… you have a lot of ideas, right?"
Stephen stood, surprised.
"Yes… that's what I said."
Antonio approached slowly, raising his hands slightly.
"In your opinion… what should I do about Harry?"
Stephen immediately understood.
(Test…)
He took a deep breath.
This was his chance to gain Antonio's trust.
"Tell us more about him."
Antonio turned his back to him, looking up while moving his hand.
"He was good at first… then started using normally."
"He was using from the beginning… you know that."
Antonio's expression changed slightly as he tried to remember, while Carlos' anger grew.
"I told you! And I also said he should be kicked out!"
Carlos turned to the others:
"You know what he told me?"
Everyone was silent.
"He said: if I kick him out… who's going to make me laugh?"
Pete laughed.
Even Stephen smiled.
Lucas smiled lightly, trying to blend in.
Antonio gestured at himself in surprise:
"Me? Since when?"
He was deliberately teasing Carlos… and it worked.
He whistled.
"You're too serious… fine, I'll handle him."
Carlos left, and Antonio returned to them.
He sat on an old, torn sofa.
He grabbed his phone and started typing.
He stared at the screen for a moment, then said:
"You're recruited."
Lucas exhaled in relief.
(We did it…)
Stephen, however, seemed unaffected.
(This is just the beginning…)
Antonio raised his head and smiled again.
His smile was strange… making you trust him for no reason.
"You know? This month we lost a lot of money."
Stephen quickly replied:
"Really?"
Antonio tilted his head.
"Yes… the police raided one of our parties, and we lost 780,000—"
Lucas interrupted quickly:
"780 what?"
Antonio's smile vanished.
"780,000 condoms… of course, dollars!"
Pete laughed out loud.
Lucas felt embarrassed.
(Quiet… just listen…)
Antonio continued:
"And that's not all. Two weeks ago, a shipment worth one and a half million disappeared."
Stephen pretended to be shocked, though he already knew.
Pete looked at Lucas mockingly:
"Dollars… in case you didn't get it."
He laughed again.
"And also… a week ago, they stole seven million from us."
"Eight million," Stephen corrected.
Pete looked at Lucas.
"You work your whole life… and won't earn that much. And they took it in one operation."
Antonio looked at Stephen.
His eyes… were terrifying.
A gaze that pierces you, as if it sees what's inside you.
(What's with him… why is he looking at me like that?)
He said calmly:
"You're right… not seven. It was eight."
His smile slowly widened.
"How did you know that?"
The atmosphere in the room shifted suddenly.
Silence fell.
Stephen swallowed and his breathing grew erratic.
"W-who knows?"
Antonio leaned back against the sofa, one leg crossed over the other.
"There's no news on that… it wasn't published."
He raised his phone, and his smile grew darker.
"No… there's no news."
He stretched his arms over the back of the sofa and stared at him.
"Where did you hear that?"
Stephen froze.
He didn't understand what was happening.
He had heard the news at headquarters… but hadn't paid attention if it was secret or not.
Lucas…
understood everything.
(He's trapped…)
Antonio had been calm, friendly, laughing with them… making them relax, confirming their entry into the organization, which lowered their guard.
Then he dropped real information… a party, a shipment…
And then… the bait.
(He's been manipulating you…)
Stephen spoke quickly:
"I have a friend in the police… he told me."
He stood, trying to justify himself.
"I stopped contacting him! He doesn't even know I'm here!"
Antonio raised his hand calmly and gestured to the chair.
"Sit."
Stephen's face went pale.
(Did he believe me?… or—)
"This matter… Stephen, only the FBI knows it."
He paused for a moment.
"Not the police."
Stephen slowly turned to Lucas.
Lucas froze.
(No… don't look at me…)
Suddenly Pete shouted:
"You're a spy!"
"No! There's a misunderstanding!"
"I said… sit."
Antonio's smile disappeared.
All that remained was a cold face… devoid of any emotion.
He moved slowly toward Stephen.
Step… step…
"Stephen… Stephen… Stephen…"
He stopped behind him.
No one dared move.
Stephen trembled, trying to speak, defend himself—
"Is that… your real name?"
And suddenly—
Antonio grabbed his neck from behind.
Hard.
Choked him.
The two of them fell to the ground.
Antonio was on top, applying terrifying force.
Stephen struggled, thrashed, hit, trying to pry his hands off—
His whole body moved violently… like an animal being slaughtered.
But it was useless.
Lucas jumped back until he hit the sofa.
Pete…
didn't move.
He just watched, like a spectator.
Lucas looked at Stephen…
his partner… dying.
Then at Antonio—
smiling.
Enjoying it.
Relishing the moment.
Then…
he winked at him.
Stephen was suffocating.
His face changed color.
His eyes turned toward Lucas…
as if asking for help.
He tried to speak:
"A… A… R…"
But his voice vanished.
Antonio said calmly:
"Don't be afraid… surrender to the darkness."
Lucas froze.
He leaned his back against the wall.
He couldn't do anything.
(If I move… I'll be next.)
Stephen's movements stopped.
The light left his eyes.
He was dead.
Antonio stood quietly.
Adjusted his clothes.
Sighed.
Then raised his head with a faint enthusiasm:
"They die fast… like cockroaches."
He laughed.
He turned to Lucas.
Lucas was trembling… like a trapped rat.
Antonio stood in front of him.
Lucas couldn't lift his eyes.
Antonio leaned slightly, looking up at his face from below.
"What's the matter?… Never seen someone die before?"
Lucas turned his face away.
But then he remembered…
Stephen's words, back in the hotel kitchen.
His goal.
Everything.
Finally, he raised his eyes.
Looked directly into Antonio's.
Without blinking.
And Antonio…
smiled.