Chapter 19
A masked waiter appeared at my side, offering a flute of golden champagne. I took a delicate sip, the bubbles dancing on my tongue as Lorenzo guided me to a table in the center of the ballroom. The placement felt deliberate, like being put on display.
Faces turned toward us from every direction. Women’s jewels glinted like predatory eyes in the chandelier light. Men’s expressions hardened behind their wine glasses. But Lorenzo’s steady presence beside me acted as a shield. His thumb traced circles on my hand under the table, grounding me.
The microphone squealed as Antonio took the stage, tapping it twice. The murmur of conversation died.
“My esteemed colleagues, honored guests.” His voice boomed across the marble floors. “Tonight marks a historic moment for our families. We gather here not just as individuals, but as a united force.”
He paused, his gaze landing directly on our table. “Recent… shifts in power have made it clear that we must adapt. Change with the times. And so, I am. proud to announce a coalition pact between our families.”
The room held its breath. Antonio’s lips curved into what might have been a smile.
“A pact formed specifically to counter the growing influence of the Constantine empire.”
All eyes swung to Lorenzo. My heart hammered against my ribs, but. Lorenzo’s expression remained unchanged. If anything, his smile widened as he raised his glass in Antonio’s direction.
The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife. I felt the weight. of dozens of stares, waiting for Lorenzo’s reaction. But he simply sipped his champagne, radiating an aura of absolute control that made Antonio’s words feel hollow.
na
Antonio’s eyes gleamed with malice as he continued. “As of tonight, we’ve mapped out every Constantine holding. Every property. Every business.” He snapped his fingers, and a projector whirred to life behind him, displaying a complex web of companies and locations. “One by one, we’ll dismantle your empire, Constantine. Unless…”
Lorenzo’s hand tightened almost imperceptibly on mine under the table.
“Unless you surrender it all willingly. Sign over your properties to our families, disappear, and never show your face in these circles again.” Antonio’s voice dripped with false concern. “Think of it as an early retirement package. Better than the alternative, wouldn’t you say?”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. I caught fragments of whispered conversations “unprecedented” and “dangerous move” floated past my ears. The air grew thick with anticipation.
“You have until midnight to decide,” Antonio declared, checking his watch with exaggerated care. “After that, we begin. And trust me, Constantine, your won’t like our methods.”
The projector clicked through slides showing Lorenzo’s hotels, restaurants, shipping companies assets worth billions. My stomach churned at the calculated precision of their plan. They must have spent months, maybe years, preparing for this moment.
Lorenzo’s posture remained relaxed, almost bored. He took another sip of champagne, but I felt the coiled tension in his body. His eyes had turned to steel, tracking Antonio’s every movement like a predator studying its prey.
“Oh, and Constantine?” Antonio added, his smile turning cruel. “Don’t bother trying to move assets or call in favors. Every family here has signed blood oaths. Your usual tricks won’t work this time.”
The room buzzed with dark excitement. These people were vultures, eager to pick Lorenzo’s empire apart piece by piece. I glanced around the room, counting at least eight major family heads nodding in agreement with Antonio’s words.
Lorenzo’s deep laugh suddenly echoed through the tense ballroom. He turned to me, eyes dancing with dark amusement, and pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to my lips. The gesture felt like a statement, defiant and possessive all at once.
He rose from his chair with fluid grace, straightening his jacket as he strode toward the stage. The crowd parted before him like water. Without a word, he plucked the microphone from Antonio’s hand, their eyes meeting in a clash of wills.
“Surrender?” Lorenzo’s voice filled the room, cold as arctic wind. “I don’t. believe that word exists in my vocabulary.” His gaze swept across the assembled families. “Death would be preferable to bowing before this… coalition of yours.”
11:56 Sun, 2 Mar
K 95%
He paused, a predatory smile playing at his lips. “Though I must congratulate you all. The research, the planning, the coordination truly impressive work.” His tone dripped with mockery. “Such effort you’ve put into this little scheme. It’s almost a shame, really…”
Lorenzo’s expression hardened, all traces of amusement vanishing. “Because no force on this earth can touch me. Not your families, not your blood oaths, not your threats.” His voice dropped lower, becoming deadly quiet. “But please, by all means – try. I look forward to watching you fail.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. I watched as faces in the crowd shifted from smug satisfaction to uncertainty, then to fear as the full weight of Lorenzo’s words sank in.
He didn’t sound like a man facing destruction – he sounded like one about to unleash it.
“However,” he twirled the microphone between his fingers, “putting all that unpleasantness aside, I do have some rather exciting news to share with you all tonight.”
My heart skipped a beat as his eyes found mine across the room. There was something in his gaze that made my pulse quicken.
“You see, while you’ve all been busy plotting my downfall,” Lorenzo’s voice carried a hint of amusement, “I’ve been occupied with more… personal
matters.”
He extended his hand toward me, beckoning.
57 Sun. Mar
