Inside the ward, Rock looked at the gun in his hand but felt no sense of security whatsoever. The sudden turn of events was hard to swallow. Still, people in his position survived on one thing above all else—adaptability. Compromise wasn't a flaw in the system; it was practically a job requirement.
Take this situation, for example. To save Sparazza, the plan had been changed at the last minute, costing the lives of multiple FBI agents. Originally, only a handful of insiders knew about it. If it had succeeded, it would've been hailed as a major victory, and the deaths of a few unlucky agents would've been quietly buried under paperwork and medals. But now that it had failed, everything that followed was just damage control.
He lifted his gaze to Montgomery—the New York supervisor and one of the few who knew the truth. The more you knew, the deeper you were dragged in, and while the rewards were bigger, so were the risks. If something went wrong, someone had to take the fall. Montgomery? Brian?
"How did Buddy and Sparazza die?" Rock asked.
Luca replied calmly, "Buddy died of heart failure. Sparazza was already on his last breath—there was nothing anyone could do. But at least I was here to see him off. I'd say he died without regrets."
"Luca, that's bullshit! You and Brian killed them!" Montgomery snapped, barely holding himself together. He quickly turned to Rock. "Sir, please, let me explain. Luca murdered the father and son, attacked federal officers in broad daylight, and seized control of a hospital. That's terrorism. We can't negotiate with him!"
Listening to Montgomery spiral, Brian couldn't help but see a reflection of himself—not long ago, he'd been standing in the exact same spot. Desperate, cornered, trying to claw his way out.
Now the roles were reversed.
And the one who flipped the board… was the Dove of Peace.
Brian glanced at Luca beside him, his emotions tangled beyond recognition. Funny how things turned out—the FBI, the side he thought was "right," had nearly destroyed him, while the Mafia was the one that pulled him out.
At this point, the lines between justice and evil felt… laughably blurry. Maybe it was never about sides to begin with—just people.
Even after learning the truth, Luca still chose to stand by him. That kind of trust… Brian knew he'd never be able to repay it.
Meanwhile, Montgomery was still fighting for his life—figuratively. Luca, on the other hand, was already bored.
He narrowed his eyes. "Deputy Director Rock, what are you waiting for? Backup? Let me be clear—if I don't see the outcome I want today, this won't just be about a scandal anymore. I'm sure you're smart enough to understand the difference."
Rock cursed silently. These lunatics…
Force wasn't an option. Not when Luca had already walked straight through layers of FBI security like it was a casual stroll. What baffled him most wasn't even the situation—it was the man himself.
Where the hell did Luca get this information?
These were secrets buried for decades, known only to a handful of tight-lipped veterans. And yet here he was, casually laying them out like poker cards.
Rock sighed. "Dove… is it really worth it?" He glanced at Brian. "For an undercover agent?"
Luca didn't even blink. "That's not a question you should be asking. Some things don't come with a price tag. And I'm not in the habit of explaining myself."
He checked the time. "Make your move. I know you're stalling for reinforcements, but trust me—if you wait that long, you won't be walking out of here."
Montgomery panicked. "Deputy, don't—!"
Bang.
The gunshot echoed cleanly through the room.
A bullet punched straight through Montgomery's forehead before he could finish his sentence.
Rock lowered the gun and handed it back to Luca. "Satisfied?" he said flatly. "Official report: Keith Montgomery acted alone, broke Buddy's protection agreement, colluded with Sparazza, and died during a clash with unidentified assailants. As for Heller—there is no Heller. There's only Sparazza. And I don't want to hear that name again."
Luca nodded, faintly amused. Efficient. Clean. Exactly what he expected.
"Deputy Director Rock really knows how to handle things," Luca said with a small smile. "Since you've been so cooperative, I'll return the favor. I can help you clean up those assassins from the hotel incident—give you something nice and presentable for your report."
Rock's eyes flickered. That… was actually useful. The hospital fiasco had to stay buried, but the hotel chaos was already public knowledge. Wrapping that up neatly might even earn him some credit.
For the first time since this mess began, he felt like the trip hadn't been a total disaster.
"Oh, and one more thing," Luca added, extending his hand. "Erase Brian's file. As far as the FBI is concerned, he never existed."
Rock glanced at Brian, then gave a tired chuckle. "Does it even matter? The moment he turned, his file became worthless. The Bureau isn't exactly eager to admit it raised another Mafia man."
He shook Luca's hand. "I have to admit… I've never seen a boss like you. Tell me—if you were in my position, forced to sacrifice your own men to survive… what would you do?"
Luca smirked. "A real leader doesn't let it come to that. Pleasure doing business, Deputy."
When Brian stepped out of the ward, he expected chaos—sirens, smoke, something.
Instead, the hospital looked… normal. Agents still stood guard. Everything was eerily intact.
After Leon explained things, Brian finally understood—they hadn't stormed the place. They'd gone straight for the head. A clean decapitation strike.
By the time they reached the lobby, dozens of FBI agents and police had already gathered, weapons drawn, forming a tense standoff. Outside, sirens wailed nonstop as reinforcements flooded in.
Rock let out a quiet breath of relief. With this many people, surely Luca wouldn't try anything.
"FBI! Hands where we can see them!"
"Police! Drop your weapons!"
"Deputy, are you alright?"
Rock was about to respond when a calm, commanding voice cut through the noise.
"Move."
[Disarmament] — Activated.
An invisible pressure spread outward from Luca like a silent shockwave. Within fifty meters, everyone felt it—fear, hesitation, unease… something primal that crawled up their spine and whispered one thing:
Don't.
Almost instinctively, weapons lowered.
No one gave the order. No one needed to.
A path opened through the crowd.
Escorted by his men, Luca walked forward at an unhurried pace, his footsteps steady and deliberate. On both sides, hardened officers and agents stood frozen, watching him pass like they were witnessing something they couldn't quite explain.
No one dared step forward.
Only after he was gone did people realize their backs were drenched in cold sweat.
Rock wiped his forehead, his wariness deepening.
If every Mafia family had someone like Luca at the helm… would the FBI even stand a chance?
…Then again, that wasn't his problem.
He wasn't here to be a hero—he was here to climb.
Las Vegas, city limits.
A mechanic standing beside Arthur checked his phone. "Payment's in. All of it."
Arthur nodded, then turned to Luca. "We're heading out. Try to enjoy Vegas. And next time, let's keep things simple. I'm better at killing than kidnapping FBI executives."
Luca almost laughed. He used to think the same way—back when he worked alone. Now? Things were… more complicated.
They shook hands.
"How's your master?" Luca asked.
"Same as ever."
"I'll drop by New Orleans sometime."
"You're always welcome."
[Character Card: Arthur Bishop]
[Rank: SSR]
[Source: The Mechanic]
[Skill: The Mechanic]
Effect: When operating, assembling, or modifying any weapon, explosive, or mechanical tool, the Failure Rate is reduced by 70% and Overall Power is increased by 10%. Applies to the construction of lethal traps.
Requirement: Bond: Close Friend | Cost: 100 Skill Fragments
[Skill: Accidental Death]
Effect: Grants mastery over environmental kills. Increases the success rate of staging a homicide as a "tragic accident," significantly misleading law enforcement and forensic investigations.
Requirement: Bond: Close Friend | Cost: 100 Skill Fragments
[Skill: Infiltrator]
Effect: When penetrating enemy territory or restricted buildings, the Probability of Detection is reduced by 30%.
Requirement: Bond: Friend | Cost: 60 Skill Fragments
[Skill: Fatal Tenderness]
Effect: Despite a cold-blooded nature, a hidden "soft side" emerges. Attractiveness to the opposite sex increases by 20%, but creates a high probability of being entangled in dangerous complications involving women.
Requirement: Bond: Close Friend | Cost: 100 Skill Fragments
[Skill: Deception]
Description: "Death is merely a carefully planned illusion." Effect: Allows the user to orchestrate a "perfect escape" during a fatal event. Whenever an accidental death scenario is triggered against the user, a guaranteed glimmer of hope/survival path will manifest.
Requirement: [Accidental Death] Learned; Bond: Symbiosis | Cost: 1,000 Skill Fragments
[Bond Status: Friends]
[New Skill Unlocked "Infiltrator"]
A total cheat. That's the only way Luca could describe Arthur.
Killing people was one thing—but dying himself, over and over again, only to come back under a new identity? That was a whole different level. Most enemies probably believed Arthur was already dead… multiple times over.
That last skill alone was borderline absurd. For a lone assassin, it might as well be immortality.
If someone like the Baba Yaga had that ability? Yeah… game over for everyone else.
The rest of Arthur's kit made sense—pure killer tools. Except for one oddball: Fatal Tenderness.
Hard to believe a guy like Arthur would risk his life over a woman he just met… but apparently, even killers have their moments.
By the time Brian snapped out of it, Arthur's car was already a fading dot on the desert highway.
He turned, grinning, and walked up beside Luca. "So… what's next, Dove?"
Luca shot him an annoyed look. "Did you forget you still have a job?"
"My GTR is with Toretto. Go keep an eye on it."
Brian snapped his fingers. "Say no more."
[Bond: Close Friend]
[New Skill Unlocked "Man and Machine as One" ]
[New Skill Unlocked "Abandoning Darkness for Light"]
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TN: We hit the milestones last week, so here are 2 bonus chapters for today! Also, the original story ends at Chapter 242, plus one final announcement from the author.
Thanks to Wilnet Duverne for becoming my P Knight, my cats eat a lovely fish tonight
If you guys like this story, Support me on P Site/OrbisTranslate, for three bucks you got 15 advance chapters