The sudden ringing of a phone pierced the tense silence of the headquarters.
The men who had survived Theo’s outburst sat frozen in their seats, their hands on their heads, barely breathing, as if trying to make themselves as invisible as possible.
Theo, still standing in the middle of the bloodstained room, his breath ragged from the massacre he had just committed, blinked slowly.
His chest rose and fell, his fingers twitching slightly as if struggling to suppress the lingering rage bubbling beneath his skin.
Then he exhaled sharply.
Ha… ha… ha…
He let out a breathy laugh, running a hand through his disheveled light brown hair, trying to calm himself down.
“It’s alright… it’s alright… all is well… all is well…” he muttered under his breath, patting his own chest in an attempt to soothe himself.
After a few moments, a forced, warm smile crept onto his face.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the gun onto the floor, the metallic clatter ringing through the room.
He adjusted the collar of his shirt, as if restoring his lost dignity.
Only then did his eyes drift downward to the source of the ringing.
His gaze landed on Larry’s lifeless body, the man’s phone still buzzing in his bloodied hand.
Theo crouched down, picking up the phone with a sigh.
“Ahh…Larry, Larry… I told you not to make me angry, didn’t I?”he murmured. “And yet, look at you now… Tsk, what a shame. What a loss.”
Shaking his head, he swiped his thumb across the screen, seeing an unknown number.
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An unknown number… on a private line?
That’s suspicious.
His grip on the phone tightened slightly.
Could Larry have been a traitor?
Could he have been feeding information to the enemy?
Could he have been the one to leak my plans to Lucian Kane?
Theo’s jaw clenched as his anger began to rise again, but before his temper could spiral out of control, he pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ear.
“Hello, hello, hello! Mic testing one, two, three. Can anybody hear me?”
The playful, almost mocking voice from the other end instantly irritated him.
Theo’s eye twitched.
“Who the fuck is this?” he snapped, his already short patience wearing thinner.
“Ho, ho, ho! Actually, I was hoping to speak with you, Theo Silvit!”
The casual, almost gleeful voice continued.
“See, we came to visit your mansion, but unfortunately, we couldn’t find you anywhere. Such a shame, really.”
Theo expressions darkened instantly.
“So, we thought we’d give you a call!” the voice added, still dripping with fake enthusiasm.
“We actually have a huuuuge deal for you.Trust me, you’d love it! If you could be so kind as to share your current location, we’ll be there in no time!”
A scam call?
Theo’s grip on the phone tightened so hard it nearly cracked.
“You little shit,” he growled. “You really think even an idiot would fall for this?
He inhaled sharply as his eyes flickered to the massive monitor screen, where the CCTV footage of his estate still played.
And there they were.
The two men who had turned his mansion into a bloodbath.
The taller one, broad-shouldered, sat on top of a dead body, casually smoking a cigarette.
The smaller one, equally armed, had a phone pressed to his ear.
Theo’s chest heaved.
“You…”
“Ah, shit,”the smaller man’s voice said through the phone. “Jimmy, I think he figured it out.”
“Of course, you idiot!” a second voice, clearly annoyed, snapped from the other end.”Who the hell would trust a random phone call asking for their location? Were you actually hoping he’d just hand it over?”
Theo’s face darkened even further.
These bastards…
Not only had they slaughtered his men, but now they had the audacity to call him like this was some kind of joke?
He exhaled sharply, his rage reaching its peak.
“It doesn’t matter.”
His voice was cold, filled with venom.
“I don’t care who you are or why you did this. But let me make one thing clear”
His grip on the phone tightened.
“Your family, your friends, every single person connected to you…
“They’ll be dead.”
“I will kill every last one of them.”
His voice dropped even lower, nearly a whisper.
“I swear, even if it takes years, I will hunt you both down and make you wish you were never born.”
From the other end of the phone, there was a brief silence.
Then
“Shit, Jimmy! The old man’s pissed!”
“Leave it, Garry. Let me talk.”
This time, the second voice came through, calmer, more serious.
“You think hiding away on an island is going to save you?” the voice taunted. “You think running will make a difference?”
Theo gritted his teeth.
“If you’ve got guts, come here and face me!” he snarled.”Let’s see how bold you are in person!”
“Hah… typical.”
Theo’s lips curled into a sneer.
“You two got lucky with my mansion,”he said. “But an island?You won’t even make it past the docks.”
Silence.
Then
A low chuckle from the other end.
A low chuckle echoed from the other end of the phone a sound that sent an unnerving chill down Theo’s spine.
“Actually, we don’t need to come to you at all.”
The voice was calm, almost amused.
“I can tell you this much…you’ve made someone angry.Someone you never should have. And now, you’ll pay the price.”
Theo’s grip on the phone tightened, but instead of fear, a mocking smile curled at his lips.
“Hah! You think the Kane family is that strong?”he scoffed. “Believe me, I know the Kane family better than you, kid whoever you are.”
His voice dripped with arrogance.
“The Kane family has the power to destroy me, sure. But believe me, this isn’t a child’s game.”
He leaned back slightly, his anger simmering into cold confidence.
“I have twenty-three thousand loyal men,” Theo continued, “all of them willing to kill with just one word from me. They guard me twenty-four-seven.”
His eyes gleamed with dark amusement.
“I know they can be killed. But I also know…” he smirked,”that Olivia Kane is too soft. Even if I had killed both her kids, she still wouldn’t have the stomach for this kind of retaliation.”
His laughter filled the room, the sound sharp and grating.
“Yes, she’d want revenge. But to get to me, she’d have to kill those twenty-three thousand men standing in the way.”
He shook his head.
“And her heart would never allow that.”
Theo chuckled darkly.
“You’re still a child after all. You have no idea how this world works.”
But then
A voice from the other end of the line cut through his laughter.
“I never said your life was in danger from the Kane family.”
The amusement on Theo’s face vanished instantly.
“Nor Olivia Kane,” the voice added,”In fact, they’re the least of your worries.”
For the first time, Theo’s eyes narrowed.
“huh?”
His mind raced.
Another faction? A hidden organization? One of the three other great families?
Who else would interfere in this?
“Did you really think we came to your mansion because we were following someone’s orders?” the voice continued.