Page 138 of Roberto

Lau frowned and punched a button.

A woman’s voice said something in Chinese, and Lau answered back.

The old man looked at me warily as he punched another button on the phone. “Hello?”

Uncle Fausto’s voice was strained and ragged with grief.

“Lau… keep the 50 million, and I’ll pay you 10 million more if you fucking kill him right now.”

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My entire body tensed as I watched Lau.

Without looking away from my gaze, Lau answered calmly, “I am afraid that is impossible.”

“It’s NOT impossible! Just fucking KILL him!”

“I am afraid that is impossible,” Lau repeated.

“LISTEN TO ME – ”

“I already got a text from Niccolo,Uncle,”I said loudly. “You failed. Too bad Aurelio had to pay the price.”

There was a choking sound of rage on the other end.

A second later, Fausto seethed,“You’re dead, you little piece of shit – and your fucking halfwit brothers with you. I’ll send you all to hell myself.”

Then Fausto hung up.

I looked at Lau as he, Gota, and Xi stared back at me.

“Well,thatwas certainly dramatic,” I said. Then I forced a smile. “It seems, gentlemen, that the matter is resolved. So if you’ll – ”

“Nothing is resolved,” Xi broke in with his emotionless voice.

“My cousin is dead,” I snapped. “Fausto failed.The matter is resolved.”

“But your uncle is not dead,” Gota said.

I glared at him. “Hewillbe.”

“But he is not yet.”

I stood up abruptly. “Fuck this – I’m leaving.”

“No,” Lau said softly, “you’re not.”

Every gangster behind Lau – including Han – pulled out a pistol.

They kept their guns pointed at the floor, but the message was clear:

Don’t try anything.

“You will continue to stay at the Continental Hotel as my guest, under guard, until the matter with your family is decided one way or the other,” Lau said. “Only then will you be permitted to leave Hong Kong. That is…ifyour brothers are victorious. If not, well…”

Lau smiled apologetically and shrugged.

Horror gripped me as I realized how utterly helpless I was –

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