Page 29 of Power
“At least I’ve been man enough to keep a woman in my bed for years,” he sneers, his words sharp like a blade. “What’s your excuse, Dario? You can’t even hold onto someone. You’re still alone, just like you were when you were seventeen, abandoned by a father who chose his vices over his own son. I’ve got what you’ll never have—love. The kind that’s shown to me every day by people who actually give a damn about my existence. I have a wife who would sell her soul to the devil at my command. I have a life that’s mine. Something you’ll never be able to take from me.”
I hold his stare, not letting him see the impact, but the words still linger, like ash settling around us.
“You don’t know what love is, Enzo,” I say, my voice low. “You never did.”
“Oh, right. You’re the expert on love now? You, who couldn’t even protect yourself from a drunk with a mean streak? Look at you, Dario. A well-dressed ghost playing at being whole. You think hiding your demons makes you better than me, but trust me, they’re still there. Always were.”
The jab hits me hard. My father’s face, his hands, the smell of whiskey and blood—it all rushes back for a split second. I can feel the old scars reopen, but I don’t recoil. I don’t give him the satisfaction.
“Maybe you’re right,” I say, eyes locking with his. “Maybe I don’t know love. Maybe I never did. All I learned was thatthe people closest to you are the first to sink the knife in. That trusting the wrong person doesn’t just cost you—it breaks you. So yeah, I’d rather be alone than let someone else rip me apart just because they can.”
The space between us tightens, like the kind that demands a victor, the kind that teeters between violence and something just as reckless.
I know I’ve hit him where it hurts, just like he’s done to me. The game’s over, and I’ve won—not just the money, but the upper hand.
“You really should keep a closer eye on your belongings, Castelli. Never know when something might slip from your grasp.”
His nostrils flare, but he doesn’t understand what I mean. Not yet.
I push back my chair, standing with an easy stretch. “You look nervous, Enzo.” I let my voice drop just enough to make the words sting. “Do I make you nervous?”
His fingers twitch.
I lean in just enough for only him to hear. “You’ve already lost more than you know. Try not to lose your temper too.”
Before I turn to walk away, I let one final comment slide.
“By the way, funny what you can learn when you dig deep enough. The whole ‘wife kidnapping’ thing... quite the spectacle. Still haven’t paid the ransom, though, have you? Or maybe you’ve just decided to let her rot somewhere. Who knows? Maybe she’s cozy with some other guy, while you're here playing games."
His reaction is immediate. His hand shoots to his side, and I know exactly what he’s reaching for. The gun’s out faster than I can blink.
I already know how this ends.
The room shifts, the men twitching, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons. But the men here know the rules. Not a single one of them makes a move without my signal. I feel their eyes burning into me, but I don’t budge. I stand tall, eyes locked on Enzo.
His face turns white, and his pupils contract. The tremble in his hand? That’s new. He’s not used to losing control.
“Put it away, Enzo,” I say smoothly. “You wouldn’t want to ruin a perfectly good evening.”
He doesn’t lower the gun. Instead, he stands there, shaking with rage, but that’s all he can do. He’s in check, and the best part? He hasn’t even realized it yet.
“Who the fuck told you? You think stumbling upon a little dirt on my personal life is gonna shake me?”
I tilt my head slightly, the corner of my mouth pulling into a knowing smile. “I didn’t just stumble upon that information, Enzo. I have a very different set of eyes on the world. I know things. People talk. They tell me exactly what you try to keep buried.”
“You... You have no fucking idea what you’re playing with.”
I laugh, the sound dark and manic. “You ever consider that maybe she staged the whole thing just to get away from you? I mean, who can blame her? Maybe she’s currently warming some other man’s bed while you’re here indulging in whatever pissing contest you can find.”
Enzo’s face flushes with rage. “I’m going to end you. Just like I should’ve all those years ago. You pathetic street rat.”
I lean forward just a little, making sure he hears every word. “I wouldn’t threaten me if I were you, Enzo.”
His hand tightens on the gun again, and I step forward, tapping his shoulder lightly, mocking him. “Put it down, Enzo. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
“Fuck you, Dario.”
The words are so tempting. So fucking tempting to say it, to rub it in his face. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing to your wife. But I hold back. Not just yet. Soon enough, he’ll get the full picture. I’ll make sure he understands every way I’ve broken her. Every way I’ve made her mine.
