730 "The Mafia boss found a terrified little girl hiding behind a tree, but her whispered plea forced him to uncover a betrayal inside his own mansion.

The heavy oak door of the top-floor office blew inward under the force of Adrian’s tactical boot.

Inside, the room was dimly lit by a single hanging bulb.

Dominic Moretti stood near the window, wearing an expensive suit stained with rain. In front of him, tied to a wooden chair, was little Mia. Her small pink dress was dirty, her eyes swollen from crying, but she was clutching Mr. Whiskers tightly against her tiny chest.

Standing beside Dominic was Renata Voss, holding a small silver pistol aimed directly at Mia’s head.

"Step back, Adrian!" Renata shrieked, her voice echoing frantically in the enclosed room. "One more step and I blow this little brat’s brains out!"

Adrian stopped five paces away. His weapon was lowered, his breathing completely calm, despite the storm of violence raging outside the door.

Rex padded into the room slowly, his lips pulled back over razor-sharp teeth, taking a broad stance beside Adrian.

"You look pathetic, Adrian," Dominic sneered, stepping around the desk, holding a heavy revolver in his hand. "Bringing your entire private army to a rusty warehouse for a maid's child? Your father is rolling in his grave."

"My father was a fool who trusted snakes like Renata," Adrian said coldly, his eyes locking onto Renata. "Renata... look at yourself. You spent forty years ruling the grandest estate on the East Coast. Now you're hiding in a sewer, hiding behind a four-year-old child."

Renata’s hand trembled on the gun. "I made you who you are!"

"No," Adrian said, stepping forward half an inch. "You made yourself an exile."

Mia looked up through her tears. When her swollen eyes caught sight of Adrian standing in the doorway, she didn't scream. She didn't panic.

"Mr. Coffee..." Mia whimpered, her tiny voice cutting through the heavy tension like a beam of light. "You came."

"I promised you I would, Mia," Adrian said softly, his voice softening just enough for her to hear. "I never break a promise."

"Shut up!" Dominic roared, raising his revolver to aim at Adrian’s chest. "It’s over, Valenti! You lose!"

Dominic pulled the trigger.

CLICK.

Nothing happened.

Dominic stared at his gun in utter confusion, pulling the trigger again and again. CLICK. CLICK.

"Looking for these?" a voice called out from the doorway behind Adrian.

Marcus stepped into the room, holding a handful of heavy custom brass bullets.

"Your head driver, the one who loaded your weapon in Brooklyn three hours ago?" Marcus smiled grimly. "He works for us now, Dominic. Five million dollars buys a lot of loyalty in your family."

Dominic’s face turned white as death.

Before Renata could react, Rex launched himself through the air like a lethal missile. The massive Doberman slammed into Renata’s chest, knocking her backward onto the floor, the silver pistol flying out of her hand and skittering across the concrete.

Dominic turned to run toward the window, but Adrian was faster.

Adrian closed the distance in a fraction of a second, grabbing Dominic by his throat and slamming him down onto the heavy glass executive desk, shattering it into thousands of sharp fragments.

Adrian pressed his gun barrel directly against Dominic’s forehead.

"Please... Adrian... wait!" Dominic choked out, tears of terror bursting from his eyes. "We can make a deal! Half my family's territory! Ten million in cash!"

Adrian looked down at the pathetic, begging man beneath him.

"You took a child," Adrian whispered, his voice dark, final, and absolute. "There are no deals for monsters."