Chapter 118

Matteo’s lips curled into a soft smile as he stared at the photo Gen had just sent him. It was a lively group picture taken inside the bustling dress shop. On one side stood the Palladino family, their faces bright with joy, hands thrown up in celebration. Opposite them, Gen’s close friends, Jada and Lucy, mirrored the excitement, their smiles equally radiant. But at the heart of the image was Gen herself, clutching her father’s hand tightly, her grin so wide it nearly made her eyes squint against the camera’s flash. Matteo felt a burning ache in his chest as he read through the long message she had sent, where she expressed her gratitude for bringing her family together. He hoped this moment of happiness would ease the sting of his impending departure.

Suddenly, a scrap of paper fluttered and landed right on his face. Matteo glanced up to see Frankie grinning mischievously, waving at him in a flirtatious manner. Matteo responded with a quick, playful middle finger before leaning back in his chair and sliding his phone into his pocket. They were all just waiting for Conor to arrive. The meeting was set beneath the imposing Palladino mansion, a place that had long served as a dark fortress for the family’s more clandestine affairs. Once a hub for trafficking drugs and women, it had since transformed into a grim venue for interrogations, imprisonments, and secretive gatherings like this one. Matteo sat flanked by Leo on his right and Louis on his left, while Frankie occupied the seat across from him. Nearby, Alessio and Raphael whispered quietly, though Frankie made little effort to hide his eavesdropping.

The heavy doors to the conference room creaked ominously as they swung open. Alessio’s men straightened, tense and alert—until it became clear it was only Conor stepping inside. He looked cleaner than before, having showered, shaved, and neatly combed his hair. Yet the way his clothes hung loosely on his frame betrayed the weight he had lost, and the deep shadows under his eyes spoke volumes about the darkness of his recent struggles.

“Glad you could make it,” Alessio growled, his usual sharp tone dripping with sarcasm.

Conor nodded curtly at Leo, Frankie, and Louis. “Hey,” he greeted, deliberately ignoring Alessio.

Frankie clapped him on the back as he took the seat beside him. “Been a while since we saw you at the club,” he teased. “You should bring that firecracker back around. She could give the boss’s woman a run for her money. Might actually last past the first round.”

Matteo shot Frankie a warning look. “Frank.”