Chapter 4
Ethan’s face flushed a violent crimson. Driven by a volatile mix of panic, hubris, and the desperate need to protect his sister’s collapsing scheme, he charged forward. He grabbed Cesare’s shoulder, his fingers digging brutally into the expensive fabric of the suit, and swung a heavy right hook aimed squarely at the Mafia boss’s jaw.
"I'll kill you!" Ethan roared, his voice echoing off the glass aquarium walls.
Cesare did not flinch. He possessed the lethal, fluid grace of a man who had survived decades of brutal underworld warfare. With a subtle, effortless tilt of his head, Cesare slipped the punch entirely. Ethan’s fist sailed harmlessly through the empty air, the momentum throwing the forty-year-old man completely off balance.
Before Ethan could recover his footing, Cesare planted his polished shoes and drove one explosive counterpunch straight across Ethan’s face.
The sound of bone shattering echoed through the donor lounge like a gunshot. The sheer kinetic force of the blow lifted Ethan completely off the floor. He spun violently backward, hurtling across the room toward a rolling dive-equipment case parked near the marine exhibits.
Ethan crashed into the heavy plastic case with a deafening impact. The case rocketed sideways, its latches bursting open under the extreme pressure. Soft rubber fins, diving masks, and padded equipment bags spilled out, tumbling across the carpet in a chaotic wave of black and blue gear. Ethan collapsed heavily beside the overturned case, completely unconscious, blood pouring freely from his ruined nose.
The surrounding guests gasped, falling back in terror as the violence shattered the elegant facade of the ocean-conservation gala. Bodyguards tensed, but they waited for Cesare’s command.
Cesare did not adjust his cuffs. He did not rub his knuckles. He simply turned his cold, intimidating eyes back to the remaining conspirators.
No dialogue was spoken. The silence was heavier than before, broken only by the hum of the aquarium filters, the soft bubbling of the water, and the ragged, terrified breathing of Vanessa Cole.
"Ethan!" Vanessa finally screamed, her voice shrill with horror as she rushed toward her brother's bleeding body.
"Stay. Where you are," Cesare commanded gently. His volume was barely above a whisper, yet it nailed her to the floor, rendering her entirely immobile.
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Julian stared at Ethan’s unconscious body, his mouth hanging open in pure shock. "Father... what have you done? The Cole family will declare war."
"They have already. Declared war. Julian," Cesare said slowly, turning his icy gaze to his son. "They infiltrated my house. They faked an heir to steal our legacy. And you were either complicit. Or completely blind."
