War
Edward has just parked the sports car he was driving in the parking lot of the Four Seasons Hotel. As he promised earlier this afternoon, he will be showing Kaivan some of the new weapon collections he recently purchased tonight.
As shooting enthusiasts, the two of them share a common interest in selecting and collecting various types of firearms. They often consult each other or hunt together to find the desired items.
“Mike…” Edward greeted as he entered the hotel lobby. “Is Kaivan in his room?”
Mike, who had just finished his work at the time, walked over. Approaching Edward, who was standing not far from the reception desk.
“Mr. Kaivan left a while ago with his wife. They are attending a birthday party,” he said.
Edward nodded. It was his mistake not to contact Kaivan before coming over.
“Have they been gone for long?”
“Quite a while, about two hours ago. They might be back soon. It’s better for Mr. Edward to wait upstairs,” Kaivan’s assistant offered politely.
“No need.” Edward shook his head. “I’ll wait on the sofa here in the lobby.”
Mike nodded and then guided Edward to choose a sofa to sit on. The next moment, he asked a restaurant server to bring some drinks and snacks for Kaivan’s friend so he wouldn’t get bored while waiting.
30 minutes passed just like that. Edward remained patient while chatting with Mike. They exchanged arguments about hotel developments, business, and even didn’t forget to discuss beautiful women. What can you do, as a Playboy, Edward wasn’t much different from Kaivan’s past behavior of frequently changing partners. That’s why conversations about women never escaped from his discussions with anyone.
However, after a full 60 minutes had passed, or more precisely at 10 pm, the handsome man began to feel restless. Reaching for his phone from his pants pocket, Edward tried to contact Kaivan.
He made the call for a while, but he didn’t get any response. Worried that something might have happened to Kaivan, Edward decided to ask Mike, who was sitting in front of him.
“Do you know where the location of the birthday party that Kaivan and Anne are attending tonight is? I might just catch up with them now,” Edward asked anxiously.
“As far as I know, Mr. and Mrs. Maximilian are attending Miss Veronica’s birthday event tonight,” Mike answered.
“Veronica’s birthday?” Edward’s eyebrows furrowed. He finally understood where his friend had gone tonight. “Do you know the location, Mike?”
Mike shook his head weakly. He didn’t inquire at all with Kaivan before he left earlier.
“But…” he suddenly said. “I remember that Miss Veronica’s party invitation was on Mr. Kaivan’s desk. It seems that the location of the event is written there.”
Mike then got up, walking quickly towards the elevator. He intended to retrieve the invitation card neatly stored on Kaivan’s desk.
Edward didn’t have to wait long because five minutes later, Mike returned, holding a piece of paper that could very well be the invitation he was referring to.
“The birthday event for Miss Veronica is taking place at the Le Meridien Hotel in Picadelli,” Mike explained. He then handed the invitation paper to Edward so he could read for himself what was written there. “That means it’ll take you about 15 to 20 minutes to get to Picadelli.”
Edward nodded, and without many words, he turned around and headed for the parking lot. He accelerated the car he was driving to quickly get to Picadelli, where Kaivan and Anne might be at the moment.
Meanwhile, at the Le Meridien Hotel, Kaivan repeatedly glanced in all directions. Fifteen minutes had passed, but Anne still hadn’t returned from the restroom. After Varonica left, he tried calling her. But not a single one of his calls was answered. This made him take the initiative to follow because he was concerned about something happening to his wife.
Slowly, Kaivan walked through the event venue, his gaze still focused in all directions. Perhaps he would accidentally run into Anne, who might be done by now. However, when he reached the front of the restroom door, he didn’t see his wife’s presence at all.
At the same time, an office girl was seen mopping the wet floor. Politely, Kaivan asked for the hotel staff’s help to check if his wife was inside.
“Please, can you help me? Is there a woman in the restroom who looks like this?” Kaivan requested, showing Anne’s photo from his phone.
The office girl nodded, following Kaivan’s request. She entered the restroom for a moment and then came out shortly after.
“There’s no one inside, sir. You can go in if you want to make sure.”
Kaivan nodded and then tipped the hotel staff. The next moment, he decided to continue searching for Anne’s whereabouts.
“Kai…” Just as he was about to turn around, someone from behind tapped Kaivan’s shoulder. “I’ve been searching all over for you.”
Kaivan frowned, confused as to why Edward was suddenly at Veronica’s birthday event.
“What are you doing here? Did Veronica invite you too?”
“Ugh…” Edward clicked his tongue. He shook his head repeatedly. “I’ve been trying to reach you for a while now. Why didn’t you answer my calls? Worried that something might have happened to you, I took the initiative to come after you,” he explained at length.
“I purposely didn’t answer your calls. Aren’t you always calling me for trivial matters? Besides, I’ve been busy looking for Anne.”
This time, it was Edward who was puzzled by Kaivan’s explanation.
“What happened to Anne?”
“I don’t know,” Kaivan answered. “My wife said she wanted to go to the restroom. But she hasn’t returned for over 30 minutes.”
“Have you tried calling her?” Edward asked to make sure.
“I have,” Kaivan replied quickly. “But she hasn’t answered any of my calls. That’s why I’m feeling anxious now.”
Edward nodded in understanding. For a moment, he chose to stay silent, not because he didn’t want to respond, but rather because he was thinking about the next steps to take. Eventually, he spoke again.
“Does Anne’s phone have a tracker? Or is it connected to GPS?”
“Oh my god.” Kaivan exclaimed. “You’re right. I forgot that Anne’s phone has a permanent tracker installed by Mike all this time,” he explained. He then reached for his pants pocket, pulled out his phone, opened the tracking app, and began searching for Anne’s location. “According to this device, her position is above us.”
“Above?” Both of Edward’s eyebrows raised. “You mean on the rooftop?”
Kaivan nodded. He didn’t say anything, but he chose to move immediately, following the directions indicated by the tracking app.
****
“No need to touch me,” Anna Maria refused. She tried to resist as the man standing in front of her intentionally gripped her chin. “I swear, Kaivan will get back at you!” she exclaimed.
“I don’t care how your husband will retaliate.” The man laughed loudly. His face clearly showed a mocking expression. “We’ll see together if that man can find your whereabouts quickly.” From the man’s side, a woman’s delighted laughter could be heard. She was quite satisfied with Anne’s helpless condition.
“Oh God, Anna Maria. Just so you know, I really want to push you until you fall from this building,” she stated. “If I can’t have Kaivan, then a slut like you also has no right to be with him. Who do you think you are? Suddenly appearing and taking him away from me.”
“Veronica, you damn…” Anna Maria yelled. “You both will get what’s coming to you. Remember my words. When Kaivan arrives, I will pull your hair and drag your body mercilessly.”
Veronica laughed out loud. She didn’t care about any threats Anna Maria was making. There wasn’t a hint of fear on her face.
“Before you can do that, I will end your life first,” Veronica retorted, forcefully pulling Anne’s hair that was hanging freely.
“Don’t,” the man next to her intervened. “No need to dirty your hands. Let me take care of destroying this couple.”
Just as the words were spoken, two men entered the rooftop through the door at the same time. One of them even shouted with anger.
“Dominique!!!”
Anne and everyone present immediately turned towards the source of the sound. They saw Kaivan’s angry expression.
“What’s the meaning of all this?” Kaivan asked again. He wanted to step forward, but just as quickly, Dominique aimed a gun in his right hand directly at Kaivan.
“Take one more step, and my henchman will push your wife off this building.”
Kaivan halted his steps, trying not to act impulsively. A moment later, his gaze shifted to Veronica, who was standing side by side with Anna Maria. “And you, Veronica. How could you do this to me?”
“I should be the one saying that, my dear Kaivan. You tossed me aside just after meeting this whore.” Veronica yanked Anne’s hair again, causing her to grimace in pain. “So, who’s the heartless one here?”
Kaivan clenched his jaw, attempting to control his emotions.
“If you’ve forgotten, our status from the beginning was just casual dating. It’s not my fault if you expected more from me.” Kaivan paused for a moment. The next second, he turned his piercing gaze towards Dominique. “And you, what exactly do you want? Honestly, I didn’t expect you to do this to me.”
Dominique laughed loudly, amused by the expression Kaivan displayed.NôvelDrama.Org owns all content.
“You’re asking about my desires? Of course, I want to destroy you, Kaivan Maximilian. I had to wait quite a while to get to a moment like this. My collaboration with Luca hasn’t been in vain.”
“You-”
“Yes…” Dominique nodded. “Just think about it. Why were the Sicilian people ready to resist when you and the Xavier’s attacked the headquarters in Catlanissetta?”
“You’re the one who informed them?”
“Exactly,” Dominique replied with a smile. “And that’s not all. The attack in Milan was also my directive. Plus, I’ve always had my men watch over you from a distance. Recently, I even worked with your beautiful ex-lover here,” Dominique explained, pointing at Veronica.
“Son of a bitch!” Kaivan cursed. His hands clenched tightly, ready to strike anyone who provoked his emotions. “So, you’ve meticulously planned all of this?”
Once again, Dominique nodded.
“Luca would even reward me handsomely if I manage to kill you and your beautiful wife tonight.”
“But why?” Kaivan asked in frustration. “What issue drove you to betray me like this? I even considered you a brother.”
Dominique laughed again, tickled by what Kaivan had expressed.
“No need to exaggerate and consider me a brother. The truth is, I have no desire to be a part of your family, you imbecile!” he retorted. “Don’t forget, when we saved Theodore, I was the one who helped you. But what did I get? Nothing.” Dominique shook his head repeatedly. “That old fool even granted you special privileges in the Witch Hunter. Making you an honored and respected figure in the eyes of all the mafia. And me? It’s like they forgot who contributed more.”
“For God’s sake, this is just a misunderstanding,” Kaivan interjected. “None of this is like what you-”
“Enough,” Dominique cut him off. “I don’t care anymore. All I want now is to see you suffer.”
Anne, who had been observing from a distance, watched as her husband and Dominique argued vehemently. Shortly after, she shifted her gaze towards Edward, who stood silently as if waiting for a signal. When their eyes met, he gave a signal. Understanding his intention, Anne swiftly pulled her right hand from the grasp of the two men who had been holding onto her. She delivered a kick and pushed one of them, causing him to fall.
This action by Anne immediately diverted Dominique’s attention. Seizing the opportunity, Kaivan rushed forward and collided with the massive man, attempting to pin him down.
Meanwhile, Edward joined the fray, trying to fend off Dominique’s henchmen who aimed to assist their boss. And naturally, the fight became inevitable.
Each of them found themselves matched with an opponent. Anne, in her position, kicked off her high heels and slightly tore her dress to move more freely. She fought back with kicks and punches until one of her foes fell incapacitated.
Seeing Veronica still idle in her position, Anne approached her purposefully. Without warning, she grabbed Veronica’s hair. While Veronica resisted for a moment, Anne used her skills to pull her and slammed her slender body onto the floor, rendering her unconscious.
Just as Anne was about to stand up, a figure from behind kicked her shoulder. Luckily, she managed to maintain her balance and fought back.
From a distance, Edward had already taken down his opponent. Now he rushed to assist Anne. Ensuring her safety, he finally helped Kaivan, who was still struggling with Dominique.
However, upon seeing Dominique relentlessly beating Kaivan, Edward quickly intervened. He threw punches until Dominique retrieved a weapon from beneath his clothing.
Kaivan did his best to block Dominique’s movements. While Edward struggled to seize and wrest the gun from their adversary. And when he managed to get hold of the sought-after object, with a single motion, Edward aimed the revolver, a ragging bull-type gun, and without hesitation, fired a shot directly into Dominique’s left thigh.
The large man collapsed immediately. He let out several cries due to the excruciating pain. While Edward remained on guard, Kaivan stepped back and ran towards Anne. He guided her to move away.