“Jimmy… McKenna?”

 

The timid, wary man I had seen before was gone. 

 

In his place was only a pitiful beast, screaming as if it had severed its ties with reality.

 

Liliana’s pupils lost focus and shook. A foreboding feeling that this party might not go smoothly crept into her.

 

“Nothing’s… going to happen today, right?”

 

Silvano frowned as if to say, ‘What nonsense are you talking about?’ Then he replied in a careless tone.

 

“What could he possibly do?”

 

“…”

 

“Look over there. He’s being dragged out like a dog.”

 

Yet, her anxiety wouldn’t easily subside, and the image of Jimmy’s bloodshot eyes kept flickering in her mind.

 

Perhaps noticing her unease, Silvano stared at her intently, then suddenly reached out and cupped her right cheek. 

 

The smooth touch of his scarred hand, incongruous with its appearance, stroked her cold cheek.

 

“Don’t worry. Even if something happens, I’ll manage to take care of you…”

 

“…?”

 

He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly freezing solid. 

 

A few seconds later, the hand that had been caressing her face dropped limply to his side.

 

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”

 

Liliana’s eyes were filled with questions. But Silvano’s gaze wasn’t fixed on her. It was directed somewhere behind her.

 

Had she ever seen Silvano with an expression like this? His face was stiff, and only his lips trembled slightly. Fear? 

 

No. This was less like fear and more like… She turned slowly, following Silvano’s gaze.

 

“…!”

 

And then she understood. Why, Silvano was making a face she had never seen before, and had so uncharacteristically lost every trace of his composure.

 

There stood the man to whom Silvano had once sworn loyalty, but who had mercilessly cast him aside. 

 

The man who, in her past life, had driven Lilia’s only sibling to his death.

 

“Gasparo Corella…”

 

He was calmly exchanging greetings with Luciano, completely oblivious to the looks the two men on the terrace were giving him.

 

From beside her, she heard the sound of teeth grinding, followed by a tightly blocked voice.

 

“Why the hell is that bastard here.”

 

Lilia felt the same way. 

 

Gasparo Corella, here? 

 

She had thought that even if all the other capos came, Gasparo of the Corella family would be the last one to show his face at the party.

 

For starters, he wasn’t even an investor in Demer All-time… and given what he had done, even a courtesy visit would have been awkward.

 

But for him to have the nerve to show up instead… His shamelessness was in a league of its own.

 

As she was thinking this, Gasparo and Luciano slowly began to move their steps inside the building. 

 

Lilia, who had been watching, narrowed her eyes.

 

‘What? Why are those two…’

 

It’s safe to say that those two are the most uncomfortable combination among everyone gathered here. 

 

Though for different reasons, neither of them had any cause to look kindly upon Theodoro.

 

One is afraid Theodoro will take his position, and the other has already had his source of income taken by him. 

 

That says more than enough.

‘If those two get together and plot something… that would be a real problem.’

 

Of course, the reason those two are moving to a different location is most likely to discuss business.

But no one could guarantee how the conversation would unfold, so Liliana couldn’t shake off her unease.

 

“…Silvano.”

Her voice, heavy in the silence, spread through the room. She then turned her body toward Silvano and met his gaze.

“Can you follow those two right now? It would be good if you could eavesdrop on their conversation and report back.”

“Of course. It’s a face I haven’t seen in a long time… I’m quite pleased myself.”

“Go ahead. I’m counting on you.”

 

The corner of Silvano’s mouth twisted upward. 

 

Without another word, he turned away. It was as if all his focus was already intensely fixed on Gasparo Corella, leaving no room for anything else.

 

A flicker of anxiety crossed Liliana’s eyes as she watched him, and she hurriedly grabbed Silvano’s arm.

“Silvano…!”

“…”

“Don’t get caught. And don’t suddenly lose your temper… and pull out a gun or anything. Understood?”

 

Even as she spoke, Liliana wondered if sending him was the right decision. But her worries seemed to be for nothing, as Silvano let out a light chuckle. 

 

At that moment, the chilling and eerie aura surrounding him seemed to lift slightly.

 

“I don’t do that. Do you think I have anger management issues?”

 

“…”

 

“Don’t worry, just wait.”

 

With that, Silvano twisted his lips into a carefree smile and walked leisurely from the terrace into the house. 

 

It was an exit that seemed to mark a return to his usual self.

 

It was true that this made Liliana feel somewhat relieved… but she still couldn’t let go of her concern. She let out a deep sigh and held her head.

 

‘…Well, it’s because it seems like you do have problems controlling your anger.’

 

💫

 

Right after seeing Silvano off, Liliana had to go meet Theodoro.

 

It seemed he had stepped away due to the matter with Jimmy… She didn’t know when he had returned, but he was looking down at her, left alone on the terrace, and wiggled his finger. 

 

And he was doing it with a very menacing expression.

 

Without a moment’s hesitation, Liliana immediately went down to the garden on the first floor.

 

“You called?”

 

Even though he must have heard her voice, Theodoro didn’t look at her and just silently held his cigarette. 

 

Just the sight of his profile was enough to make a chilly aura radiate from him—by that point, her palms were sweating.

 

“Liliana.”

 

“…Yes?”

 

“If you’re going to have your little love trysts, at least have the decency to hide them. Don’t do it out in the open where it’s an eyesore.”

 

Her cheeks burned hot with shame.

 

“Th-that’s not what you think it was… it wasn’t a love tryst. You know what kind of person Silvano is… You know well, Theodoro.”

 

Only then did Theodoro turn to face Liliana directly. The face that came into her view was clearly mocking her.

 

“What a sight. Can’t even properly hold the leash of the bastard dog you brought in.”

 

“…”

 

My anger flared, and I almost snapped back, but then the fight just drained out of me.

Who would have thought Silvano would extend his malicious reach to her? 

 

I knew he was a promiscuous man who played around with countless women, but I never dreamed in a million years that he would obsessively pursue her with such determination just to claim her as another conquest.

I felt a surge of irrational irritation. Liliana almost kicked a stone on the ground, but stopped herself.

 

‘No, wait a minute…’

 

She glanced sideways at Theodoro with a puzzled look.

“But Signor Theodoro… you’re not angry because of that, are you?”

The moment she said it, Theodoro’s face twisted miserably.

“Who’s angry? Me? Because of you?”

“Yes… That’s right? Ever since a while ago… you seemed angry—”

“Liliana.”

His voice was sharp enough to draw blood, and her body stiffened automatically. 

 

Liliana swallowed hard and squeezed out a reply.

“…Yes?”

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, why don’t you pack your things and go home?”

“…”

 

The way he could be so bluntly rude was, in its own way, a kind of talent.

Embarrassment made her ears burn, but because he had denied it so vehemently, her heart felt as light as a feather.

Well, of course. The great Signor Theodoro wouldn’t be upset over someone like her. 

 

Feeling a secret sense of relief, Liliana asked, “It’s because of the Jimmy McKenna issue, isn’t it? What happened?”

“…Ah, right. That’s it.”

His agreement came a half-beat late. His tone was so insincere, it didn’t feel genuine at all.

One of Liliana’s eyebrows shot up.

 

‘What’s this?’

 

Did I guess wrong again? 

 

Judging by his reaction, it seemed Jimmy McKenna wasn’t even on his mind at the moment.

 

But before she could dwell deeper on her doubts, Theodoro opened his mouth, forcing Liliana to listen to the story with mixed feelings.

 

“…Yeah, Jimmy McKenna. He was just shouting loudly, but then he went along without a fuss when they led him out. Didn’t cause any particular problems.”

 

“Hmm… That’s a relief, I guess… But it’s still strange. If that was his plan, why did he even come?”

 

“How should I know how the mind of a lunatic works?”

 

“…”

 

She felt a quiet simmering inside. 

 

Was she really not angry with her? 

 

No matter how she thought about it, the cause seemed to lie with her.

 

He simply didn’t know how to say a single word politely. He was always like that, but today it was to such an extreme degree that it was almost absurd.

 

Just as she was trying hard to soothe her own feelings, Theodoro added flatly, making her efforts seem pointless.

 

“I received a report that a waiter’s uniform was found discarded near the west side door.”

 

Of course, while his tone was even, the content was anything but ordinary. 

 

Liliana stopped glaring at him and widened her eyes in surprise.

 

“A waiter… uniform? Do you think it’s connected to Jimmy?”

 

“Well, there’s no solid evidence yet, but it is suspicious. I’ve ordered an investigation to see if anyone among the staff had contact with Jimmy McKenna—”

 

“Theodoro!”

 

The call interrupted him, and Theodoro turned his head. Liliana also twisted her body towards the direction of the voice…

 

The one running from over there was Paul Galliano.  

 

As he drew closer, the expression on his face became clearer. He seemed to be trying to maintain some composure, but the tightly pursed line of his mouth and the agitation in his eyes made it plain to see.  

 

‘Ah…’  

 

Something was wrong.  

 

💫

 

“…It seems unusual that Theodoro took the initiative to establish a company.”  

 

Meanwhile, in the second-floor reception room of the villa. Gasparo and Luciano were sitting on a sofa, deep in conversation.

 

They had finished with the customary pleasantries and the matter at hand regarding the drug smuggling case…  

 

Gasparo decided to voice a question he had been pondering for a while.  

 

“Luciano, are you planning to formally hand over part of the business to your brother?”  

 

Luciano, puffing on a cigar as thick as two or three fingers, muttered with a cool expression.  

 

“Well… This matter was led by Theo.”  

 

A peculiar light passed through Gasparo’s eyes at that answer.

 

‘Well’? 

 

So, did that mean Luciano’s own will wasn’t involved in Theodoro stepping up?  

 

‘I’m starting to get a sense of it.’  

 

A faint, wry smile twisted at the corner of Gasparo’s mouth.  

 

“So there wasn’t really an agreement, was there?”

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