I Saved a Mafia Lord's Dying Twins. Now His Deadliest Betrayer is Hunting Me

Vincenzo laughed, but it sounded slightly frantic. "The desperate lies of a cornered rat!"

"Are they?" Damien asked smoothly.

He snapped his fingers.

The massive screen behind the stage, meant to display the syndicate's logo, suddenly flickered to life.

Audio filled the room. It was a recording.

“The neurotoxin is untraceable. Just make sure the waitress gets the blame.”

It was Vincenzo's voice.

“And my debt, Mr. Vincenzo?” A second voice asked. I recognized it instantly. It was the corrupt doctor from my past.

“Wiped clean. Just give me the poison. Damien’s brats won’t see tomorrow.”

The ballroom fell into a dead, horrifying silence.

Vincenzo’s face drained of all color. He stumbled back a step.

"That... that's a fake!" he stammered, looking around at the syndicate bosses. "Damien fabricated this with AI! He's trying to frame me!"

Damien didn't argue. He just snapped his fingers again.

The heavy double doors of the ballroom swung open.

Four of Damien's men walked in, dragging a battered, terrified man between them.

It was the doctor.

"Tell them," Damien commanded.

The doctor fell to his knees, sobbing. "It was Vincenzo! He forced me! He made me spike the formula! And two years ago, he made me frame Ellie Hart to ruin her credibility just in case we ever needed a scapegoat!"

The truth hung in the air, heavy and absolute.

Vincenzo looked around. He saw the cold, murderous stares of the other family bosses. In the mafia, killing a rival was business. Targeting innocent infants was an unforgivable sin.

He was completely surrounded. He had no allies left.

Realizing it was over, Vincenzo's panic turned into a rabid animal's rage.

He drew a hidden gun from his ankle holster faster than anyone expected.

He didn't aim at Damien.

He aimed at me.

"If I go down, she goes with me!" he screamed.