Rain poured harder, turning the estate grounds into mud and smoke.
Gunfire thundered through the night as Orlov's soldiers and the council families continued tearing each other apart.
But in the center of the battlefield—
Two men stood facing each other.
Alessandro De Luca.
And Viktor Orlov.
Both holding rifles.
Both ready to kill.
Adrian remained a few steps behind Alessandro, watching every movement carefully.
The rest of the world seemed to blur away.
Only the two enemies remained.
Orlov tilted his head slightly.
"I expected you to send your men."
Alessandro's voice was calm.
"I prefer finishing things myself."
Orlov chuckled.
"Yes… I've heard that about you."
He gestured toward the burning vehicles around them.
"Your wife's sister is quite the strategist."
Alessandro didn't respond.
Orlov's eyes glinted.
"She reminds me of someone."
Alessandro's gaze hardened.
"Choose your next words carefully."
Orlov smiled.
"Your father."
The rain continued to fall as the words hung between them.
Adrian shifted slightly.
He knew this wasn't just a battle anymore.
This was personal.
Inside the Estate
Elena stood in the war room, watching the confrontation unfold on the large monitors.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
"Alessandro…" she whispered.
Valentina stood beside the control panel, analyzing the battlefield data.
"He's going to kill him."
Elena turned sharply.
"Orlov?"
Valentina shook her head.
"No."
Her voice dropped.
"Alessandro."
Elena's stomach tightened.
"You sound certain."
Valentina tapped the keyboard again.
Dozens of new markers appeared on the map.
Council reinforcements approaching.
Snipers repositioning.
Escape routes closing.
"This fight isn't just between them anymore," Valentina said.
"Elena…"
"Yes?"
"Tonight determines who controls this city."
Elena looked back at the screen.
Alessandro and Orlov still hadn't fired.
They were circling slowly.
Two predators testing each other.
The Past Revealed
Outside, Orlov lowered his rifle slightly.
"You know why your father died."
Alessandro didn't blink.
"He trusted the wrong men."
Orlov laughed softly.
"No."
He stepped closer.
"He trusted the right ones."
Alessandro's expression darkened.
"Explain."
Orlov's smile widened.
"The council didn't betray him alone."
A pause.
Then Orlov said the words that sent a chill through the storm.
"Your father did."
Adrian's eyes widened.
Alessandro's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"You're lying."
"Am I?"
Orlov shrugged.
"Your father was losing control of the empire."
"So?"
"So he planned to surrender it."
The words hung heavy in the air.
"He wanted to dismantle the entire mafia network," Orlov continued.
"Turn over evidence to the authorities."
Adrian muttered,
"That's impossible."
Orlov ignored him.
"But the council found out."
Alessandro's grip tightened on the rifle.
"So they killed him."
"Yes."
Orlov leaned slightly closer.
"But here's the part you never learned."
Alessandro's voice was ice.
"Speak."
Orlov smiled.
"Your father asked them to."
The rain seemed to freeze.
Even the gunfire in the distance felt quieter.
Alessandro stared at him.
"You're lying."
Orlov shook his head slowly.
"He knew the empire would destroy itself."
"So he made a deal with the council."
Adrian whispered,
"That's insane."
Orlov finished calmly.
"He sacrificed himself to trigger the war that would end everything."
Elena Learns the Truth
Inside the war room, Elena stared at the screen in shock.
"That can't be true."
Valentina didn't respond.
Elena turned toward her sister.
"You knew."
Valentina remained silent.
"You knew!" Elena shouted.
Finally Valentina spoke quietly.
"Yes."
Elena felt like the ground had vanished beneath her.
"You let this war happen anyway."
Valentina's voice hardened.
"Because father's plan failed."
Elena shook her head.
"He wanted peace."
"And the council murdered him for it."
Valentina's eyes burned with cold fury.
"So now I'm finishing what he started."
Elena's voice trembled.
"By killing everyone?"
"Yes."
The Fight Begins
Back on the battlefield, Alessandro's mind raced.
Everything he had believed about his father suddenly felt unstable.
But one truth remained clear.
Orlov had to die.
Slowly, Alessandro raised his rifle again.
Orlov smirked.
"Still angry?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Orlov raised his weapon too.
"Because this city belongs to the strongest wolf."
Lightning flashed across the sky.
And both men pulled the trigger.
Gunshots exploded through the storm.
Adrian dove for cover.
Bullets tore through the air.
Alessandro rolled behind a burning vehicle.
Orlov moved with surprising speed, disappearing into the smoke.
The duel had begun.
Valentina's Final Move
Inside the war room, Valentina typed rapidly.
Elena turned toward her.
"What are you doing?"
Valentina didn't stop typing.
"Ending the game."
Every screen in the room suddenly switched to a countdown timer.
Adrian's voice crackled through the radio.
"Elena! Something just activated outside!"
Elena stared at the timer.
"What is that?"
Valentina finally looked up.
Her expression was calm.
"Explosives."
Elena's heart stopped.
"Where?"
Valentina pointed to the map.
Dozens of flashing points surrounded the estate.
"The entire battlefield."
Elena stepped back.
"You're going to kill everyone."
"Yes."
"Elena shouted,
"Alessandro is out there!"
Valentina's voice remained cold.
"And so is Orlov."
The timer ticked down.
00:02:15
Elena's pulse thundered.
"You can't do this."
Valentina met her gaze.
"I already did."
Outside, the war continued.
Unaware that in just over two minutes—
The entire battlefield would become a graveyard.