The first gunshot echoed through the underground chamber like thunder.
Then chaos followed.
Orlov's soldiers opened fire from both sides of the tunnel.
Bullets ricocheted off the stone walls, sending sparks into the air.
Alessandro grabbed Elena and pulled her behind a thick concrete pillar just as a spray of bullets tore across the floor where she had been standing.
"Stay behind me," he ordered.
Elena shook her head fiercely.
"No."
"This isn't your fight."
"Yes, it is."
Her voice was colder than he had ever heard it before.
"That man killed my parents."
Across the chamber, Adrian dove behind a metal crate while firing his rifle.
"Why do all your family reunions involve bullets?!"
Luca, pale but still standing, leaned against the wall and fired twice toward the far end of the tunnel.
"Because we're a complicated family."
Orlov's Soldiers
The underground chamber filled with smoke and gunfire.
Orlov's men had the higher ground along the elevated stone walkways built into the walls of the tunnel.
They rained bullets down toward the De Luca soldiers entering from the stairway.
Adrian cursed loudly.
"They planned this perfectly!"
Valentina's voice suddenly came through the radio in Adrian's ear.
"I'm tracking the fight."
"Good," Adrian shouted.
"Because we're currently dying down here!"
"I'm sending backup."
"How long?"
"Five minutes."
Adrian fired another shot.
"We don't have five minutes!"
The Predator
Through the smoke, Alessandro moved forward.
Calm.
Controlled.
Like a predator walking through chaos.
Two of Orlov's guards rushed toward him.
Both dropped before they even got close.
His shots were precise.
Efficient.
Merciless.
Elena watched him fight.
And for the first time since meeting him—
She truly understood why the underworld feared him.
This was the ruthless don.
Not the husband.
Not the man who held her at night.
But the king of a criminal empire.
Orlov Watches
Orlov stood near the far end of the chamber behind a wall of his soldiers.
He didn't seem worried.
In fact—
He looked amused.
"Impressive."
Alessandro stepped forward through the gunfire.
"You're running out of men."
Orlov shrugged.
"They're expendable."
Luca laughed bitterly from behind cover.
"That's why nobody stays loyal to you."
Orlov's gaze shifted briefly toward him.
"You should know."
Elena's Shot
Elena stepped out from behind the pillar.
Her gun raised.
Her heart pounding.
Orlov noticed immediately.
Their eyes locked across the battlefield.
He smiled faintly.
"There she is."
Elena fired.
The bullet struck the guard standing beside him.
The man collapsed instantly.
Orlov slowly tilted his head.
"Good aim."
Elena fired again.
This time he stepped aside.
The bullet struck the wall behind him.
Adrian shouted from across the room,
"Little warning next time!"
The Duel
Soon the fighting narrowed.
Most of Orlov's soldiers had fallen or retreated deeper into the tunnel.
Now only a handful remained between the two men.
Alessandro walked forward slowly.
Orlov did the same.
Their soldiers hesitated, unsure whether to continue fighting.
Adrian lowered his weapon slightly.
"…is this about to become a movie scene?"
Luca nodded.
"Yes."
Two kings.
One battlefield.
Father and Daughter
Orlov's eyes moved toward Elena again.
"You could still choose differently."
Elena laughed coldly.
"You killed my mother."
"She was weak."
Elena's finger tightened on the trigger.
Alessandro gently placed his hand over the barrel of her gun.
"I handle him."
Elena looked up at him.
"No."
"He's mine."
Alessandro's eyes softened slightly.
"Trust me."
After a long moment—
She lowered the weapon.
The Final Fight
Orlov removed his coat slowly and dropped it to the ground.
"So be it."
Alessandro stepped forward.
The two men circled each other carefully.
Adrian whispered,
"Oh wow… they're actually doing this."
Luca muttered,
"They've both been waiting years."
Orlov attacked first.
Fast.
Brutal.
But Alessandro blocked the strike and drove his fist into Orlov's ribs.
The two men collided in a violent struggle.
Punches.
Kicks.
Blows that echoed through the chamber.
Orlov grabbed a knife from his belt and slashed forward.
The blade cut across Alessandro's arm.
Elena gasped.
"Alessandro!"
But he didn't slow down.
Instead—
He slammed Orlov against the stone wall with terrifying force.
The Moment
Both men were breathing heavily now.
Blood stained Alessandro's sleeve.
Orlov wiped blood from his lip.
"Your father was weaker than you."
Alessandro's eyes turned cold.
"You shouldn't have said that."
He grabbed Orlov by the collar.
Then drove the knife straight into his chest.
The chamber fell silent.
Orlov staggered backward.
Blood spreading across his shirt.
He looked down at the blade.
Then up at Alessandro.
A strange smile crossed his face.
"…finally."
He collapsed.
The End of the Monster
Elena slowly walked forward.
Her heart pounding.
Orlov lay on the stone floor.
Barely breathing.
His eyes found hers.
"Elena…"
She stared down at him.
"You're not my father."
His lips twitched faintly.
"…maybe."
Then his eyes closed.
And the man who had terrorized their lives—
Stopped breathing.
Silence After War
The chamber fell completely quiet.
Adrian exhaled loudly.
"Well…"
"That was intense."
Luca leaned against the wall again.
"I need a hospital."
Alessandro turned toward Elena.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"You're bleeding."
"I'll live."
She looked up at him.
"And it's over?"
Alessandro looked down at Orlov's body.
Then back at her.
"Yes."
But far above them—
Sirens echoed across the city.
And somewhere far away—
A new threat had already begun watching the De Luca empire.