The Rise Of The Feared Mafia Boss

2

Darkness. That was all Leo felt.

His body felt as heavy as if crushed by boulders. Every time he tried to move a finger, excruciating pain shot from his shoulder down his entire spine. His last memories were of the pouring rain, the gushing blood, and the cruel faces of Marco and Don Vito, determined to take his life.

Am I already dead?

If this is death, then why does it feel so real?

Slowly, his eyelids fluttered open. Dim light blinded his vision. He found himself lying on a thin, hard mattress, yet it was dry. The room was small, smelling of medicine and rotting wood.

"So, you're finally awake, boy..."

A heavy, raspy voice came from the corner of the room. Leo turned his head with great difficulty.

He saw an old man with a long white beard, sitting while rolling tobacco. The man’s gaze was calm, yet held an extraordinary authority.

"Who are you?" Leo’s voice was hoarse, his throat dry as if burning.

"Call me Grandpa Toro. People around here call me crazy, but I know exactly who you are, Leo."

Leo was shocked. He tried to sit up, but the pain in his shoulder made him hiss in agony. Looking at his shoulder, he saw that his wound had been wrapped neatly and tightly with clean bandages. The bleeding had stopped.

"Don't move too much. The bullet only grazed the flesh, it didn't hit the bone. You're lucky you have thick skin and strong muscles," Toro said as he stood up and approached, bringing a glass of warm water.

"Where am I?"

"On the worst side of town. A nest for beggars and petty criminals. The safest place to hide, because no important person would ever bother coming here."

Leo swallowed hard. His mind began working rapidly. He was saved? By whom? And why?

"Why save me? Do you know who is hunting me? The Black Vipers family. If they find out you're hiding me, you and this place will be burned to the ground."

Toro chuckled softly, then sat on the edge of the bed.

"For thirty years I've lived here, I've seen many things. Twenty years ago, a kind-hearted young man saved my life from thugs at the market. That young man gave me money and food when I was starving to death."

Leo narrowed his eyes. "And...?"

"That young man... was you, Leo."

Leo froze. He tried to recall, and it was true. Back when he was just a boy starting to work, he often helped the poor without telling anyone. It was the remnants of kindness that hadn't yet been stripped away from him.

"So... this is you returning the favor?"

"Exactly. A debt of life must be repaid with life. But tonight, I saved you not just because of a debt."

Toro stared sharply into Leo’s eyes.

"I saw the fire in your eyes when they shot you earlier. You are not a man who surrenders easily. And I need someone to clean up the trash that has been roaming this city for far too long."

Leo clenched his fists tightly under the blanket. The pain was there, but the anger was far greater.

"Marco... Don Vito..." his teeth gritted in fury. "They think I'm dead. They think they've won."

"They won for tonight, boy. By tomorrow morning, the whole city will know that their best Underboss died due to treason. Your name will be stained as a traitor."

Leo lowered his head. The image of Sarah flashed through his mind.

Sarah... did she really choose Marco? Was she really there when they tried to kill me?

The heartache pierced deeper than any bullet wound.

"Grandpa..." Leo looked back at Toro, and this time, his expression had changed. There was no more sadness, no more doubt. All that remained was a cold, deadly emptiness.

"Give me a mirror."

Toro nodded, picked up a large shard of broken glass, and handed it to him.

Leo stared at his own reflection. His face was pale, bruised, and weak.

"This is no longer me," Leo whispered. "The kind-hearted Leo, the loyal Leo, the Leo who believed in brotherhood... he died back there, shot dead." He touched his own wound.

Meanwhile, at the Black Vipers Headquarters

The atmosphere was one of wild celebration. Loud music, flowing alcohol, and beautiful women everywhere.

Marco sat on the throne that once belonged to Don Vito, or rather... the throne that should have belonged to Leo. He held a tall crystal glass, staring at the large monitor in front of him.

On the screen, the news was highlighting a major story: "Underboss Leo Vorn Shot Dead After Selling Family Secrets."

All the news had been arranged. All evidence had been fabricated. Leo was now branded as the greatest traitor in the history of their organization.

"Good... very good," Marco muttered with a satisfied smile.

Beside him, Sarah sat looking beautiful yet pale and stiff. She wore an expensive dress and held a glass of wine, but her eyes were empty.

"Drink up, sweetheart. Why do you look so gloomy?" Marco asked, caressing her hair with his hand covered in diamond rings. "Our enemy is gone. Now we are free. Everything is ours."

Sarah forced a faint smile, a smile full of bitterness. "I'm just... shocked. I never thought Leo would really betray us and try to run away."

Marco laughed loudly. "What an i***t. People like him, when they see too much money, they lose their minds."

But inside, Sarah was crying. She didn't believe what the news said. She knew Leo wasn't that kind of man. But what could she do? She was now a prisoner with the status of a "beloved woman."

Suddenly, the door swung open violently. A subordinate ran in with a face pale as paper.

"Boss! Big trouble!"

Marco frowned, and the lively atmosphere instantly died down.

"What now?! Is this about Leo's body, which you still haven't found?!"

"No, Boss!" The subordinate swallowed hard. "We just checked the company accounts and the reserve weapons warehouse. The cash that was supposed to be in the safe is gone! And all the weapons stored in the secret locations have vanished!"

CRASH!

The glass in Marco's hand shattered into pieces as he slammed it to the floor. His face turned bright red with rage.

"What did you say?! Gone?!"

"Yes, Boss! It looks like... it looks like before last night's incident, Mr. Leo had already moved everything somewhere else!"

Marco stood frozen stiff. Blood trickled down from his palm, cut by the broken glass, but he felt no pain.

So... Leo didn't just leave empty-handed.

He took their entire treasure with him.

"Find his body!" Marco roared so loud the walls seemed to shake.

"I WANT HIS HEAD BEFORE SUNRISE! AND ANYONE WHO CAN BRING HIM TO ME, I WILL GIVE THEM 10 BILLION!"

The highest-level manhunt order was issued. The entire underworld now knew: Leo Vorn's head carried a massive price tag.

Back at the hideout.

Leo was cleaning an old firearm given to him by Grandpa Toro. His hands moved skillfully, despite the lingering pain.

"You really took all their assets before walking into the trap?" Toro asked in amazement.

Leo smiled slightly, a very cold smile.

"I'm not a child, Grandpa. A soldier's instinct told me something was wrong. So before I left, I moved all those 'toys' to a place Marco won't find even in a hundred years."

"So you knew you were going to be betrayed?"

"No. But I was ready if it ever happened."

Leo stood up, looking out the foggy window. The sky was turning pale, signaling that dawn was coming.

"They think I'm wounded and running scared. They've put a price on my head."

Leo spun a bullet between his fingers with expert ease.

"Let them. Let all the hungry wolves come and try their luck."

His eyes flashed fiercely.

"Because starting today... I am no longer the prey. I am the hunter."

Right after those words were spoken, his rarely used satellite phone suddenly rang. A call from an unknown number. Leo answered it calmly.