Owned By The Mafia King She Betrayed

C7— Circle Of Traitors

~KAEL MORETTI~

Ferdinard was dead.

After an entire day of deliberation, I finally put a bullet through his skull. And for the first time in a very long time, pulling the trigger had felt different.

Killing had never weighed on my conscience. I was no saint. My hands were stained with the blood of enemies, traitors, and anyone foolish enough to stand in my way. But Ferdinard's death was different. Not because he hadn't deserved it. He had. But because he had once been family.

Family had always been everything to me.

In our world, some would argue that prioritizing family was foolish. Power came at a cost, and to keep it, you had to be completely ruthless, selfish and trust no one. They believed affection made us weak. A Don should never have any ties that made him weak.

But I disagreed.

And that belief cost me everything eight years ago.

Two nights ago, it almost cost me everything again.

When I built the Green Veil from an underground fighting ring, I had only one purpose—to create a family. A brotherhood. A syndicate where loyalty wasn't bought through fear alone, but earned through respect. It was what set it apart from the other crime syndicates. Men followed me because I looked after them, because they knew I'd bleed for them just as they'd bleed for me.

My inner circle—Lincoln, Ryker, Grayson, and Ferdinard—were the men I trusted above everyone else. Men I would've bled for without hesitation.

Now, one of them lay in the pool of his own blood, executed for his betrayal.

One thing you could always count on men to do was change.

Especially when greed entered the equation.

********

I lifted my eyes to the three men seated across the table from me.

Lincoln met my stare without flinching. Ryker remained as unreadable as ever, while Grayson leaned casually against the table, looking as though nothing in the world could unsettle him.

To anyone else, they looked exactly as they always had. But I knew better now.

Ferdinard's betrayal had taught me one thing. The enemy wasn't always outside your walls.

Sometimes, he sat across the table from you.

And over the past twenty-four hours, I had every reason to believe that two of the three men before me were working with my enemies. I was certain of it. They were traitors pretending to be brothers, lacking the courage to come out into the open.

"Every traitor gets what he deserves," I began, my voice cutting through the silence. "Brother or not, Ferdinard chose his own path. That path came with consequences. Mourn him if you wish, but understand this—there will be plenty more for anyone who decides to follow in his footsteps."

"You believe there are more traitors among us?" Grayson asked.

Without answering, I slid the thick file across the polished table. It stopped in front of Lincoln.

He opened it for all three to see.

Photographs spilled across the table—two destroyed Green Veil warehouses, three guards lying dead in pools of blood, hijacked trucks, and missing shipments worth millions.

"I am saying these attacks weren't carried out by our enemies alone," I said. "There is only one way Green Veil can be threatened."

My gaze drifted from one man to the next. "And that is from within."

Silence settled over the room. None of them argued because they knew I was right.

Even Rudolf Monroe had understood that years ago. That was why he'd sent his daughter into my life eight years earlier, to worm her way into my world and uncover my secrets.

"Ferdinard was clever," I continued. "But he wasn't clever enough to orchestrate this alone."

My eyes settled on Lincoln.

"There is someone else." I paused. "Or perhaps more."

"We should root them out before they strike again," Lincoln said at last.

A faint smile touched my lips. "Oh, I intend to."

I pushed away from the table and slowly rose to my feet.

"My patience over the years may have convinced some people that I've grown soft." I clasped my hands behind my back. "Perhaps they've forgotten exactly who I am." I said.

"I'd be more merciful on an enemy who declares himself openly, than one who disguises himself as a friend." I stated a clear warning.

Below us, the club was already crowded and alive. The thick glass walls muted the noise but offered a perfect view of everything happening beneath us.

"We'll do whatever it is you wish, boss. We stand with you." Grayson said, his voice steady.

Unlike the others, Grayson had never been difficult to read. Whatever the man thought was written plainly across his face.

Lincoln and Ryker, on the other hand, were different. They'd become careful around me ever since my return. They were more calculated in their dealings now. The warmth that had once existed between us had long since been replaced by caution. I had no doubt they resented my return, but neither of them was in a position to challenge my authority.

"Especially now," Ryker said. "Refusing to merge with the Uno Conglomerate means Theodore will bring his army to our doorstep sooner rather than later."

"Which explains why he wanted me dead," I replied. "A dead Don leaves an empty seat. Empty seats are easy to fill."

"No one here can replace your seat," Grayson said immediately.

"The men answer to you," Ryker added.

"And they'll continue to," Lincoln said. "Whatever comes, we stand behind you."

I smiled.

Betrayal was a fascinating thing. It sat beside you, laughed with you, drank with you, and swore loyalty with one hand while sharpening a knife behind its back with the other.

"Theodore has requested one final meeting," Grayson continued. "He wants one last chance to convince you to bring Green Veil under the Uno Conglomerate. Refuse..." He paused. "...and he'll take it as a declaration of war."

I nodded. I looked forward to that meeting. After what he'd had his men, Vincent and Ferdinard, do two nights ago, it was only fair that I returned the favour.

I turned toward the glass overlooking the club below. Two familiar figures stepped into view.

The first was a redheaded woman. Her name was Maeve, one of my most loyal enforcers and my sharpest blade.

Like Rio, I'd found Maeve years ago in the underground fighting ring after she'd been abandoned by one foster home after another. I took her in when no one else would. Years later, she'd become one of the deadliest assassins in Green Veil.

My attention shifted to the woman walking beside her.

Valentina.

Still alive and breathing. A privilege I was beginning to question. I could have killed her the moment I laid my hands on her at the airport. But a quick death was mercy, and mercy was the last thing she deserved. The only thing that would satisfy me was her suffering.

Making her work for me as a courtesan was one way to ensure that.

She stood among the other new courtesans, though her circumstances were nothing like theirs. They had chosen to work for Green Veil and were paid handsomely for it. Valentina hadn't been given that choice. She was here to repay a debt—one she'd soon discover had no end.

Maeve had followed my instructions precisely. Fitted black leather pants. A revealing jeweled top. A silver mask. Black angel wings.

She looked tense. Even from this distance, I could see the fear clinging to her.

Good.

I wanted her afraid and filled with dread. It was only the beginning of what I had in store for her.

For years she'd haunted my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her walking away while my world burned, while I was being destroyed.

She wasn't beyond my reach anymore. She was exactly where I wanted her to be. She was mine to do with as I pleased. Every breath she drew now existed because I allowed it. That thought alone pleased something dark within me.

Without another word, I left the room.

By the time I reached the club floor, the lights around the central podium had dimmed.

Maeve stood near the stage, overseeing the introductions while the announcer welcomed each new courtesan.

One after the other, they stepped forward to roars, cheers, and showers of cash thrown by eager men.

Then the announcer raised a hand, silencing the room. "And now..." A smile curved her lips.

"Some of you may already know her." The crowd grew silent as Valentina was ushered onto the stage. "Permit me to reintroduce one of Paragon's finest... Wildflower."

The reaction was immediate, the entire club erupting in loud cheers. Men surged closer to the stage, calling out her name as though welcoming back an old favorite.

She was even more popular among the men than I'd anticipated.

As the cheers grew louder, her eyes found mine from across the room. Even behind the silver mask, I could see the dread etched across her face.

One by one, the men who'd shown interest in her began approaching me, ready to bid for the chance to be the first to f**k her that night.