Chapter 2 Collateral

**Stefano's POV**

I pulled the collar of my coat up tight against the biting cold as I stepped outside the house. Winter had arrived in full force, and the night air stung my face.

I took a long drag from my cigarette, letting the smoke fill my lungs, but it did nothing to ease the tension in my chest.

Headlights suddenly flashed through the darkness. A car with a shattered windshield skidded to a halt in front of me. Two of my men jumped out, their faces pale and eyes darting around nervously as if they were searching for an escape.

John dropped to his knees, trembling so hard I thought he might collapse. "Boss... please... We messed up. We didn't mean for this to happen. It just..." His words were rushing out.

I didn't move. I just let the cigarette burn down between my fingers while I took in their panic.

"Spit it out! What are you actually talking about?"

Enzo stepped forward, breathless and anxious. "It... It was the job with the girl. Everything was going as planned until she..." He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "She pulled a gun and started shooting at us."

My jaw clenched so tightly it hurt, and I could feel anger bubbling up inside me. "Go on," I said, not trusting myself to say more.

"We panicked," he stammered, his voice cracking. "So we shot back, just to scare her, I swear. She swerved, and then..." He swallowed, his eyes wide. "We hit her tire, and the car went out of control. We didn't mean it, boss, we didn't." His face twisted, as if he were about to cry.

I took a step closer, locking eyes with him. "Is she alive?"

Neither man spoke. They only exchanged fearful glances.

I reached for my gun, the sound of it being cocked cutting through the silence. "I'll ask one more time. Is she alive?"

John's voice shook with fear. "Boss... I don't know. We panicked after the crash and left the scene. We came straight back here to report to you..."

I didn't hesitate; the decision was instant. I pulled the trigger. John fell without another word.

"No! Please, boss! Please..." Enzo cried out, dropping to his knees, shaking violently. "It was an accident!"

I stepped forward and crouched in front of him, looking him directly in the eyes. He was trembling with terror.

"I trusted you with a simple task," I whispered, my voice dangerously calm. "You were only supposed to damage her car enough to send a clear message to Armando Castellano. Enough to make him afraid. Did I ever give you orders to touch the girl?"

"No, boss," Enzo sobbed, tears streaming down his face. "Please... it was a mistake, boss. Show mercy. I beg you."

"Mercy?" I said quietly, rising to my full height. "Mercy is reserved for those who follow orders without question."

I turned to Luca, my most trusted man, who had been watching everything in silence. "Take him to the holding room. Let him spend the night praying that the girl survives. If she dies..." I looked back at Enzo, letting the full weight of my words sink in, "then you will face the full consequences of your failure."

"Yes, boss," Luca replied.

My men grabbed Enzo by the arms and began dragging him toward the house. His desperate begging grew fainter as they moved away.

Before he disappeared inside, I called out one final question. "Where exactly did you leave her?"

"Via Pontaccio in the Brera district," he cried out. "Near Spazio Pontaccio."

I fumbled for another cigarette, my hands trembling so much I nearly dropped it. This operation was meant to be clean, a simple warning shot to the daughter of Armando Castellano for what he had done to my father. No one was supposed to get hurt. Now everything was complicated.

"Luca," I ordered, "call emergency services. Report an accident on Via Pontaccio. Do it anonymously."

Luca nodded and made the call without hesitation. Once he was done, I crushed the cigarette under my shoe.

"Let's go."

We got into the car and followed at a distance. I remained silent, staring out the window with my jaw clenched, my hand resting on the gun in my lap.

We parked on a side road with a clear view, staying out of sight, as I watched to see where the ambulance would go so I could determine which hospital they'd take her to.

The girl was merely leverage, a tool to shake Armando Castellano, the man responsible for my father's death. My goal was to instill fear, not grief.

Elena Castellano's car was badly damaged, with crumpled metal and broken glass everywhere. I saw them carefully pull her from the wreckage and place her on a stretcher. Even from this distance, she looked deathly pale, with blood visible on her clothes.

"Oh no..." I muttered under my breath. My chest tightened with unease.

This wasn't the plan.

I had partnered with Raffaele Lorusso for a calculated move, not this.

"You can't die tonight," I whispered, gripping the gun tighter.

If she died, everything would change. Her father would come for blood, and my carefully constructed path to revenge would be destroyed before it even began.

I was definitely not ready for that. Not yet.

Luca stood beside me, his face calm, but his body was tense. "What do we do now, boss?"

I kept my eyes on the ambulance as its doors slammed shut. "Follow them."

We jumped back into the car. The tires screeched as we pulled onto the road behind the ambulance. I stared straight ahead, my jaw hurting, as my thoughts raced so fast I couldn't catch any of them.

"You're not supposed to die," the thought screamed inside my head. I clenched my hands into tight fists until the sharp pain of my nails digging into my palms was all I could feel.

I have plans for you.

If you die, my revenge fails.