Chapter 127: The Weight of the Fight
The final moments of the dinner felt almost surreal. Vincent Giovanni's calm, measured voice echoed through the grand dining hall, but my mind was already far away—calculating the risks, weighing the costs. The Giovanni family, a shadowy force in this city, had just marked me as their fighter in an underground deathmatch. The prototypes I'd come here for now seemed secondary to the game they were playing.
Vincent's smirk didn't falter as he raised his glass, his tone smooth as silk. "We'll make sure you're ready. But remember, Reynard, in this world, there's no room for second place. Do well, and the prototypes are yours."
I met his gaze and nodded. "I understand."
The rest of the team exchanged uneasy glances, but there was nothing more to be said. As we stood to leave, Vincent's eyes glinted, as if he knew exactly what was running through my head. "Good luck to you then. You'll need it."
I didn't respond. There was nothing more to add.
We were escorted from the mansion, the thick air of tension still hanging over us as the gates closed behind us. As the car drove off, I couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that I had just stepped into a game I didn't fully understand. Every move would need to be calculated. And this time, there wouldn't be a second chance.
The cabin in the woods was quiet—too quiet. The team had settled in around the worn wooden table, their faces grim. Milan was the first to break the silence, his eyes still scanning me like he was trying to read a map that kept changing its routes.
"I can't believe you actually agreed to this," Milan said, shaking his head. "You've fought before, but a mafia tournament? That's a whole new level."
"I'm not here for the glory, Milan. Just the tech," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. But beneath the calm, my mind was racing. This wasn't just about prototypes anymore. This was a dangerous game, one where the stakes were higher than I could have imagined.
Milan frowned, crossing his arms. "Even so, you don't have to do this. We could figure out another way."
"You heard Vincent," I replied. "This is the fastest way."