Page 168 of Malicious Claim

Leila narrowed her eyes, her grip firm around the pistol. "You understand my reason? Enlighten me."

"Revenge has a way of blurring the lines. You start believing that the enemy of your enemy is your ally, but experience has taught me otherwise. Sometimes, enemies forge the strongest bonds or it's wiser to avoid the crossroads altogether."

"The devil you know still burns you in the end."

"Burns, yes. But sometimes, fire is the only way to cleanse."

Leila smiled bitterly. She wished she didn't have to take his life but what choice did she have. As she struggled to reconcile with what she must do, Dario spoke again.

"You're surviving the only way you know how," Dario said simply. "You don't want to do this. I can see it in your eyes. But if you don't, Vincenzo will know. He'll smell the hesitation on you like blood in the water. And hesitation gets you killed."

Leila flinched. She knew he was right. She had already made a mistake but it was too late for regret. If she left here without doing what she came for, she might as well dig her own grave.

Dario leaned forward slightly, wincing from the effort. "But let me ask you something—what do you fear?"

The question made her bristle. "Nothing."

"Liar," Dario murmured, shaking his head. "You fear walking down this path though you were born into it. You fear waking up one day and realizing you crossed the line so many times, you can't even see it anymore."

Leila's jaw clenched. She had blood on her hands but only when it was necessary. Self defence, protecting her loved ones. So, she truly feared becoming a monster.

Dario's lips curled into a knowing smile. "You're hesitating, which means you're still human. But that won't last. Kill me now, and the next one will be easier. And the next. And the next. Until one day, you wake up and realize you've turned into everything you hate."

Leila's grip tightened on the pistol.

A noise outside—gravel shifting beneath approaching footsteps.

Nicolai.

She had seconds to decide. She exhaled, steadying herself. "You talk too much."

Dario simply nodded. "I always have."

Leila pulled the trigger.

The gun whispered, the silencer muffling the shot. Dario jerked slightly, a small red bloom appearing on his chest. His lips parted in a quiet exhale, and he slumped back in his chair. His book slipped from his lap, pages fluttering as it hit the ground.

Leila stared at him for a long moment, her pulse hammering in her ears. There was no satisfaction, no rush of triumph. Just a hollow ache.

The door creaked open behind her. Nicolai stepped in, his gaze flicking from her to Dario's lifeless form. "Clean. Quick. No hesitation."

She swallowed the lump in her throat, nodding. "It's done."

Nicolai smirked. "Good. Let's go."

Leila followed him out, the weight of the gun still heavy in her hand. As she stepped over the threshold, she glanced back one last time. Dario Conti sat motionless, eyes closed, a peacefulexpression on his face, as if he had been waiting for this moment all along.

She turned away and shut the door behind her.

The night swallowed them whole.

Chapter Sixty One

Greece.

Mario pulled into the Cretes' private hangar, the cavernous interior swallowing the roar of the car's engine. He stopped in front of a silver jet with its door flung open.

Susi, a female engineer, stood by the nose of the aircraft, clipboard tight in her grip, her face pinched and businesslike. She barely gave Mario a passing look as he approached.