Who was Giovanni supposed to let go?

Why did Giovanni have the woman in the first place?

Did he kidnap someone else?

My stomach churned at the thought.

"Okay," I told him slowly. "I'm going right now; just don't hurt them, please."

I obeyed the psycho Russian before things got out of hand. I changed my mind. I was a literal superhero. The three idiots owe me after this.

I rushed up the stairs. I busted through Giovanni's room. Thankfully he was wearing pants. His shirt wasn't on, though. He held the fabric in his hands.

"What the fuck?" He shouted at me.

I cringed. I looked away from him. I had no time to be ashamed or embarrassed. There were special people in trouble downstairs.

"You have to come now," I informed him. "Your stupid gang members are being held hostage by the psycho Russian."

That sounded ridiculous coming out of my mouth. What has my life come to? I missed worrying about what I needed to wear to be popular.

Giovanni let out a miserable groan, throwing on a black shirt. I watched it fall onto his fit body. Why did he have to be so perfect?

He rushed down to see what the commotion was about. I followed not because I wanted to but because I hoped Giovanni would get his ass kicked secretly.

He needed something to straighten him out.

Of course, that was never going to happen to Giovanni.

Because what I saw down there was just another reminder of who Giovanni was.

"Get out now, princess. This is something you don't want to see, trust me," Giovanni said.

I saw Valeria sitting in a chair. Her back was slumped over. She looks like she was asleep.

She looked up.

My eyes widened at the sight of her.

What did he do?

How could he do something like this to a person?

"Are you kidding me? What are you doing to her?" I asked.

Valeria looked tired. Her eyes were stained with tears. Blood dripping from her hands. This reminded me of me when I first met Giovanni.

This could have been me.

I shivered in horror.

"Answer me now Giovanni, what are you doing to my best friend?"

"She's not your best friend she a fake. She was faking everything," Derrick said.

I never even noticed he came down here. But here he was, standing in the corner, calm about what is happening.

He knew her. He knew Valeria, and he let this happen.

He knew about this and what Giovanni was doing to her.

What am I saying? Of course, he knew about this. He was nothing but a liar ever since the very beginning.

I froze. We all froze when we heard Valeria let out a laugh. Her lips were in a smile, but her eyes held pain. Her face had pain.

"No, she isn't. You guys are ridiculous."

"Ask her then," Derrick urged. "Ask her about what good friends you guys are to each other."

"Friends?" Valeria chuckled sardonically. She looked at me. Her eyes were wide with desperation. "Did you seriously think I would be your friend after everything you put me through, Chanel? I was your shadow growing up. Everything was always about you." She sounded like a whole different person, and I didn't even recognize her. She wasn't the ditzy and dumb Valeria I once knew.

She had changed—a lot.

She had parted her hair differently. It was shorter, now more straight. Her eyes were dark, and she wore more eyeliner.

Her eyes were baggy and looked like she hadn't slept.

She raised her eyes to mine. Her lips pulled back into a smirk.

"Chanel this, Chanel that. I was sick of being there whenever you needed me. You were never there for me, and this is payback. You deserve every bad thing that has happened to you. You deserve to go to Hell."

My mouth fell.

I was angry that this was what she thought of me the whole time. She never spoke a word of this to me. I had no idea she felt this way. Valeria was supposed to be my best friend.

Maybe I wasn't the best of a friend.

"Do you want me to rip out another one of your nails?" Giovanni snarled.

Valeria shut her mouth.

"That's what I thought, so shut the fuck up before I kill you and your precious boyfriend over here who thinks he could take me down."

"He could take you down," Valeria snarled. She tried to bit her tongue, but she had a lot to say to Giovanni. Right now and she was angry.

Giovanni looked at Aleksei. He kneeled to Valeria. His eyes widened at the sight of her. He took her hand, the one without the nail.

"You disturbing son of a bitch," Aleksei shouted.

I gasped. My hands were covering my mouth. I felt a metallic taste in my mouth. He did that. Giovanni tortured her. My stomach churned.

I looked at Giovanni, who was staring at me.

"No one makes a fool out of me," he said dangerously low, "and gets away with it."

He never stopped contact with my eyes. He was staring at me while he said every word. I feel uncomfortable under his gaze.

He turned to Aleksei. "Follow me; we have a business to discuss."

He turned around. He strolled away. His posture was straight and professional.

I thought he changed.

All I could think about was that this could have been me when we first met. Of worse, my hand would have been cut.

I couldn't even look at him without the first time we met flashing through my eyes. Him killing that man in cold terror only because of money.

I never realized how terrible he could be. This was the worst I've ever seen him.

I was not too fond of the control he had over my feelings. I hated how easy he makes everything look. How easy he could take a life and not be haunted by it for the rest of his life.

But that's how he was made.

That's how he was raised to be.

A monster.

That was lurking in the shadows, just waiting for the next prey to pounce on.

To rip apart with just his teeth.

To devour until there is nothing left of its existence in the world.

That's what he does best.

He was a monster.

Giovanni slammed the door in the basement room shut. Aleksei was sitting at the table waiting. Patiently.

He stood up. He was squared up to Giovanni. His head held up high.

He said

"How about this? One bullet in the gun, and we shoot the gun back and forth at each other. Whoever is the last man standing gets the other man's fortune," Aleksei ordered. "And if I win, you set Valeria free."

Giovanni narrowed his eyes.

"If Chanel doesn't kill her first," Giovanni pointed out.

"I already have all the fortune I could wish for. How about whoever lives immediately gets all the other's business, men. Just go straight to the big stuff might as well carry on your legacy," Giovanni said, "which would eventually be mine."

Aleksei hesitated. His shoulders stiff. His eyes were blank and void of emotion. He was another cold mafia boss just like Giovanni.

"Let's start," Aleksei boomed.

Aleksei got out his gun swiftly from his back pocket. He handed it to Giovanni. "You first."

Giovanni glared at Aleksei.

"There is one bullet in the gun. You have my word," Aleksei said.

Giovanni scoffed. "I'd be damned if I took an enemy's word for a clean shot of my death."

Giovanni let out a snarl. His lips curled in irritation. He watched as Aleksei pulled out the bottom of the gun open and showed the barrel with one bullet of ammunition in the cartridge.

Giovanni took the gun from Aleksei.

He flipped the barrel of the gun towards him a clicking sound echoed through the room. The safety was off. He spun the cylinder once. Twice. There was no going back now.

He pointed the gun at himself. The cold muzzle was meeting the side of his forehead.

"Fine, I'll go first," Giovanni said. His voice came out calm and collected. As if he was sure the gun wouldn't shoot him. He muttered under his breath, "pussy."

Twenty percent chance he would get the shot with the one bullet in it.

Giovanni tightened his grip on the handle of the firearm. His hand was slightly shaking. He gave one last look at Aleksei before pressing the trigger.

Nothing.

Giovanni didn't even flinch. Not an inch of movement of his arm when he shot the gun. He didn't even seem fazed.

He couldn't get his hopes up. It wasn't over yet. There was still a chance the gun could shoot a lethal shot at him.

Even though he never feared it, he didn't want to die, especially over something so careless like a lame game of Russian roulette.

He shoved the revolver in the palm of Aleksei's hand hard.

There were beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Aleksei looked nervous. He looked scared, even. Giovanni could tell.

Aleksei gulped. There is a one-fifth chance the gun will shoot Aleksei this time.

He shot it.

Nothing once again.

Aleksei sighed in relief.

Giovanni sat down in the chair. His elbows on the small table. He pointed the gun at himself again. He was bored at how repetitive this game gets.

He fired again. The cylinder jolted, but no bullet came out of it.

If was Aleksei's turn once again, similarly to the last time he pointed the gun at himself, only this time he stood up. He paced around anxiously. Aleksei's hand shook violently.

He was terrified. Giovanni could practically feel his state. Giovanni felt pleasure in his situation because, unlike Aleksei, Giovanni had nothing to lose.

Giovanni stared intently, waiting for the gun to shoot. Aleksei's finger hovered over the trigger before he went for it.

Pop!

The same noise escaped into the empty room. There was no one near. No one to hear the silent scream that escaped Aleksei's lips. He was nothing like a strong Mafia boss. He was a coward, scared of a little gunplay.

It was his idea, after all.

Giovanni grabbed the gun. He hand clutching the gun. He wanted this to be over already—two more chances. Two more spots in the cylinder, and one of them was full.

Fifty-fifty chance. It could be him or Aleksei.

He could be shot dead. The bullet straight through his skull. The gun would still smoke from the hot impact.

Or it could be Aleksei. The one dead. The one succumbed to the Earth's cruel intentions.

Giovanni couldn't care. He fought too hard to be worried about a single game—a game of life or death.

All he could do now is hope.

Something he had rarely done since every time he hoped for something, it was taken away from him.

There was a feeling in his stomach, something he hadn't felt in a while. It only came when he was in the presence of Chanel. His stomach would flutter, and he didn't know how to control it.

It could be his nerves or the fact that he wouldn't see Chanel again if this is the bullet that will end his life.

It was the same old routine. He held the trigger, his finger lingering for sometime before finally deciding to push down.

Once he did. He barely flinched. He was used to it by now. His hand pulled back from the force the gun made.

This time the gun wasn't pointed at Giovanni.

It was shot at Aleksei. There he was, a single bullet wound punctured through his forehead.

Giovanni had a bad feeling about this shot, and he was right.

This would have killed him if he hadn't followed his gut feeling.

Giovanni sighed. At least that was death with.

Now Derrick, Giovanni and his gang could be in peace from Aleksei and all the power and money he took from them.

He thought it would end with him.

But it began.

He stepped over Aleksei's still-warm body. He turned the knob whipping the door open.

His blood boiled. His nails dug onto the palm of his hand at the sight ahead of him.

Derrick on the floor ultimately passed out.

The restraints on the floor below the chair. The chair was empty. The room was left with a lingering silence.

Chanel was gone.

She was missing.

And so was Valeria.