Page 272 of Niccolo

He’s fighting for all the others…

And the women they love.

Tears streamed down Fausto’s face.

“No,” he pleaded with the screen. “No, please…”

“YOU SWORE ON YOUR SOUL!”Aurelio screamed.

The coldness and fury in Massimo’s voice chilled me to the bone:

“Then I’ll see you in hell.”

Aurelio screamed again –

And then the scream faded, as though it was moving rapidly away –

Until it was cut short with aTHUD.

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Fausto collapsed to his knees and bitterly wept.

I didn’t know what to do.

Even though I normally despised my boss, I felt terrible for him that he’d witnessed that.

IhatedAurelio –

Especially after he punched Lucia and then used her as a human shield –

But his death had shaken me to my very core.

I couldn’t imagine what it would do to a father listening to the death of his son.

I muted the audio again as Fausto sobbed, but I continued to watch.

I couldn’t look away.

Massimo cut Lucia loose…

But his hands were visibly shaking. He looked incredibly weak.

So weak, in fact, that he collapsed against one of the pillars of the bell tower and slumped to the ground.

Lucia screamed and rushed to his side. She grabbed his hands and began shouting for help, though her screams were silent with the audio muted.

Massimo took out an earpiece and dropped it weakly on the floor. Then, through half-closed eyes, he smiled at Lucia and said something.

She cradled his face in her hands as tears streamed down her cheeks.

It looked like they were saying tender things to one another. Lucia cried even harder.

A moment later, Adriano staggered up the stairs.

As soon as he saw his brother, he rushed over, a tortured look on his face, and began applying pressure to one of Massimo’s wounds.

Lucia kissed Massimo and looked like she was pleading with him through her tears.

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