Chapter 247: "The Ultimate Showdown"

The Black Wolf was more intimidating in person than Aren had anticipated. When she entered the meeting room, the first thing she noticed was his size.

He stood beside Lucilla Bellini, looking almost twice as broad as the woman next to him, with sharp, foreign features and the imposing build of someone who’d spent years developing his strength for more than appearances.

Lucilla, meanwhile, looked rather worse than when Aren had last seen her. The skin beneath her eyes had darkened, and the eyes themselves were red with exhaustion.

Whatever difficulties House Bellini had been enduring, they appeared to have cost its heiress a considerable amount of sleep. Yet the moment Jeremiah entered behind Aren, those tired eyes became positively murderous.

"My goodness, Lucilla, darling!"

Jeremiah looked her up and down with delighted surprise.

"I don’t recall ever being quite this happy to see you again! I’ve spent the past several weeks worrying that you might disappear without a trace, only to turn up somewhere in one of Moretti’s sewage channels. Imagine my relief!"

Lucilla’s face twisted with rage.

"You lunatic fucker!"

Her heel struck the floor with a sharp click as she lunged toward him, fingers curled like claws and teeth bared in fury.

"I’m going to kill you right here and now for everything you’ve made me endure!"

Fortunately for Jeremiah’s handsome face, Hezekiah and Zachariah had anticipated her reaction. Both brothers moved at once, catching Lucilla by her dress and pulling her back before her nails could reach their intended target.

"Oh, no, no, Lucilla, my dear," Hezekiah soothed, patting her reassuringly. "There’s no need to get so upset. Jeremiah’s only joking. You know how he is. Always making jokes, isn’t he?"

"That’s right, darling," Zachariah added hurriedly. "We have important business to discuss today, remember? Let’s not jeopardize our common goal over a child, all right?"

That remark caught Jeremiah’s interest. He turned toward Zachariah with an inquisitive smile.

"Important business? What sort of important business could possibly require both my dear older brothers to visit me together?"

"Why, the sort of business that’ll make our family a hell of a lot of money and please our parents tremendously," Zachariah replied with a casual shrug.

"Exactly," Hezekiah agreed, recovering his confidence now that Lucilla had stopped trying to attack Jeremiah. "Zachariah and I were thinking that perhaps we could organize a special event involving both our clubs. A showdown unlike anything our audiences have ever witnessed."

"A showdown?" Jeremiah repeated, looking almost charmed by the suggestion.

"The Ultimate Showdown, to be precise," Lucilla corrected.

She straightened her dress and stepped forward, having finally recovered enough composure to remember she was the heiress of House Bellini.

"Your Swan Queen has been calling herself undefeated, hasn’t she? But I can’t help wondering whether that’s simply because she’s spent the past few weeks beating up amateurs. I’m terribly curious to see what would happen if she finally faced a real professional."

"Oh, nothing quite so competitive as that!" Hezekiah interjected, waving a hand as though Lucilla had made the proposal sound unnecessarily hostile. "Since we both happen to have acquired excellent fighters, I simply thought we could give our guests a wonderful opportunity to spend their money. A little showdown between the two stars, with the profits split fifty-fifty between our clubs. Surely you love making a hell of a lot of money, don’t you, brother?"

Neither Lucilla’s deliberate provocation nor Hezekiah’s clumsy attempt to make the proposal sound friendly was enough to disturb Jeremiah’s smile. He regarded them with his usual warmth, although his thoughts were considerably less pleasant.

’These little snakes really can’t stop finding new ways to bite, can they?’

The proposal itself wasn’t entirely unappealing. A match between the Swan Queen and the Black Wolf would draw an extraordinary audience.

Both fighters had already established reputations for accomplishing things ordinary cage fighters could scarcely imagine, and the prospect of seeing them face each other would almost certainly send ticket demand soaring.

Jeremiah knew that better than anyone.

In fact, he’d considered arranging such a match more than once, long before Aren had brought up the idea or his brothers had walked into the room.

Every time, he’d dismissed it.

"It’s a wonderful proposal," he said, his smile widening. "Unfortunately, I’m afraid I’ll have to—"

"Wait."

The interruption came from the largest man in the room. The Black Wolf, who’d remained silent throughout the exchange, stepped forward and extended a hand toward Jeremiah.

"Before you reject the arrangement, Mister Castellano," he said with surprising courtesy, "please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rovan Drask. I’m rather new around here, as you can probably tell. But would you mind allowing me a few words with your fighter, the Swan Queen?"

Jeremiah glanced at the offered hand before looking up at the man himself.

Rovan Drask was even larger than he’d appeared in the fight footage. His shoulders were exceptionally broad, and the scars Aren had noticed in the recordings were much more apparent in person.

Yet despite his intimidating physique, there was something unexpectedly courteous about his manner.

After years of dealing with all manner of dangerous and complicated people in Borgata, Jeremiah had developed a reasonable instinct for those who required immediate caution. Strangely enough, Rovan didn’t inspire that response.

He seemed perfectly respectful.

Jeremiah accepted the handshake.

"A pleasure to meet you, Rovan Drask," he replied pleasantly. Then he turned toward Aren. "My dear, it seems this charming gentleman would like a word with you. Would you mind entertaining him?"

Aren shook her head.

"I don’t mind."

She stepped forward and offered Rovan her hand with equal courtesy.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mister Drask. I’m Ariana Lombardi. I’ve watched footage of your fights. You’re an excellent fighter."

Rovan shook her hand firmly, looking pleased by both the compliment and her welcoming manner.

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Lombardi. In truth, I was about to say the same."

He released her hand, his expression growing thoughtful.

"I watched your fifteen-man fight. Your timing was impressive. You always seemed to know which opponent would move before he actually did."

Aren’s eyes brightened.

"Thank you! I noticed something similar in your fights. You seem very comfortable dealing with several opponents at once, even when they approach from different directions."

Rovan nodded appreciatively.

"That’s kind of you to notice. Experience teaches you not to give one opponent all your attention when there are others nearby."

"Exactly," Aren agreed. "Otherwise, you create an opening for someone behind you. I was impressed by how consistently you avoided doing that."

Nearby, Jeremiah watched their conversation with a peculiar mixture of bewilderment and irritation.

’...Why are they hitting it off so well?’

He’d expected them to recognize something familiar in each other’s techniques. Both were exceptionally capable fighters, after all.

What he hadn’t expected was for a former military operative to converse so naturally with a woman whose public history consisted largely of fashionable parties, cameras, and scandals.

’She’s... into these sorts of topics?’

He found himself wondering, not for the first time, just how much he still didn’t know about this young woman he’d risked revealing so much of himself to. He was also becoming increasingly annoyed, although he couldn’t quite justify the feeling.

Hezekiah, meanwhile, was positively delighted by the development.

"Now, look at that!" he exclaimed, stepping forward to pat both fighters on the arm. "We’re already seeing some excellent mutual understanding here, aren’t we?"

He turned toward Aren, his tone becoming more inviting.

"What do you say, then, Miss Lombardi? Since the two of you are getting along so well, would you consider a little showdown with him?"

Aren glanced toward Jeremiah.

He was watching her with an expression she couldn’t quite interpret, although she clearly remembered what he’d told her about the Black Wolf earlier.

He hadn’t liked the idea of her fighting him. In fact, he’d advised her against it rather strongly.

Still, the proposal represented an excellent opportunity, and she could hardly ignore that.

"Mister Castellano, would it be all right if I accepted this offer? I’m sure it would be a wonderful opportunity to make a lot of money for our club. And if I win, it should benefit my reputation as well."

Jeremiah regarded her silently.

An unpleasant feeling had settled in his chest, and he found himself unable to dismiss it.

’I don’t like this idea at all.’

His brothers hadn’t come here out of generosity, and Lucilla Bellini certainly hadn’t accompanied them because she wanted to contribute to his success.

Even setting their motives aside, Rovan’s background presented a danger Jeremiah wasn’t prepared to overlook.

Whatever its cause, the unpleasant feeling refused to go away. But another problem was more pressing.

’...Would she be upset if I refused?’

He studied her expression.

Her brows were drawn slightly together, and her lips were pressed into a thin line. It was the same expression she often wore whenever he proposed an idea so ridiculous that even he knew better, simply to see what sort of cute, annoyed face she would make.

’Yep.’

’She probably would.’

After another moment’s consideration, his familiar smile returned as though he’d been delighted with the suggestion from the beginning.

"Well, I suppose we’re about to witness the first-ever Castellano Club showdown," he announced brightly. "Although I would prefer to host the event at my club, if you don’t mind. Not that I find your establishment anything less than charming, dear brother, but I simply adore playing host."

Hezekiah was quick to agree.

"Of course! What other branch could possibly compare to yours in magnificence? It’ll be a wonderful opportunity for you to see Jeremiah’s establishment for yourself, won’t it, Black Wolf?"

"Certainly. I look forward to it," Rovan answered with a firm nod. "And I’m looking forward to our fight, Miss Lombardi. I suppose we’ll be seeing each other again soon?"

"Of course," Aren replied politely. "I hope to see you in the cage soon, Mister Drask."

With the final pleasantries exchanged, Hezekiah’s party took its leave.

Rovan departed ahead of the others to return to the club, while Hezekiah, Zachariah, and Lucilla made their way toward the garage together.

Of the three, Hezekiah perhaps had the greatest reason to be pleased, yet Lucilla looked even more delighted than either brother.

Throughout most of their meeting, she’d struggled to conceal her hatred for Jeremiah. Now, with the encounter safely behind them, she seemed unable to contain her satisfaction.

"God, did you see his face when I said the Ultimate Showdown?"

She burst into laughter.

"He was trying so hard to keep smiling! I bet he was already imagining how miserable he’ll be when his precious Swan Queen loses!"

Hezekiah laughed.

"Oh, believe me, none of us missed it."

Zachariah moved a little closer to her side.

"And we have you to thank for it, Lady Lucilla. A truly brilliant suggestion."

"Can you imagine how much of his audience Jeremiah will lose once the Swan Queen is defeated by the Black Wolf?" Hezekiah added, his manner growing more charming. "I can practically see next month’s financial figures improving already."

Lucilla looked positively radiant.

She was so pleased by their enthusiasm that she scarcely noticed how closely the two men were walking beside her.

"Oh, gentlemen, when that happens, don’t forget your promise to protect Bellini territory against House Moretti. Without your help, I might genuinely have ended up in one of those wretched sewage channels Jeremiah was so eager to mention!"

"Why, Lucilla, we’d protect you even if you weren’t helping us," Hezekiah replied sweetly, making little attempt to conceal the fascination with which he regarded her.

"Of course," Zachariah agreed, lightly touching her arm. "We’ve known each other for years, haven’t we? Just imagine what we’d be willing to do for you if we were a little closer than we are now."

Lucilla slowed her steps.

Only then did she fully register that the conversation had become considerably less professional.

She’d known for years that both Castellano brothers were attracted to her. Neither had ever been particularly subtle about it, and she’d never truly minded the attention.

Under ordinary circumstances, she might have enjoyed their flirting without encouraging anything further, but her circumstances were hardly ordinary these days.

The Bellinis had suffered one disaster after another, and her family’s position had become increasingly precarious. Hezekiah and Zachariah were among the few people currently willing to offer meaningful protection against House Moretti.

While she’d once found Jeremiah Castellano fascinating, he’d never offered her much beyond polite conversation and superficial charm.

Now, the mere thought of him made her sick. Perhaps fucking his two older brothers instead wouldn’t be such a terrible idea.

"Oh, gentlemen," Lucilla said, her smile turning warmer. "I happen to have several ideas about how the three of us might become much closer."

Both brothers stopped walking.

Hezekiah was the first to smile.

"And what brilliant ideas would those be, my dear Lucilla?"

"Have you heard about those private pleasure clubs that have become so popular in Leone District lately?" she murmured suggestively. "I’ve never seriously considered visiting one myself, but after all the stress my family’s been through recently... I think I could really use somewhere to relax and enjoy myself."

She looked between the two men, plainly enjoying their attention.

"What do you say, gentlemen?"