The Expense of my Desire.

Tiberio’s Point Of View

“You fools!” I roared, raising my gun and firing a shot straight into the ceiling.

The echo cracked through the room. The four men before me dropped to their knees, trembling like leaves in a storm. Fear cloaked their faces, their eyes wide, pleading for mercy they knew I rarely gave.

“We… we’re sorry, Don,” stammered Gerald, his voice quivering. “We ensured the coast was clear. The entire city knows not to be out by that hour, we—”

His pathetic explanation grated on my nerves, fueling the fire in my chest.

Rage clouded my judgment, a red haze blurring the edges of my vision. I didn’t care for excuses. Not now. Not ever.

My finger twitched, and without a second thought, I squeezed the trigger.

Bang. Bang.

The shots echoed through the room, sharp and final. Gerald’s eyes widened, shock freezing his features as blood trickled from his mouth, staining his chin crimson. He choked out a single word, barely audible. “Don…”

I stared into his fading gaze, unblinking. He couldn’t believe it—after years of loyalty, one mistake was all it took for me to end him.

But they all know. Tiberio DeVescori doesn’t grant mercy. Not for failure. Not for incompetence. Even in the slightest.

Perfection isn’t a request. It’s my religion.

I turned to the other three, their faces pale, their bodies frozen in terror. Not one dared to open their mouth again. Good. I let the silence stretch, heavy and suffocating, as I weighed their fates. Should I paint the floor with their blood too? Tempting, but wasteful.

“Get out,” I growled, my voice low and venomous. “Now!”

They scrambled to their feet, stumbling over each other like clumsy children, their boots scuffing the polished floor. “Imbeciles,” I muttered, rolling my eyes as they fled.

The door slammed shut, leaving me with Reid, my right-hand man, his two goons, and Gerald’s lifeless body sprawled across the floor. The metallic tang of blood hung in the air, sharp and familiar.

I waved a hand dismissively. “Get his body out of here and clean this mess.”

“Sì, Don,” Reid replied, his tone steady as always. The goons moved quickly, mopping up the blood and dragging Gerald’s corpse away, their movements efficient but cautious. They knew better than to linger in my presence.

Alone at last, I sank into my leather chair, the faint creak of it grounding me.

My office was a fortress of dark wood and steel, a reflection of my control. I let out a low grumble, my anger simmering but no longer boiling.

Work waited. I flipped open my laptop, the screen casting a cold glow across my face.

Carly West’s latest recruit list appeared on the screen. In twenty-four hours of being hired, she’d done what most couldn’t in weeks. A necessary gamble—and she delivered.

Damn, she was good. I’d chosen well when I put her in charge.

My fingers hovered over my phone, then tapped Elaine’s contact. The call connected instantly, as if she’d been clutching her phone, waiting for my voice.

“Don,” she breathed, her tone soft but alert.

“Carly West,” I said, my voice clipped. “Tell her I want to see her. Tonight.”

“Yes, Don.”

I was about to hang up when a thought sparked, sharp and insistent.

“The lady who sang with the veil last night. What’s her name?”

A pause, then Elaine’s voice returned, cautious.

“Alice. Alice Rodriguez.”

The name rang like an alarm in my ears. Familiar, yet elusive, like a half-remembered dream. “I’m specifically interested in her, Elaine. You know what to do.”

“Ye… yes, Don.” Her hesitation was faint, but I caught it.

I ended the call and leaned back, twirling my chair slowly, the motion soothing my restless mind.

“Alice Rodriguez,” I murmured, tasting the name. It danced on the edge of my memory, teasing me. Where had I heard it before?

A sharp knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.

My jaw tightened. Who the hell dared approach my office without clearance? I flicked on the surveillance feed, expecting an intruder, but it was Reid.

My brows furrowed. He’d disposed of Gerald’s body already? That was fast, even for him.

I pressed the button on my desk, and the heavy door slid open with a soft hiss.

Reid strode in, his face carved from stone, two guns tucked into his holster. The man looked ready for war.

“Going to battle?” I asked, arching a brow.

He shook his head and dropped into the chair across from me, his movements deliberate.

“Emily, Don Silas’s nurse, got in contact with me,” Reid informed, his tone careful.

When he mentioned my brother’s name, my entire body froze. Every thought, every distraction, vanished. Silas’s health was one of my top concerns.

“His health is deteriorating?” I asked, my voice tight.

He shook his head.

“No, Don. Apparently, he’s found a cure, and he wants your help with it.”

My brows furrowed.

“You just said Silas’s condition hasn’t gotten worse? The hell! I’m not a medical professional to provide a cure,” I snapped.

He chuckled.

“That’s not it, Don. It’s a woman. Nurse Emily mentioned how Silas reacted to the lady who sang with a veil last night. Seems her voice is his medicine.”

I swallowed hard, my fist clenching unconsciously.

No. Not her.

Her voice was angelic, and I wanted her melody all to myself.

But Silas…

“I need to speak to his neurologist to understand what this means,” I demanded, my voice steady despite the storm inside.

“I’ll send for him, Don.”

He bowed, rose, and left.

My jaw clenched so hard it felt like it might shatter.

“Silas, I want you to get well,” I murmured, “but not at the expense of my desire.”