Chapter 25: Chapter 25 A drama queen.
Daniel cast an agonizing look at himself and the crew before attempting to walk out.
He was done with this place, done with the goddamn rules. If anyone dared to stop him again, they were finished.
"Used up whore. Haven’t you learned your lesson?" Titania’s jabbing remark sliced through the air and stilled his entire senses, halting his steps.
Daniel turned and met Adrian’s twisted stare — a look that relished in his suffering.
Then, before their stunned eyes, Daniel did something unexpected. He began catwalking back to the dining arena, his boots striking with lethal rhythm. Stopping at Titania’s seat, he slammed his foot down furiously on hers. The poor girl let out a loud, deafening scream as her legs were crushed beneath the iron bars of his boots.
"Stop it! Have you gone mad, you son of a nobody?!" Titania shrieked at the top of her lungs, still screeching. Daniel answered her by landing six consecutive slaps across her cheeks, each one harder than the last, until she stumbled and fell backward with her chair crashing beneath her.
Cassian, Alex, and Cecilia stood frozen, gaping at Daniel — bleeding but still enacting this deadly show of defiance.
Adrian, who had been munching on his chicken, stopped mid-bite. His attention, which had only been half on Daniel, now shifted completely. Greta’s jealousy burned at its highest peak.
"Know your age, mate, and your class before you utter such disgusting words, you cunt," Daniel spat at Titania. He advanced threateningly toward her as she tried to understand how things had turned so quickly against her. Without hesitation, he yanked her hair and smashed her face into the table of food, scattering plates, wine, and dishes across the room.
Ricardo was stunned. Rosalie too.
Then Daniel slammed his fist on the table and, with a cold grin, picked up a knife from the array of utensils before his plate.
"Stop it, slut, or you’ll taste what the knife is truly made of," Ricardo barked, giving one last warning.
Daniel, on sighting the knife, grinned wider.
"You man-pussy, have you even controlled your wife properly? Then why interrupt me?" Daniel’s voice dripped with venom, shocking the entire crew.
They were horrified. He had just insulted the boss’s father.
He was going to die for that. Definitely going to die.
Rosalie boiled like a pot left too long on fire. She was ready to explode when sudden laughter boomed through the hallway, freezing everyone in place.
Their wary eyes darted to the source. They guessed right — the psychopath himself, Adrian Valez, was laughing darkly, grinning from ear to ear as though he was watching the hottest show of his life.
"Adrian, what is funny right now?!" Ricardo snapped. "Can’t you see what that trash is doing? He’s a nuisance! He must be ended. In fact, I’ll end him myself."
Greta nodded eagerly in support. Anything was fine as long as Daniel died tonight.
Gregor, however, eyed Daniel with intrigue.
Hmm... better than I thought. A perfect pawn to lure into the game and destroy. Show him embarrassment beyond redemption, he silently plotted.
Chaos was now fully unleashed in the dining room, all because of Daniel. Everyone wanted him dead for defiling the code of conduct, for disrespecting the former Don.
"Boss, this whore deserves the tiger pit. Let’s fuck the hell out of him and end his life," Cassian sneered before Adrian. For the first time, Daniel felt true fear pulse through him.
Did I overstep my boundaries? he thought, but then his rage roared again. They deserved it — especially that useless girl Titania. If only he could cut off her breasts, he would gladly do it.
Among the raging crowd, only one person — a beautiful, feminine young man — wasn’t condemning him. He looked at Daniel with sympathy, pity perhaps. Daniel hated that look.
He straightened, refusing to back down.
"So, because I defended my name and retaliated against someone who slandered me, it’s now a heavy crime?" Daniel’s eyes burned with hatred for all of them, especially Adrian, who sat there in chilling silence after his laughter.
"So be it. If that’s my crime, fine. But I won’t tolerate insults — especially from you, woman-wrapper, and you, harlot!" Daniel fired at Ricardo and Titania.
Titania’s face burned crimson. She was already a wreck — feet bleeding, back half-broken from her fall.
Cassian couldn’t believe an ordinary man dared to say such things in a Mafia household. Does he know the implications? she thought, chills running down her spine. If not for Adrian’s looming shadow, Cassian would’ve gutted him herself. Adrian’s punishments, however, were infamous. Humanly cruel. Beyond survival.
Rosalie finally snapped, lunging at Daniel once again. But this time, he anticipated her. Power seemed to shift, and he shoved her violently aside. She stumbled, falling backward again and again until—
—she hit the staircase.
"Mother!" Mateo shouted, running forward, but it was too late. Rosalie tumbled down the long flight of stairs, body crashing through each step until she landed at the bottom with her back soaked in blood. She lay unconscious, lifeless-looking.
"Mom!!!" Mateo’s scream was agony.
Ricardo, in a blind rage, hurled the knife at Daniel. Daniel dodged skillfully, and it buried itself in the wall.
Greta and Gregor’s jaws dropped. What left them even more stunned was Daniel’s face. He wasn’t remorseful. No guilt. Instead, he let out a wicked, chilling laugh that twisted his features into something sadistic. Even Cassian froze. Is he a serial killer? she wondered.
Then Adrian rose, walking toward Daniel.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
He applauded, slow and mocking.
Alex stared in disbelief. Why is he clapping when Mother is half-dead?
"Brother... Father... Mother isn’t breathing!" Matteo screamed in despair.
Right before everyone’s eyes, Adrian delivered a brutal punch to Ricardo’s face, breaking the old man’s nose in one strike.
"Don’t you ever try to kill him again. Anyone here who dares will face the worst side of me — and you all know you don’t want that." His words coated the room in ice.
"And you saw what I did to Isabella. That was me being merciful. Let me see anyone here touch him again."
He waved dismissively. "Supper’s over. Everyone, goodnight."
Cassian was ordered to drag Rosalie to the hospital. Adrian couldn’t care less if she survived. If anything, she’d do him a favor by dying properly so he could dispose of her body once and for all.
One by one, they filed out, shaken, processing the scandal Daniel had ignited. He was truly a drama queen.
Now alone, Adrian turned to him.
"Baby doll, are you mad?"
Daniel’s lips were purple, his face pale as paper. Blood rolled down his forehead in thick streams. His body gave way, collapsing in front of Adrian.
Adrian caught him in his arms, bridal style, and carried him to the elevator, down to his private chambers. The home doctor was summoned immediately, working swiftly under Adrian’s piercing gaze.
Adrian leaned against the doorframe, watching the unconscious, fragile figure on the bed.
"This is why you’re going to be my Queen," he murmured darkly. "But I’ll have to toughen you even more, Daniel... to make you worthy."
He smirked, remembering Rosalie’s fall. That alone had been everything for him.