SEVENTY NINE

The next morning, Lucas was still in Olivia's apartment, he felt like never leaving her side. Lucas kissed Olivia softly, “I need to get ready for my meeting with Dominique. I’ll be back soon.”

He leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on her lower abdomen. “Take care of yourself, baby, and our little one.”

Olivia smiled, her hand resting over his, “we will.”

Lucas changed into a sharp, tailored suit , he checked his watch, making sure he wasn't late, before leaving he kissed Olivia one more time, “I promise, once this meeting is over , we’ll head to Mexico and meet your parents.”

Olivia nodded, “Be…careful Lucas.”

With one last lingering look, Lucas stepped out of the apartment and got into the car, where one of his men was waiting in the car.

As his man drove, the sound of waves crashing against the shore filled the air. Lucas' phone buzzed, and he answered to hear Vincent's voice on the other end.

“Boss, I'm on my way to the island,” Vincent said, his voice steady. “I’ll be there shortly.”

“Good,” Lucas replied, “Make sure everything is in order. I don't trust Dominique.”

As they neared the island, the driver skillfully maneuvered the car through the narrow path leading to the beach .The driver drove into the sandy path leading to the meeting point, he saw Dominique waiting flanked by three men.

Lucas’s men were already positioned discreetly around the perimeter, ensuring no unwanted interruption.

Lucas stepped out of the car, his eyes cold and unreadable. Dominique walked forward, a smile on his face, though it didn't reach his eyes, “Lucas Moretti.” Dominique greeted, extending his hand for a handshake.

Lucas nodded, his expression exchanged, “Dominique,” he acknowledged, “What's the proposal you mentioned?”

As Dominique and Vincent stood facing each other,the tension between them was palpable.

Dominique chuckled, sensing the tension, gesturing to a nearby table set up under a hut, “Very well, Please have a seat.”

Lucas remained standing, his gaze unwavering, “I’m fine standing. Speak.”

Dominique’s smile faltered slightly, but he complied, “I’ve been thinking. We could benefit from partnership. Combine our resources, we could dominate the market , crush our competitors.”

Lucas’s eyes narrowed, “And what exactly do you bring to the table, Dominique? Trust? Loyalty? I’ve seen none of this from you. And what's the exact business you’re proposing?”

Dominique tried to maintain his steeze, “Human trafficking,” he said bluntly. “Lucas. It's a lucrative business, and with your network and connections, we could dominate the market. The profits would be very huge.”

Lucas’s eyes darkened, “Human trafficking is not a business I'm willing to get into, Dominique. I may be a lot of things, but I draw the line at exploiting innocent lives.”

Dominique's eyes narrowed, his tone taking on a persuasive edge, “Think about the money, Lucas. The power. We could control the entire industry.”

“I've already made my decision,” Lucas replied firmly. “Find someone else for your dirty work. I’m not interested, and this partnership isn't going to happen.” Lucas said his voice was cold and final.

Before Dominique could respond, Vincent arrived, standing beside Lucas with a protective stance. Dominique’s men tensed, but Dominique raised a hand, signaling them to stay calm.

Dominique's smile turned into a scowl. “You’re making a mistake, Lucas.”

Lucas met his gaze, unflinching. “The only mistake would be aligning myself with a greedy fellow, like you. This conversation is over”

Dominique's face twisted in anger , but he knew better than to push further . As Lucas turned to leave Dominique's sight, before he could take more than a few steps. a shot rang out.

The bullet hitting Lucas in the back, sending a jolt of pain through his body. He staggered, realizing he’d been shot, turning to face the attacker, his eyes widened in shock, but , immediately shot struck him again in the chest, the force of the impact pushed him backwards into the water, the cold waves engulfing him.

Dominique, realizing the gravity of his actions,tried to protect himself by running away, but the chaos that started was swift and brutal. Lucas’s men began to retaliate fiercely.

Vincent, who had tried to shield Lucas but he was shot, despite being injured, Vincent managed to get to his feet, summoning his remaining strength in the midst of chaos. He saw Dominique fleeing. “Bastard,” Vincent muttered and with a steady hand, he aimed and fired , the bullet hitting Dominique directly, causing him to collapse dead on the floor.

Despite the chaos, Vincent's only focus was on finding Lucas ,clutching to his bleeding abdomen, he staggered towards the water 's edge where Lucas had fallen. Scanning the dark waves for any sign of his boss, calling out desperately, “Boss! Boss!” he called out, his voice breaking, But there was no answer, breathing heavily.

He screamed again, “Lucas!!!!!!!!” But there was no response, only a pool of blood on the water surface . His eyes reddened with a mix of rage, anger and sorrow.

Just then, another gunshot rang out, hitting Vincent. He fell to the ground, the world around him blurring as he succumbed to his injuries.

His vision darkened , and his eyes closed gradually, the sounds of the battle fading into silence.

……🌵

Meanwhile at Olivia's apartment, Olivia sat in the living room, sipping her cup of coffee, when suddenly the picture frame that hung on the wall fell to the floor, the glass cracked, A chill ran down Olivia’s spine.

She took a deep breath, driving the cup of coffee on the table and walked to where the frame had dropped to the ground. “Lucas,” she muttered. Her throat dried instantly, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

Olivia couldn't shake the feeling that this was a bad omen.

She rushed to the table , and grabbed her phone, contemplating calling Lucas. With a heavy sigh, she dialed his number, she waited patiently as the phone rang , but no response.

Unconsciously touching her lower abdomen, with a shaky head, she dialed Vincent’s number.

And the person picked almost immediately, “Hello, Vincent.” Olivia called, rushing her words, expecting to hear Vincent’s voice.

“Thank you for calling, he’s currently in a bad state in the hospital.” The voice from the other end responded.

Olivia's eyes filled with tears, she slumped to the chair, hoping Lucas was fine.