Fallen Actress' Comeback: Torn Between the Director and the Mafia Lord-Chapter 26: Fix Things, Xavier

Chapter 26

~Xavier’s POV~

"Like who?"

Every muscle in my body stiffened. The last thing I wanted was my father getting too involved in this case because of Xena.

The Xander family’s law was to kill and leave no witnesses alive. I had flaunted that law when I let Xena and her family leave.

But they were completely innocent—especially her daughter, Skai and her nanny. And to make matters worse, I not only kept them alive but also ensured her nanny stayed alive by paying her medical bills.

Keeping my cool, I adjusted my tie and stepped forward. "Father," I said, bowing my head.

Ares and Ren followed instantly. "Master," they chorused.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Like who, Ares?" he asked, ignoring me and our greeting in general to focus on the blabbermouth.

Ares opened his mouth to dig his own grave, but I cut in before he could dig deeper.

"Ignore him, Father," I interjected sharply. "It’s nothing."

His eyes darkened.

"Is that so?" His cane tapped once sharply. "It had better be."

A pause followed, and no one spoke. Ares and Ren both lowered their heads.

His gaze sliced into me. "Why the delay in meeting me?"

I lifted my eyes enough to meet his stare, but not enough to disrespect him. "I had issues to sort," I replied calmly.

"Better than the fiasco the D’Anthonio family caused?" His voice rumbled like distant thunder, and I could bet the temperature in the hall dropped five degrees.

And I felt the warning beneath his words. "What the hell was more important than meeting me?"

I was used to seeing my father this way. And whenever he had his men on a leash, unable to lie to save their asses, I usually concocted several lies that could help them escape my father’s fury.

But now I was the one in the same situation.

My brain worked sharply. "Simple. I got a lead."

His brows lifted, but he did not say anything, and that was my cue to continue. "The Crimson Gang was going to deal with D’Anthonio. They want to steal our client."

A loud sound echoed in the hallway as Father’s cane landed sharply on the tiles. "Insolence. It cannot happen."

"It won’t, Father," I corrected him, hoping to silence his doubt and prevent him from investigating.

"Deal with it. And squash them. Ruin that meeting with blood."

I nodded once, which was the only acknowledgement my father needed.

But the moment I dipped my head, a memory shot through my mind, dragging me back to that day after my training when Vincent contacted me about the absurd thing the D’Anthonio family was doing.

The day the D’Anthonio filth dared to set foot on our land.

~FLASHBACK~

The tyres screeched as I pulled into the estate. Lucky and Ren were on the phone outside, barking orders with clipped precision.

Within minutes, black vans rolled up, one after the other.

The courtyard swarmed with our best fighters, men in fitted black suits, others in tactical black combat gear. Guns holstered. Knives strapped to thighs. Masks on.

A silent army built for war.

The second I stepped out of the car, every one of them straightened, fists to their chests.

But I didn’t spare a glance as I stormed inside.

The living room lights glared off polished marble floors. Father sat on his high-backed ironwood chair, which was his throne and an unmoving chair.

And in the center of the room, surrounded by ten armed D’Anthonio dogs, stood Kyran, the second son of their pathetic mafia bloodline.

He looked ridiculous standing there with his shoulders squared like he had a spine. But I knew all about him, his shenanigans and outlandish ways.

I steppe in, cracking my knuckles once.

"What a crowd," I drawled.

Father didn’t look away from Kyran as he said, "You came at last."

"How could I not," I answered, letting the edge of bloodlust fill my voice, "when it involves blood?"

Kyran’s eyes flicked to mine briefly, but the second he saw my slow, sinister smile, real fear flashed across his face.

He masked it quickly, looing back at Father as if that would spare his ass from my rage.

Sadly, it wouldn’t.

Father tapped his cane. "Repeat what you told me thirty minutes ago. Since you were brave enough to barge into my residence, Kyran Anthonio."

Kyran shut his eyes for half a second, then he inhaled sharply.

"My father demands payment for your treachery," he started, though his voice trembled despite his attempts, "through the sincere apology and kneeling of the head of the Xander fam—"

He didn’t finish before I burst out laughing.

The whole room froze and Kyran snapped his head towards me. "You think this is funny?"

I nodded once. "Hilarious. Seeing a chick pretend it’s a crane? Unimaginable." I stepped closer. "But little Kyran... do you even grasp what walking into the Xander mansion uninvited means?"

"It was your men who stole from us!" he shouted. "I’m here to collect what’s owed!"

"Any wise man would take the due payment and go. And for that, I offered double for your stress and worries," I replied smoothly, "but you rejected it and insisted my father kneel."

"He must have a death wish," Ares voiced behind me.

"Yeah, he most certainly does." I smirked. "And unless Father feels gracious today, I should’ve met your corpses outside the gate of our estate."

Kyran swallowed as his throat bobbed.

"That’s one option," I continued, "or maybe the Patriarch himself wants me to keep your hands full and busy."

Father’s gaze flickered in warning.

I smiled wider. "Sure."

Before Kyran could breathe twice, I drew my gun. He jerked back, but not fast enough.

BANG!

The bullet sliced past his cheek, killing the guard directly behind him and blood splashed across the glossy tiles.

Kyran staggered, shrieking as the ringing in his ears drowned my words.

"That wasn’t a miss," I said simply. "Just a demonstration."

BANG!

I fired another perfect headshot, and immediately a second guard fell down. nother guard down.

This time, Kyran’s bravado failed and he screamed his lungs out like a little girl.

"Fear not," I continued calmly. "Yours will be slow and painful. Nothing clean like your men."

The remaining guards panicked, raising their guns but rather than point it at me, they diverted it toward Father.

Oh no. What a big mistake.

Father’s lips curled and he stood. ""Stop."

I froze mid-step. "Father...?"

He ignored me, eyes trained on the eight guns pointed at him. Then he advanced. The guards immediately shifted out of his path as his murderous aura filled the room but none of them dared drop their guns.

Meanwhile, none of our men lifted their gun but their hands remained on their tu ked gun, ready for battle.

"You children lack respect," Father said. "To aim guns at me when you’re already breathing your last merciful breaths?"

His words carried weight and danger. No one dared move or spoke and if a pin had dropped at that moment, it would have been loud.

Father paused, his gaze sweeping the room with lethal boredom.

"Look around you. With just a snap of my fingers..." His eyes hardened. "...and you vanish."

He lowered his cane, then othered sharply to the other four guards standing between him and that nincompoop.

"Move."

Every guard stepped aside like puppets cut from strings, leaving Kyran alone, trembling.

Father lifted his cane and Kyran shrieked, closing his eyes. But rather than hitting him on the head, father drove it hard between Kyran’s legs.

Kyran’s eyes bulged, before falling forward and collapsing on the ground. He choked on his scream whikle my father simply placed his foot on his head.

"You," he said, pressing down, "are the one who should kneel and apologise before your elders, not threaten."

Kyran groaned when Father pressed his heel on Kyran’s head, then he turned to me. Without emotion, he slammed his cane onto Kyran’s back.

CRACK.

A loud broken sound filled the silent room, followed by the piercing scream from Kyran’s lips.

Dad broke a rib.

"Xavier," he called calmly, "kill them all. Leave only one alive to carry Kyran home."

I tilted my head, my smile spreading out when fear struck all of Kyran’s guards. "Father, you’re being generous."

He paused, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I am?"

"Yes, father. Don’t tell me you’ve gotten soft, huh?"

The fear in their faces worsened and before I knew it, one by one, all of them fell down before my father, begging.

"You think so?"

"Yes. Else you..."

Crack!

Another sharp cracking sound and screams echoed as his cane landed on Kyran’s left index finger.

"If so," Father shrugged, "you can break one of the guard’s hand taking Kyran home. Or better still..."

My eyes gleamed with promise as my father’s gaze locked on mine.

"Kill them all... and dump Kyran outside the estate gate."

"No!!" Kyran screamed his longs out but I didn’t care and in the next second, my gun lifted and I gave two more headshots.

~Flashback Ends~

"I see they haven’t learnt their lesson after you spared Kyran Anthonio that day," Ares’ deep voice chipped and everyone looked at him.

"Scums like hem never learn, which is why we uproot the weed. But then, where was the fun if we had killed him or threatened him and he learnt?"

I tucked my hands into my pocket and let my gaze drift over to my dad. "If things escalate, we might go to war."

"Try not to let it escalate. I a not interested in wasting our resources and manpower on a lesser family like D’Anthonio."

"Yes, father."

"Also, while you’re at it, you need to broker a business deal with Angels Deluxe and Apex Dream Entertainment."

"Understood."