The engine of Ryan's car went silent as he stepped out, his boots hitting the ground with quiet finality.
Behind him, the remnants of Lorenzo's army stood frozen, their fear thick in the air.
"Please… don't kill me! I'm not involved!" one of them cried out desperately. "I don't know what I did, but I promise I'll change!"
Ryan didn't even spare him a glance.
Instead, he walked forward—calm, composed… carrying death in his hand.
The warehouse loomed ahead, massive and imposing, built like a mansion—Don Alessandro's residence. Inside, the entire organization had already gathered, waiting.
Waiting for him.
The doors opened.
And Ryan stepped in.
A gasp rippled across the room.
In his hand… was Lorenzo's severed head.
Silence fell like a guillotine.
Shock. Fear. Awe.
Every eye locked onto him.
A perfect score.
100.
Then—
"Ryan!"
Don Alessandro strode forward and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"I'm glad you made it, son."
Ryan allowed a small smile. "Thank you… father."
But the warmth didn't last.
He turned.
His gaze swept across the room, sharp and unforgiving.
"I made a promise," Ryan said coldly. "That I would punish the traitor after defeating Lorenzo."
He raised the head higher.
"Now I have his."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Unease. Suspicion. Fear.
"And not only that…" Ryan continued. "We have traitors in our midst."
The murmuring grew louder.
"Get him."
One of his men rushed off immediately, returning moments later with a trembling figure—one of Lorenzo's last surviving soldiers.
Ryan stepped closer.
"Speak," he ordered. "Tell them everything you know."
The man's voice shook violently.
"L-Leonardo… Leonardo is a spy! He works for Lorenzo. He's been feeding him information—everything happening in Don Alessandro's territory!"
Gasps erupted.
"That's how Lorenzo knew everything," the man continued. "That's why they attacked… before you could fully rise as the new boss!"
Silence followed.
Heavy. Crushing.
Then realization dawned.
The traitor… had been exposed.
Ryan's eyes turned cold.
"Now," he said slowly, "I will decide the punishment for the rats."
"Behead them!" the crowd roared in unison.
But Ryan shook his head.
"No."
His voice dropped—dark and merciless.
"Death is too kind."
A chill swept through the room.
"I want them to suffer."
Leonardo's screams echoed through the warehouse.
He was tied tightly to a chair, unable to move, unable to escape.
Ryan stepped forward with terrifying calm.
A blade flashed.
He made a slow incision along Leonardo's hairline.
Then—
He began.
The skin was peeled back… slowly.
Painfully.
Leonardo's screams turned into something inhuman.
The members watched in horror as the brutal punishment unfolded—a fate worse than death.
By the time it ended…
Leonardo was no longer alive.
But Ryan wasn't done.
"Marco."
The next victim was dragged forward, crying and begging.
"No—please! I'm sorry! I'll never—!"
"Too late."
Ryan's eyes were empty.
"Your punishment… is Scaphism."
Marco was tied down, completely restrained.
Gasoline was poured over him.
And then—
Fire.
His screams filled the air as flames consumed him.
"Gino. Walter."
The two men were thrown into a pit below.
A pit crawling with rats.
Hundreds of them.
The moment they landed, the rats swarmed.
Biting.
Tearing.
Devouring.
Their screams didn't last long.
Ryan turned back to the crowd, his presence overwhelming.
"This," he said, his voice echoing, "is what happens to those who betray me."
His gaze swept across every single face.
"Cross the line…"
His tone dropped to a whisper.
"And you will suffer far worse."
No one dared to breathe.
Then—
A slow clap.
Don Alessandro stepped forward, a proud smile on his face.
"Well done."
He placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder.
"You are becoming a true leader, my son."
For a moment…
Ryan froze.
Then something inside him softened.
After all the years… the loneliness… the rejection…
Someone finally accepted him.
He stepped forward and embraced Don Alessandro tightly.
And this time—
It felt real.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Loud. Wild. Loyal.
"We need to celebrate!" Sophia called out with a bright smile.
Ryan pulled back slightly, looking at the people around him.
For the first time…
He wasn't alone.
Loyalty is earned in blood… betrayal is paid in suffering.