The rain had turned the streets into mirrors, slick, black, and treacherous. Inside the hidden chamber beneath the chapel, Luca stood motionless, the weight of the ledger heavy in his hands. His grandfather's secrets were inked across its pages, names stained with betrayal, revenge, and blood debts unpaid.
He flipped through it again, slower this time, eyes scanning each entry like a surgeon searching for the source of an infection.
"Everything Anton ever knew," Enzo murmured behind him. "Every deal, every kill, every lie."
Luca paused at a page marked with a red wax seal. The name at the top read:
Don Rocco Serra.
Below it, a list of affiliations, coded messages, and transactions stretching back two decades. At the very bottom, circled twice in thick black ink:
Operation Lazarus.
Luca frowned. "What's Lazarus?"
Enzo stepped closer, peering over his shoulder. He stiffened as soon as he saw the word.
"That's not just a name," he said grimly. "It's a plan."
Luca looked up. "Explain."
Enzo ran a hand through his damp hair, exhaling sharply. "Rocco's been working on it for years. It's how he took down your grandfather. A full-scale move to consolidate power across all five boroughs. He didn't just want control, he wanted eradication. No Vargas left standing. No loose ends."
Luca's grip tightened on the ledger. "And now?"
Enzo's jaw clenched. "Now he's ready to make it real."
Luca closed the book slowly, tucking it inside his coat. "This is not enough... We need more than this."
Enzo raised an eyebrow. "You think there's more?"
Luca nodded. "I think my grandfather knew Rocco would come for him. He wouldn't leave everything here without insurance."
Enzo studied him for a moment, then smirked faintly. "You really are his grandson."
Luca ignored the remark and moved toward the far wall, where a small safe sat half-buried beneath dust and debris. He crouched beside it, brushing off the grime. The dial was rusted, but still intact.
"You know the combination?" Enzo asked.
Luca smirked. "My father taught me the way Anton used to keep things locked away." He turned the dial carefully. "The old man never trusted numbers. Always dates."
With a final click, the safe groaned open.
Inside, wrapped in oilskin, was a second file, thinner than the ledger but no less important. Alongside it, a silver USB drive.
Luca pulled them out and handed the file to Enzo.
"Mhm now this is what we need," he said.
Enzo opened it and scanned the first few pages. His expression darkened.
"What is it?" Luca asked.
Enzo exhaled. "Photos. Transcripts. Wiretaps. This is proof of everything Rocco's done. Deals with the Colombians. Murders ordered under false flags. Even the hit on your father."
Luca's breath caught. "There's evidence?"
Enzo nodded slowly. "Enough to bring him down, if we can get it out."
Luca looked at the USB drive. "Then we start there."
Outside, thunder cracked like gunfire. Somewhere in the distance, sirens wailed.
Enzo tucked the file under his arm. "Now where to?"
Luca stood, eyes hard. "We go where Rocco won't expect us."
Enzo gave him a knowing look. "The heart of the beast."
Luca nodded once. "The masquerade ball at the Waldorf."
Enzo raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? That place'll be crawling with his men."
Luca smiled coldly. "That's the point."
They moved quickly, stepping out of the hidden chamber and sealing it behind them. As they emerged from the chapel into the storm-lashed night, Luca felt something shift inside him.
This wasn't just vengeance anymore.
This was war.
And tonight, the first shot would be fired.