The Mafia's Undoing-Chapter 181: The Trap

The ballroom event was held at the Grand Manhattan hotel with hundreds of guests.

There were press, investors, industry leaders, and everyone who mattered in venture capital.

Katherine and I were center stage, presenting Marvin Ventures’ investment portfolio.

But we knew this wasn’t really about business; it was bait.

We had FBI agents disguised everywhere as staff, guests, and security personnel.

Luca’s team was on high alert, with snipers positioned on adjacent rooftops and tactical teams in vans outside.

"He’ll come," I muttered to Katherine between slides. "He can’t resist."

"I hope you’re right. Because if not, we just exposed ourselves for nothing."

Katherine was speaking now. She was confident, looking professional and beautiful in that red dress.

She presented our success stories, the companies we’ve funded, and the returns we’ve delivered.

The audience was engaged and impressed, applauding at the right moments.

But I was barely paying attention to the presentation.

I was scanning and watching every face, every movement, and every person in this room.

Dante was here. He had to be, I could feel it.

My earpiece buzzed from Timothy coordinating from the FBI command center.

"No visual on Dante yet. Keep going with the presentation."

"How long do we maintain this charade?" Katherine asked softly.

"As long as it takes. He’ll show, stay alert."

Katherine’s hand briefly found mine, and she squeezed it, feeling nervous and scared but brave.

"We’ve got this," I whispered. "Together."

She nodded and continued presenting, a perfect performance.

Amidst the mid-presentation, I saw him.

A man in his 40s at the back right corner in a grey suit and businessman attire.

He was not obviously disguised. Just... ordinary and blended perfectly with the crowd.

But the eyes were cold and calculating, like Marvin’s.

"I see him," I whispered into the tiny mic. "Back right corner in a grey suit and has dark hair."

"Confirmed visual," Timothy responded immediately. "Teams moving into position. Do not engage yet."

Dante saw me looking and smiled slightly, knowing he’d been spotted.

He didn’t care and actually seemed amused.

The presentation ended with applause, and the guests began to mingle.

There was networking with business cards and champagne shared around.

Dante approached me, walking through the crowd casually, looking confident and dangerous.

The FBI began closing in from multiple angles, but civilians surrounded him so they couldn’t take a shot.

"Anthony," he said smoothly in an educated American accent. "Cousin."

"Dante."

Up close, the family resemblance was quite unmistakable. He had the same bone structure and the same jaw, the Marvin blood.

"What a lovely event and impressive presentation. You’ve built something legitimate here, I respect that."

"You killed fifteen people at Marvin Industries, my father, and you’ve destroyed Katherine’s peace of mind."

"I reclaimed what was rightfully mine. What your grandfather stole from my father when he cast Edward out."

Katherine joined us. Her face was controlled, but I could see the rage beneath. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"You tried to kill my daughter. Twice."

"I tried to send a message. Rose was never the actual target; she was just leverage."

"Leverage? She’s a baby!" Katherine retorted.

"She’s a Marvin. That makes her a chess piece in this game. Like all of us and like you and me."

Katherine’s hand moved subtly toward her concealed weapon, and I stopped her with a gentle touch.

"Not here. Too many civilians."

Dante noticed, and his smile grew wider. "Smart man, Anthony. You’ve learned restraint. Thomas never had that."

"You came knowing this is a trap," I observed. "Why?"

"Because I’m tired of the chase, tired of using proxies, and tired of the games. I want to settle this properly. You and me, tonight. Face to face."

"Meaning?"

"At the rooftop in an hour. No FBI, no Luca’s teams, and no snipers. Just us, man to man, and cousin to cousin. We end this family feud the old way."

"And if I refuse?"

His smile vanished, looking cold and dead serious.

"Then tomorrow, I will kill everyone you love. Katherine, Rose, Bella, Susan, Elliot, Jeff. Everyone. Slowly and painfully, while you watch helplessly."

I could hear Timothy insisting from the FBI mic in my earpiece. "Don’t do it. It’s suicide. We can arrest him right now-"

"In a ballroom full of five hundred civilians? He could detonate bombs, shoot hostages, and start a massacre. We don’t know what he’s capable of."

Katherine, who was still beside me, spoke out. "You’re not going alone."

"I have to. It’s the only way to end this without more bloodshed."

"Then I’m coming with you."

"Katherine-"

"We started this together, and we end it together. It’s non-negotiable."

Dante was watching our exchange, looking amused. "Strong woman. Edward’s wife was the same. Fierce and loyal. I approve."

We had one hour to prepare.

Katherine and I were preparing in a secure room, arming ourselves with body armor and having our weapons checked.

Luca tried one last time. "We’ll be on adjacent buildings with snipers positioned. If he tries anything-"

"No. He said alone. If he sees backup, he disappears, and this will never end. Rose will grow up hunted."

Katherine checked her weapon, the magazine, and the chamber for safety in a professional manner.

"I’ve killed for you, Elliot, and Rose before. I’ll do it again if necessary."

"Let me do this alone, please. You go back to Rose."

"No. We end this together. That’s final."

Climbing to the rooftop via access stairs and service elevator, we went up.

The rooftop was windy and cold. It was an October night in Manhattan. Everywhere was dark, the city lights glittering below.

Dante was waiting and standing near the edge. Alone as promised.

"You brought your wife. I specified alone."

"She insisted. Katherine’s... stubborn."

"A quality I admire greatly. Edward’s wife had the same fire. Strong women make strong families, Anthony. You chose well."

"Why did you really come?" I asked. "You could have kept hiding and attacking from the shadows. Why expose yourself?"

"Because this feud has poisoned three generations of our family. My grandfather Edward. Your grandfather. Our fathers and now us. It has to end."

"Then walk away, disappear, and leave us alone. Let us live our lives."

"I can’t. It’s not about money anymore, nor about Marvin Industries or empires. It’s about honor, blood, and legacy. Things you can’t just walk away from."

"Legacy? You’ve killed innocent people and destroyed lives. That’s not legacy, that’s terrorism."

"So did your grandfather, and so did Thomas. The Marvin family legacy is built on blood; I’m just continuing the tradition."

Dante drew his weapon; it was smooth and well-practiced.

Katherine and I drew simultaneously, already trained and ready.

"One of us dies tonight, and the other carries on the family name. That’s how blood feuds end."

"Or we all walk away, start over, and break the cycle completely." I retorted.

"I can’t do that. And honestly, Anthony - neither can you. We’re too much alike. There’s too much Marvin in our blood."

Gunfire erupted as Dante shot first.

I returned fire with Katherine engaging from the side.

We were in close-quarters combat, a rooftop chase that was brutal, desperate, and begging for survival.

Then it was minutes of chaos as movements moved.

Dante was wounded by a bullet in his shoulder. Blood was spreading, but he was still fighting, looking dangerous.

I was wounded by a bullet which grazed my ribs. It was painful, but I could still fight.

Katherine was unhurt as she covered me. Protectively fighting, looking fierce.

"Enough!" Katherine screamed. "This ends now!"

She had the gun aimed directly at Dante’s head, point-blank range, in an execution distance.

"For Rose, for David, for Thomas, and for everyone you’ve killed. This ends tonight."

Katherine’s finger was on the trigger, about to shoot to end it.

But Dante was smiling, even wounded and facing death.

"Go ahead and pull the trigger. Become exactly what I am. A killer, like all Marvins."

I could see Katherine hesitating, the doubt reflecting.

"I’m protecting my family-"

"You’re perpetuating the cycle. Your daughter will grow up knowing her mother executed someone in cold blood. Is that the legacy you want for Rose?"

"Katherine, shoot him," I urged. "He’ll never stop. You know that."

But she couldn’t. Not like this in this execution style.

Her hesitation was fatal as Dante lunged at her fast, using Katherine’s moment of doubt.

He grabbed her and used her as a human shield, putting his gun to her head.

"Drop your weapon, Anthony, or I’ll kill your wife right here and right now."

My gun was aimed, but I couldn’t shoot. Katherine was in the way; one wrong move and she was dead.

"Let her go. This is between you and me."

"This is between all of us, and that’s what you don’t understand. The Marvin curse affects everyone it touches."

The sirens were close, and the FBI arrived, with Luca’s teams acting as backup, coming fast.

Dante realized his time was up.

"Until next time, cousin."

He shoved Katherine hard at me, and I caught her safe to me.

Dante jumped off the rooftop, which was fifteen stories up.

"NO!" I ran to the edge with Katherine beside me.

Looking down, a dead body should be there on the street, finally over.

But...

It was gone and vanished. The street below was empty, with passing cars and pedestrians.

Dante had escaped again.

He was still out there, hunting and winning.

Katherine was shaking and staring at the empty street below.

"I had the shot, I had the chance, and I hesitated."

"You made a human choice-"

"And maybe it cost us everything. Maybe Rose will pay the price for my conscience."

The FBI began swarming the rooftop, securing the scene, and searching every nook and cranny.

But Dante was gone, like a ghost.

And we were back to square one.

Hunted, waiting, and surviving.