FIVE'S POV

I looked around a dark warehouse, gradually refining my consciousness. My teleportation is too week to break free. My senses slowly sharpened, and the haze of confusion lifted. I wanted to adjust myself but couldn't move. I realized I was bound to a sturdy column, its cold metal digging against my flesh. It took a moment for my vision to clear and the unbearable ringing in my ears to subside. I quickly assessed the warehouse and several men of the Moretti mafia. But it was the sight of Reginald Hargreeves and Ben Hargreeves that jolted me fully awake. My eyes widened, brows furrowing instinctively as I struggled against the restraints.

"Surprised to see me, son-in-law?" A wicked satisfaction crossed his face.

I clenched my teeth over the piece of cloth they put in my mouth. If it wasn't for the bindings restricting my movements to mere inches, I'd kill the fucking piece of shit right on the spot. My eyes darted to the side, where Ben stood by a table with glasses of whiskey as he lit up his cigarette, the smoke floating around him.

"I warned you that you were going to regret fucking with me," Ben's voice rang out. "I lost everything because of you. Because of the fucking Hargreeves! Money, reputation, even my family! Your existence is like a curse to me," he spat. "Everything would be different now if you hadn't shown up in my timeline."

I stared into his psychotic eyes, unable to do anything. I was bound and helpless. I could only listen as Reginald unleashed his bitter, pathetic rant.

"Now, it's high time your family loses everything, my boy." He took a few steps closer. "At midnight, he's going to sign papers that transfer ownership of his companies and all assets to him to save his beloved brother. What he doesn't know is that afterward, we'll kill you both anyway." His laugh bitter reverberated through the warehouse.

"I don't think so," Diego's voice boomed, his gaze steely as he pointed a gun at Reginald . Behind him, dozens of our soldiers accompanied by Diego and Viktor and Y/N's sisters was our trusted ally from Colombia, who ran some of our deals in Miami.

Chaos erupted like a volcano. Moretti's men pointed their weapons back at our soldiers, and neither side backed out. It would mean death. But death was inevitable that night.

"Reginald!" Sloane's voice cut through the chaos. I was taken aback, to say the least, to see her here. She held a gun in her shaky hands, aiming.

Shots broke out in a flurry of motion, reverberating around the steely walls as gunfire filled the air. Two of our men raced to me, freeing me from the chains, and handed me the weapon, the cold metal felt so familiar in my hands. I quickly rose to my feet and started blinking and firing. There was no room for hesitation. There was only destruction and death. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder floating all around us, the metallic taste of blood, and the roaring of gunshots. Moretti's men against our soldiers, neither side willing to retreat. All were ready to die. Ready to kill. That was what we were. Killers. Not scared of death and trained to kill without batting an eye.

"Viktor!" Diego shout made me turn in alarm. He rushed to our brothers side, and I rippled through the room, shooting at Moretti's men like a madman, annihilated beast, watching their bodies fall to the ground like dead flies. I was no longer a man, I was a killing machine.

A stain of blood began to spread across Viktor's shirt. Diego kneeled next to him, putting his head on his lap. "Diego," he spoke with effort.

His eyes shifted to meet mine, and he forced himself to smile softly. "Everything is on you two, now." His voice was barely audible above the noise of the warehouse.

"Don't say that," I hissed through my pain.

"Please, take care of the family." He choked the blood out of his mouth. "And tell them that I love them all deeply."

My throat tightened. I hardly held back my tears and the rage growing inside me.

"Five! Quickly. Travel back!" Diego yelled to me as he still head Viktor's blood body.

"No, just let me be... take care of each other," Viktor continued, his voice trembling as he spoke.

I saw tears in Diego's eyes. He caressed our brother's paling cheek. "You can't leave us."

Viktor overlapped Diego's hand with his, smiling at him with the strength fading in him. "Remember that you are all brothers. You have the same blood running through your veins. The Hargreeves blood. Don't be the downfall of are legacy. Your legacy."

My heart clenched. I watched my brother strength wane, and I couldn't do anything. He looked at me one more time. His eyes seemed lost. "Five, promise me you'll take care of are family."

I hardly swallowed, tightening the grip around his hand. "I will," I vowed, seeing how life was escaping out of his eyes.

"Sissy..." he whispered, reaching his hand in the air.

Shivers swept down my back, and Diego's gaze sharpened. He looked at Viktor with a sort of incomprehension. Then tears streamed down his face as he realized it was the end.

"My beautiful Sissy." Viktor's eyes fixed on a space before him, his lips curling up in a warm smile.

She was here. Viktor's lover. She felt his presence. At last, they were reunited. Their love could go on and live forever, wherever they now were.

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It'd been a month since that dreadful night. The night we all lost someone. Y/n and I made our way through the cemetery and across the rows of gravestones. Until we reached it. Viktor's grave. I watched Y/n placing a bouquet on the headstone, her fingers trembling slightly. I stood beside her, hiding my emotions, something I knew best.

Y/n turned to face me with a vague yet comforting smile. "Shall we?"

I held her close, knowing there were no words I could offer to ease her pain. We both lost someone we love. Maybe Viktor was never a brother to her, maybe she had never seen him as one, but I was sure it left a void in her heart too.

Y/n wiped the tears from under her eyes, inhaling deeply, and I led her out of the graveyard, flanked by my waiting men.

Two cars stood guard nearby as we left the cemetery, approaching our waiting vehicles. My gaze lingered on Y/n; her hair tousled by the wind as she leaned against the car.

"I'm sorry I put you in danger," I said quietly, tucking the unruly strand of hair behind her ear.

Y/n peeked around at my waiting men before she turned back to me. "I won't ask you to leave your life behind, but promise me, Five, promise me that you'll keep Ezra away from all of this."

I let out a quiet breath and nodded.

"I'll do anything in my power, go any length to protect you and Ezra."

I straightened my shoulders, realizing how much had changed for the past month. I knew our life would never be the same again. I was now in charge, and it was my duty to keep control over this dangerous chaos that was always like a ticking bomb. I knew this position put us even in more danger. At the same time, it gave me and power that allowed me to protect my family.

"Well, well. Fancy meeting you here." We turned to face Anders, who stood a few steps away. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes, his hands clasped over his abdomen. "We must talk, brother."

"Get in the car," I stated, and he followed.

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Diego locked the door to my office in the new residence where I recently moved in with my family. He then took a few steady steps and sat on the padded chair in front of the desk where I was sitting.

"The family doesn't want to stay in New York," he began, leaning in the chair, his legs crossing.

"What do you mean?" My tone was low.

"They say everything reminds them of Viktor." Diego took a deep breath, his gaze dropping to the ground. "They want to move."

"Okay." I cocked my head.

"After Moretti betrayed us, we don't have a man who would be leading our businesses in Europe," he continued. "Sergio is filling in for now, but he doesn't want to stay in Italy. His family is here in the US."

"You want to move to Italy?"

Diego nodded. "Yes. It would be for the best. You'd handle our businesses here, and I, in Europe. I would have the family with me." His eyes darted between mine. "That is, if I have your permission, of course," he added in a teasing manner.

"Of course," I said. I leaned back in my chair, my head cocked, assessing the face of my brother. "Is it really about that?"

Diego let out a heaved sigh, his hands clasped. His gaze escaped, wandering everywhere but me. Before finally, he met my eyes again. "We both know the answer to that question." His was tone low. "I have to stay away. Be far away. From her."

I nodded, never breaking eye contact.

"Take care of her, will you?"

"I will."

Diego nodded, and his gaze dropped again. "Will you ever forgive me for what I've done to make you suffer?"

I got off of my seat and, with calculated steps, walked over to my brother. I placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned into his ear. "I forgave you a long time ago. You're my brother, Diego. I may loathe you. You may despise me. But at the end of the day, it's you who will save me."

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"Sergio." I extended my hand as Sergio entered the hallway of my house with his wife by his side. Diego replaced him in Italy a few weeks ago, allowing Sergio and his family to come back to Miami a couple of days ago. I invited him to visit us here in New York. I had an offer I was sure he couldn't quite refuse.

"It's a pleasure to see you, my friend."

"Five, thank you for the invitation," he replied.

I turned to Y/n, refusing to hide the pride glimmering in my eyes as I looked at her. "This is my fiancée and the mother of my son, Y/n."

Y/n shook hands with Sergio, a soft smile gracing her lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said. "We'll be forever grateful for your help."

"Don't mention it, Y/n," Sergio replied. "And this is my wife, Emily." He gestured to the elegant blond-haired woman by his side, whose light beauty contrasted Sergio's Colombian features. His hair was raven-black, and his eyes dark with a hint of danger.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Emily said warmly, extending her hand to me and Y/n, her blue eyes beaming.

The evening continued in a light atmosphere. Something both Y/n and I needed after the recent events filled with dread, danger, and death.

Eventually, Y/n excused herself to check on Ezra, and Emily offered to accompany her, leaving Sergio and me alone.

"I've never had the chance to thank you, Five. You helped me after my fathers passed away. You trusted me to let me run your business in Miami."

"And as we can see, I was not wrong to do that. I owe you my life."

"My father and your brother had been friends ever since I remember, so I couldn't have acted differently after I learned about Charles Moretti having you hostage." He spoke with a distinct Colombian lilt. "I'm sorry for your loss, friend."

I took a deep breath. "We're still getting used to the fact that he's not with us anymore."

I had never believed it would feel so empty without Viktor. The void was there. He was missed.

"I have an offer for you, Sergio," I broke the silence. "Let's say I'd like you to be my business partner."

"I didn't expect this." His eyebrows shot up." But you don't have to do this, Five, you know that, right? You don't owe me anything."

"I know, but I want to." A smirk cracked my lips.

Sergio hesitated for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "I'm listening."

I handed him a glass of whiskey across the table. "You have a son, right?"

Sergio nodded. "Right, why?"

I took a sip of the whiskey, smirking as my friend's eyes filled with intrigue. "I think this marks the beginning of a mutually beneficial friendship."

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