Chapter 20 (Part 2) The Eve

To be honest, Si Qiang, a former underworld heir who had fled in disgrace, would never normally be willing to negotiate such a deal with Antonio. However, Si Qiang was clever enough to clearly lay out his bargaining chips: in Sicily, with the support of the Count of Tulip and Antonio's own accumulated influence, there was a good chance of taking down the old man; as for New York, as long as the Francisco family was willing to take the lead, and with the help of his trusted men there, taking down Long Ming was just around the corner.

Antonio never imagined that Si Qiang and Xu Qi's relationship would escalate to this point. After all, the two had weathered countless misunderstandings and setbacks, yet remained devoted to each other—this was the root of his jealousy towards Xu Qi. Now, Si Qiang was determined to completely destroy him, showing no regard for their past affection. This filled him with both doubt and secret delight. He was doubtful whether their relationship was truly as irreversible as Si Qiang's actions suggested, even to the point of armed conflict; he was delighted that he once again had the opportunity to get close to Si Qiang, even to win her over. He knew such thoughts were despicable, but love is inherently selfish, and he was already deeply entangled in her web of desire. This was an opportunity he couldn't afford to miss—in every sense of the word—he had to take the gamble.

However, he soon realized he had overlooked a crucial issue. In the days that followed, Si Qiang, playing the beautiful Eastern woman "Peggy," and the notoriously aloof Count Tulip were practically inseparable. To everyone else, this was tantamount to an open declaration of their relationship, and this "Miss Peggy" from the East became one of the most talked-about figures in European high society, enjoying immense popularity. Antonio understood this was mostly a publicity stunt, but he still couldn't ignore their intimate behavior. Considering the Count's reputation for being aloof—rumors of his homosexuality had long circulated—he began to genuinely suspect that Si Qiang had turned to the Count after leaving Xu Qi. He tried to subtly inquire several times, but Si Qiang's attitude remained ambiguous, making him increasingly anxious and frustrated. Several times he almost blurted out the question, but he restrained himself for fear of offending her.

But this time… Antonio narrowed his eyes, reached out and pressed Si Qiang’s shoulder, and whispered, “Tell me, do you and the Earl really have… that kind of relationship?”

"What kind of relationship?" Si Qiang blinked, then smiled, "I don't quite understand what you mean."

That's what he said, but his expression conveyed a completely different meaning—clearly, he knew what Antonio was going to ask, but he didn't intend to give a direct answer.

Looking at the light smile on the beautiful face in front of him, Antonio gritted his teeth in hatred: "You know what I'm going to ask." The more ambiguous Si Qiang's attitude was, the more convinced he became that she was indeed the Earl's lover... The more he thought about this, the more jealous and resentful he became.

Si Qiang stared at him for a while, then slowly her smile faded, and said, word by word, "What if I say it is? What if it isn't?"

Antonio was speechless at his attitude, and it took him a while to find his voice: "I just want to know, do I even have a chance?"

"That was a direct hit," Si Qiang frowned, then sighed. "Now is not the time to talk about these things. You have your goals, and I have my own things to do."

Listening to Si Qiang's usual perfunctory words, Antonio gripped his shoulders tightly. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Why? Tell me, why can you love that clueless Xu Qi, you can love that pretentious count, but you can't even look at me properly? What do I lack compared to them!" For this man, his carefree playboy image had long been thrown to the winds; he only knew how to fawn over him like a puppy, yet he couldn't see even the slightest hope! He was truly unwilling to accept it!

Si Qiang had a bad feeling. He hadn't expected the other person to be so enraged that they would lose control. He had no choice but to skillfully deflect the other person's hand, take a step back, and explain calmly, "Luis and I are not in the kind of relationship you're imagining. He is a pure heterosexual, and there is absolutely no possibility between us."

Antonio was stunned, not expecting Si Qiang to be so straightforward. By the time he finally came to his senses, Si Qiang had already pushed him out the door.

"I hope you can go back and calm down. We have important things to do tomorrow, so please don't start fighting among yourselves." After saying this, Si Qiang decisively closed the door, completely shutting him out.

…Oh no, he'd lost control. Antonio regained his composure, rubbing his forehead in frustration. What had he done? This only made the relationship he'd worked so hard to improve even more strained, completely contrary to his original purpose. Si Qiang was right; they had important business to attend to tomorrow, and he shouldn't have been so stubborn at a time like this. There would be plenty of time; he'd have other opportunities. As long as he truly destroyed that man and cut off Si Qiang's escape route—where else could Si Qiang go but here?

Yes, this is how Antonio loves his partner. Ruthless and decisive like a mountain eagle, leaving no room for compromise, using cunning and force to seize power, leaving the prey nowhere to escape—the world-renowned Italian Mafia has never been one to prey on others.