Chapter 143 Little Saviors

Gia and Maximo sat quietly in their room, their small Hands clasped under their chins as they stared into the empty space before them. This calm was merely the quiet before the storm. "Where have they kept Daddy?" Gia mumbled thoughtfully, her voice filled with concern. "I overheard Mom talking to Uncle Alexander about it, but he didn't say anything," Maximo murmured, his brow furrowed in frustration. "Hmm, they think they can keep our father prisoner?!" Gia frowned, a flash of anger crossing her innocent face. "If we'd known sooner, Daddy wouldn't have had to suffer in that dirty place for so long," she huffed in frustration. "They can't keep our daddy here. He's too smart for them," Maximo mused, a hint of pride in his voice. "Then why did Daddy let them capture him?" Gia asked, turning to face her twin brother, her innocent blue eyes blinking with curiosity. Maximo also turned to face his sister, his expression mirroring her confusion. "I'm thinking the same," he admitted, exhaling a breath of frustration. "But it's not a crime to date our mom, and Daddy shouldn't be punished for loving us," he declared with a frown. "I used to like Uncle Alexander, but now I don't like him anymore after what he did to Daddy," little Gia said with a scowl. "Are we just going to sit here and do nothing to free Daddy?" she asked with determination in her voice. "No! We can't let Daddy stay locked in that dirty place. He has to be with us, here!" Maximo announced firmly. "I already have a plan." He quickly pulled out his laptop and began typing furiously. Within moments, encrypted codes flashed across the screen, and suddenly, all the CCTV camera feeds from the manor appeared on his laptop, displaying every corner of the estate. Maximo's observant eyes quickly scanned through the screens on his laptop until he found the live CCTV footage of the dungeon. He scrolled frantically, and when Alessandro's face appeared on the screen, he froze, his cursor hovering over the image. "There he is!" he squealed, prompting Gia to lean in closer to the laptop. Her little face fell as she took in the sight of their father. Her handsome daddy looked sad and hurt. His face was covered in bruises, and his expensive, fine clothes were dirty and torn. Anger welled up in Gia' innocent heart, and she felt a fierce desire to teach a lesson to whoever had hurt her father. "Maximo, hurry up! Let our father out of there. I need him to be okay," Gia demanded, her lips trembling with worry. "Don't worry, Gia. I'm already on it," Maximo replied, his face set with determination. His small eyes were locked on the screen as his fingers flew across the laptop keyboard. After running a few more encryptions, a smile appeared on his face. With a final breath of certainty, he pressed the enter key firmly. "It's done!" he announced. The CCTV feed from the room where Alessandro was imprisoned was cut out, and the screen went blank. The live video surveillance from that specific location was disabled. As a result, the camera stopped transmitting footage, and the screen displaying the live feed went blank. But before it disappeared, they heard the faint click of the passcode-protected prison door unlocking. Alessandro lay on the cold, hard floor of the dungeon, his posture relaxed despite the grim surroundings. He tucked his hands beneath his head, one leg bent with the knee raised, while the other leg was stretched out and draped over the bent one. It had been three days, and Mia had not come to see him. Despite the pain and isolation, he did not lose hope. He remained steadfast, willing to endure whatever it took to show her that he loved her and only her. He was prepared to suffer in this grim place as long as it took to convince her. However, Alessandro Valentino was not just any man. As a mafia king, he had been trained to endure extreme torture. His enemies called him a monster for a reason. To him, this ill-treatment was nothing. Though he lived in luxury, he was indifferent to comfort, accustomed to navigating a life fraught with death threats and danger. Raised amidst gunfire, bloodshed, and trauma, he had been exposed to violence and suffering from a young age. But today, he felt different. His heart was restless, and he couldn't understand why. His instincts told him he had to leave this place immediately. A sense of unease made him tense, and he sprang up abruptly when he heard a faint click. His sharp gaze darted to the prison door and noticed it was ajar. Then he saw the CCTV camera, its red recording light now extinguished. A knowing smile spread across his lips. He realized who must be behind this own blood and flesh, his children, who shared his intelligence and cleverness. In fact, they were even more astute than their father. Feeling a surge of pride for his children, Alessandro quickly assessed his surroundings. He spotted a guard patrolling near his cell. As the guard approached, Alessandro seized the moment. He pushed the cell door open, landing a swift punch to the guard's face before the rifle could be aimed at him. With agile movements, he kicked the second guard, who was about to fire, and knocked him unconscious with a single punch. Surveying the area, Alessandro saw that the path was clear. He stealthily made his way out of the dungeon, carefully avoiding the gaze of the security personnel. Though his escape was successful, a nagging sense of unease lingered. Climbing over the fence, he jumped down onto the manor's periphery. He spotted a car parked nearby, with Lucas seated inside. Alessandro quickly got into the car and noticed the anxious expression on Lucas's face. "What's the matter?" Alessandro asked. "Look at this, Boss!" Lucas said urgently, handing Alessandro his phone. Alessandro snatched the phone from Lucas's hand, and his curious eyes snapped to the screen. His face darkened as he watched the news footage unfolding before him. The broadcast showed scenes of gunfire and thick smoke enveloping the press conference venue. The smoke gradually cleared to reveal that one person was missing from the scene.