The rotors of the helicopter had barely stopped spinning as Leo and Marco disembarked, rushing toward the private jet waiting on the tarmac. The sound of their hurried footsteps echoed through the deserted hangar, urgency in every stride. They were only minutes away from leaving the chaos behind—until a sea of armed men blocked their path.
Drew stepped forward from the crowd, his expression a mask of icy fury. “Going somewhere, Leo?” he called out, voice dripping with a mocking tone.
Leo’s eyes narrowed. “What’s the meaning of this, Drew? We had a deal,” he said, barely masking his irritation.
Drew’s men began advancing, rifles raised and eyes trained on Leo and his team. Drew lifted a hand, and they froze, awaiting his orders. “Search everything,” Drew commanded, his voice like a whip crack.
“What the hell is this?” Marco protested, stepping forward, but Leo held up a hand, signaling him to stand down.
“We haven’t taken anything,” Leo said calmly, though his eyes were blazing with restrained fury. “We came here to do business, and now you’re treating us like thieves?”
Drew’s men swarmed Leo’s team, ripping open bags, turning out pockets, and rifling through compartments. One of them suddenly let out a triumphant shout, holding up a gleaming object for everyone to see: the Blue Diamond.
Leo’s heart sank. The diamond glimmered under the harsh lights of the hangar, its deep azure color casting shadows on Drew’s scowling face. Drew’s gaze locked onto Leo, his smile now a cruel, victorious grin.
“Well, well,” Drew drawled, waving the diamond in front of Leo. “Care to explain this?”
Leo’s expression didn’t falter. “That’s not ours,” he said, his voice steady and cold. “We were set up.”
Drew’s grin faded instantly, replaced by a look of deadly seriousness. “Oh, spare me the excuses,” he snarled. “The evidence is right here.” He pulled out the torn piece of fabric with the Black Salvatore emblem, shaking it in front of Leo’s face. “First, my gem goes missing. Now, I find your symbol at the scene? What am I supposed to believe, Leo?”
Leo’s jaw clenched, but he forced himself to stay calm. “You’re supposed to believe that someone is trying to pit us against each other,” he said. “Whoever planted that evidence knew exactly what they were doing.”
Drew’s eyes blazed with fury. “You think I’m stupid?” he hissed, stepping closer, his face inches from Leo’s. “No one steals from me and gets away with it.”
“Look around you, Drew,” Leo replied, not backing down an inch. “We’ve been together the whole time. If I wanted that diamond, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave behind a piece of my own emblem.”
Drew scoffed, turning to Marco. “Your boss thinks I’m naive. But this is mafia business, gentlemen. Honor among thieves is dead.”
Marco, his fists clenched, stepped forward. “We had no reason to take your gem, Drew,” he said, trying to defuse the situation. “Whoever did this wants you to believe it was us. They’re playing us.”
Drew seemed to consider this for a moment, but then one of his men came forward with another bag—this one filled with Drew’s insignia. Drew’s eyes widened, fury boiling over.
Leo held his ground, though tension coiled in his muscles like a snake ready to strike. “You really think we’d be that sloppy, Drew? Planting evidence like that? Whoever did this knows how to play both sides.”
“Then why did I find this in your possession?” Drew shouted, shaking the diamond in his fist.
Leo’s face was a mask of calm, but inside, he was strategizing. “We don’t need your damn diamond. We came here to do business, not pick a fight,” he said. “But if you want to make an enemy out of me over this, then fine. But know this—someone’s laughing behind your back right now, Drew.”
For a moment, it seemed Drew might consider Leo’s words, but his pride and fury wouldn’t let him back down. “Enough,” Drew barked. “Take them all into custody. We’ll sort this out in my own way.”
Leo shot a glance at Marco, who nodded almost imperceptibly. It was time to go off-script. Before Drew’s men could react, Leo’s team moved like a well-oiled machine, guns drawn in a flash.
“Get out of our way,” Leo growled, his voice like ice. “Or we’re going to have a real problem.”
Drew’s eyes widened as he realized he might have underestimated just how prepared Leo was. But before either side could make a move, the wail of approaching sirens echoed in the distance—someone had tipped off the authorities.
Leo used the brief moment of distraction to lean close to Drew. “You can either help us find who set this up,” he whispered, “or you can waste time fighting me while the real thief gets away.”
Drew’s jaw worked as he considered his options. Finally, he snarled, “Fine. But this isn’t over, Leo.”
Leo nodded curtly. “It never is,” he said, before turning to his men. “We’re leaving. Now.”
With that, Leo and his team started backing toward the waiting jet, engines roaring to life. Drew’s men hesitated, weapons half-lowered, a tense silence hanging in the air. But it was a fragile truce that shattered in an instant.
A single gunshot rang out, piercing through the tension like a knife. It was as if that sound had set off a chain reaction—suddenly, bullets were flying in every direction. 
“Ambush!” Marco shouted, grabbing Leo and pulling him behind a stack of crates just as a hail of bullets peppered the ground where they had been standing.
Leo’s eyes flashed with fury. “So this is how you want to play it, Drew?” he muttered under his breath. He signaled his men to take positions, drawing his own gun with a swift, practiced motion. 
Drew, meanwhile, had taken cover behind a row of parked cars, barking orders at his men. “Don’t let them escape! I want that bastard dead!” His voice was drowned out by the deafening roar of gunfire. The once-quiet hangar was now a battleground, the air thick with smoke and the acrid smell of gunpowder.
Marco ducked behind a pillar, returning fire, his face a mask of concentration. “Boss, we’re pinned down! They’ve got us surrounded!”