I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

Duanmu Yan stood silently beside Koleta.

Today, he witnessed firsthand the ruthless methods of the Motari family.

Having gathered enough solid evidence, Colletta had clearly lost patience with them.

When they first entered this territory, the gatekeepers, who were still unaware of what was happening, almost turned on them with their weapons.

However, Koleta gave him an offer he couldn't refuse—she ordered a gun to be held to his forehead: either open the door or his head would be blown off.

And so they marched straight in, as if they were in an empty field.

In fact, they didn't alert anyone at all.

Because everyone was already under her control.

That's pure gangster style.

Although Duanmu Yan knew that the Motari family was doing legitimate business on the surface, he still sensed a Mafia-like ruthlessness and coldness in their style of doing things.

Good morning, Mr. Giacomo Facchibina.

"Looks like you had a good night's sleep."

"I hope Mr. Fachibiner will not mind my visit today."

With a soft voice, Coreta placed the coffee cup back on the tray, gracefully crossed her hands on her knees, and smiled as she watched Giacomo, who had just woken up from his sleep.

The other person was first stunned, then suddenly sat up in bed, staring at her with a look of horror—

What's Koleta doing here?

Could it be that……

Has everything been exposed?

He suppressed the surging panic and astonishment, trying to force a smile onto his trembling face.

"Um... Miss Koleta, is there... some misunderstanding between us? Weren't we working together very well before?"

"A misunderstanding?" Coleta remained composed and elegant, her voice so steady it betrayed no emotion. "I hope so. You didn't attend Ettore Mortari's funeral—was it out of guilt—or simply because you forgot?"

That name was like a bullet, instantly piercing Giacomo's carefully maintained composure.

His expression changed drastically, and he became incoherent.

"This...I...Miss Koleta, please let me explain..."

Koleta rested her chin on her hand, looking at him calmly: "Is that so? Then I'll give you a chance to explain slowly."

"I--"

This sudden act of leniency left Giacomo speechless for a moment, as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Duanmu Yan stood quietly beside her, his gaze silently fixed on the second young lady's profile.

He suddenly felt...

The current Colette seems to have changed a lot in style compared to her usual self.

Come to think of it, she is, after all, the sharpest weapon of the Motari family.

The blood on his hands was naturally considerable.

"Can't you explain it?" Koleta stared at Giacomo, who stood frozen in place, her voice still calm, yet carrying a chilling penetrating force. "I don't understand. The rise of the Fachipina family relied on the support and favor of the Motari. If the Motari falls, what good will it do you? Do you really think the Order and the Fesari family will let you off the hook?"

"Miss Koleta, I...I..."

Giacomo clenched his fists, but his throat felt like it was being choked by iron clamps, and he couldn't squeeze out a complete sentence.

As the head of a small family, he knew better than anyone the world of difference between Facibina and Motari.

That's precisely why he's even more eager to seize every opportunity that could elevate his family to the upper echelons—even if it means risking everything.

Only this time,

He clearly made the wrong bet.

“It seems you understand. Motari never shows mercy to traitors.” Koleta slowly rose and walked gracefully toward the door. “However, if you are willing to offer up the entire Fachibana family’s assets, plus twenty chests of Monet gold coins, as funds for our auction… then this betrayal and mourning may still have a chance to be redeemed.”

"Time is precious in the morning. So, I won't bother you any longer."

"Have a pleasant day, Mr. Fachina."

"Then, see you at the auction."

As soon as she finished speaking, she and her entourage left, leaving Giacomo sitting stiffly in the silence—as if she had never been there.

……

……

The rain is still falling.

Duanmu Yan stood beside Koleta, holding an umbrella.

The cool morning dew dampened his black tuxedo.

"Second Miss, there's something I don't quite understand," Duanmu Yan said in a low voice.

"Hmm?" Koleta stretched casually. "Go ahead."

"You just said that Motari never forgives traitors, yet he gave Giacomo room to redeem himself?"

“Oh, that?” Koleta chuckled and walked forward with ease, Duanmu Yan following closely beside her. “That was just forcing him.”

"Force him?"

“Because what I really want has always been the entire Fácsbiner family. Do you think… he would willingly give it up?” She shrugged, but her tone turned cold. “He won’t. He’ll only be driven to a corner, and then—desperate measures.”

"for example?"

"For example, arranging an assassination, declaring a full-scale war against Motari... After all, in his view, as long as I take my life as a pledge of loyalty, Fesari might protect him in his final moments."

"Uh, then why not nip it in the bud? I mean—"

Duanmu Yan made the shape of a gun with his hand and gently pressed it against his temple, the meaning of which was self-evident.

“Of course not.” Koleta covered her mouth and chuckled. “I’ve said it before, we’re not a gang. All of Mortari’s actions must follow the rules. If we cross the line, the Order and Fesari will have an excuse to attack us.”

"Besides, the family could indeed make Fachibana disappear overnight—but at what cost?"

"The price will be widespread rumors and gossip, which will be a fatal blow to the family business. Outsiders will not care about our feud with Giacomo; they will only believe that Motari is bullying the weak and eliminating dissidents. At that time, everyone will be in danger, and Laguna will only become more closed off."

"This is not the situation we want."

"Therefore, I must force Giacomo to make the first move."

"Only in this way can the family rightfully—completely erase Fachibana."

After hearing this, Duanmu Yan nodded thoughtfully: "...I see."

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore,” Coleta suggested. “I’m suddenly a little hungry. Let’s go get something to eat.”

Colleta.jpg

Volume One: Chapter Forty-Six 3+3=24

Laguna.

The suburbs along the riverbank gradually awakened under the continuous rain.

Changli and Cantrela sat facing each other in an old-fashioned breakfast shop, with steaming traditional dishes laid out on the wooden table.

“This shop has been here as long as I can remember.” Cantrell took a sip of black tea, his gaze sweeping across the slowly flowing river outside the window. “It’s been like this for decades, the most traditional Laguna breakfast.”

She paused, a hint of melancholy creeping into her voice: "It's a pity, it's too far from the city center... Business is getting worse and worse, I don't know how much longer I can hold on."

Chang Li smiled slightly and said, "Is that so? It seems we have the same taste. In Jinzhou, I often go to old shops like this... The food is very good, but unfortunately, their fate is no different from here."

“That’s why we became friends.” Cantrell turned to look at her, a hint of barely perceptible emotion in his voice. “So, when do you plan to go back to Jinzhou?”

"Let's wait a few more days," Changli replied.

She had come to Lina Xita at the invitation of Cantrera in order to deal with the rampaging Mingshiki.

But reality was far more complicated than she had imagined—if the Wuxiang Xianzhu of Jinzhou was still within a controllable range, then the erosion of Lina Xita by Leviathan had already been completed.

Even she was helpless in this matter.

“I’ve heard that the current Prefect of Jinzhou is your disciple, and also a Resonator of the Lord of the Year,” Cantrell asked softly. “Is there really no way to ask that child to step in and get ‘Horn’ to help?”

Chang Li shook his head: "Although Jin Xi is a Resonator of the Year Lord, she is still quite inexperienced and lacks practical combat experience. Moreover, the current 'Horn' is far from its peak. Beiluoye is still occupied by the War Cry, who are always waiting for an opportunity to strike Huanglong. Once the 'Horn' leaves Jinzhou, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Upon hearing these words, a hint of sadness flashed across Cantrell's eyes.

Is Lina Shita... truly beyond saving?

“However—” Chang Li’s tone shifted slightly, “In Laguna, I met a familiar-looking ‘old friend.’”

"A familiar face?" Cantrell narrowed his eyes slightly. "Who is it?"

“It’s the young man we met on the ship earlier,” Changli said calmly. “A few days ago, I ran into him by chance on the streets of Laguna. We visited the Mercury Cathedral together and watched a performance.”

"Oh? So that's your taste?" Cantrell raised an eyebrow and chuckled, his tone slightly teasing.

Changli didn't take her joke seriously, just smiled and brushed it off: "But during the performance, the young man was drawn into Sonora by a melody and glimpsed a truth about a religious order and the Faisal family... which they are still trying to hide to this day."

Upon hearing this, Cantrell's flippant expression vanished instantly, replaced by a serious one: "What...did he see?"

Chang Li paused slightly, lowering his voice: "He told me that he saw a magnificent horse in the sky... being dragged into the bottomless abyss of the deep sea by a giant fish."

Cantrela's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her lips parted slightly: "It's unbelievable... I've never heard of anyone being dragged into Sonora by the Year Lord's echo because of a performance. Could it be that that person... has some kind of connection with the Year Lord?"

Changli turned her head and looked at the drizzling rain outside the door: "Who knows? Perhaps... he is the knight who can save Lina Xita?" She paused slightly, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Besides, if you are really so curious, why not go and meet him yourself?"

"What do you mean?" Cantrell was slightly taken aback.

She followed Changli's gaze to the shop entrance—where there should have been no one, but now two figures stood quietly.

One of them is the second young lady of the Motari family.

The other one was the young man they had met at sea earlier—Duanmu Yan.

"Second Miss, why did you decide to come to such a remote place?" Duanmu Yan asked with a hint of doubt.

“Of course, it’s because the flavors here are the most traditional,” Coleta replied cheerfully. “Haven’t you tried it?”

The two chatted as they stepped into the shop. Just as Coleta was about to find a seat, her gaze suddenly fell on Cantrera and Changli sitting to the side.

Her movements paused slightly, and a frosty coldness immediately appeared on her face as she stared straight at Cantrell.

Although she had never met the head of the Fesari family in person, Coreta already knew her face well from many portraits. She recognized her at a glance.

"It seems my luck isn't too good today." Koleta's voice was cool, yet she maintained her composed demeanor. "Miss Cantrera, head of the Fesari family. If I'm not mistaken, this should be our first formal meeting?"

Cantrera showed no sign of wavering in the face of Corletta's obvious hostility, responding with an elegant smile: "Indeed, Miss Corletta. But rest assured, I am merely having a small gathering with friends today and have no intention of turning against the Mortari family."

As she spoke, she slowly rose and walked toward Kolatta—more precisely, toward Duanmu Yan behind her.

Koleta was startled, and almost instinctively activated her resonance ability, instantly producing a gun in her hand.

“Please don’t be nervous,” Cantrell said gently, as if soothing a frightened bird. “There may be some misunderstanding between us—I’m actually not that interested in you, Miss Coleta.”

As she spoke, she glanced at Duanmu Yan, tilting her head slightly to reveal a meaningful smile.

"Could it be that this young guest has already forgotten our encounter at sea?"

Upon hearing this, Koleta's eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to Duanmu Yan: "What encounter? Do you two know each other?"

Duanmu Yan awkwardly turned her face away and scratched the back of her head: "Well, Miss, let me explain... it's not what you think."

He was about to explain the encounter at sea, but before he could utter a single word, Cantrella had somehow bypassed Coleta and appeared before him.

She gently took his hand, placed it between them, and spoke softly in a tone that easily sparked the imagination.

"Although it was just a brief but wonderful encounter, I would be very sad if the little guest forgot about it."

She tilted her head slightly, her eyes gleaming with a half-smile.

"Why don't we go over there and have a proper talk?"

Her captivating smile made Duanmu Yan's breath catch in his throat and his heart skip a beat. He nodded absentmindedly, but then snapped back to reality and quickly shook his head.

“Oh dear, don’t be so quick to refuse.” Cantrell’s voice was gentle, as if carrying an invisible hook. “You still have an old friend there. By the way, how about considering—joining the Fesalie family?”

Koleta watched this scene unfold, her anger nearly escalating beyond her sanity. Only a remnant of her upbringing and sense of identity allowed her to maintain a semblance of restraint.

She stood on tiptoe, a forced smile on her face, grabbed Cantrell's shoulder, and said in a chilling voice.