Used Goods

Julian’s heavy boots scraped against the gravel as he neared the sprawling wrought-iron exit of the Rossi estate. Before he could cross the threshold, the deafening roar of high-performance engines shattered the tense silence. A pristine, heavily decorated convoy of luxury cars abruptly swerved into the driveway, completely blocking his only path forward.

The door of the lead vehicle swung open. Lucca Morello stepped out into the sunlight, clutching an extravagant bouquet, a smug aura radiating from his tailored designer suit. As the mafia heir’s gaze landed on Julian, he froze. For a fleeting second, genuine shock washed over Lucca’s arrogant features at the sight of the very man he had meticulously framed and sent to rot in a hellish prison cell.

Then, Lucca tilted his head back and guffawed out loud, the harsh sound echoing off the mansion walls.

Mockingly slapping his forehead, Lucca cruelly feigned forgetfulness. "Well, I'll be damned," Lucca sneered, his voice dripping with sadistic amusement. "I completely forgot that today is the very day you were released from your little cage. What an absolutely wonderful coincidence. Tell me, convict, would you like to attend my wedding with Sasha?"

Julian simply locked eyes with him, his expression an impenetrable mask of cold danger, and took a deliberate step to the side to bypass the circus entirely.

"Hold on now, don't run away just yet!" Lucca barked, quickly sidestepping to block Julian’s path again. A malicious gleam danced in his eyes. "Is it because you’re a broke bastard who can't afford a cash gift? Don't worry about it. You don't have to bring a single dime. Instead, I'll let you scrape the leftovers from the luxurious banquet tables. We’re hosting the reception at The Grand Sterling. Let's be honest, if you don't come today, a lowly thug like you will never, ever get the opportunity to set foot in a place like that."

Smiling contemptuously, Lucca stepped forward, raising his perfectly manicured hand, attempting to patronizingly pat Julian’s cheek like a disobedient stray dog.

Julian’s reflexes were blinding. He violently slapped the wealthy heir’s hand away with a vicious crack that echoed in the driveway.

"Keep your filthy hands to yourself, idiot," Julian sneered, meeting Lucca’s arrogant smirk with a look of pure, unadulterated disgust. "What exactly is so incredibly great about marrying used goods? You’re standing there puffing out your chest, proudly taking my leftover scraps."

Though Julian had fiercely protected her boundaries and had never even held Sasha's hand during their entire relationship, he knew exactly which psychological buttons to press to inflict maximum damage on the treacherous couple.

Overhearing the booming insult from the mansion’s towering doorway, Sasha immediately panicked. The remaining color completely drained from her face. "Julian, you bastard!" she shrieked frantically, her voice pitching into a hysterical octave. "What malicious lies are you spewing right now? How dare you call me that!" She aggressively grabbed Lucca’s arm, vehemently declaring, "Lucca, listen to me! I swear I would never let someone as lowly and disgusting as Julian touch me! He never laid a finger on me!"

Mina quickly scrambled out of the house, hovering anxiously to soothe her wealthy future son-in-law. "Lucca, darling, please don't listen to a single word of his venom," she chimed in desperately, dismissing Julian with a frantic wave of her hand. "It’s nothing more than a pathetic loser's sour grapes! He's just insanely jealous. My daughter would never lower herself to let a criminal touch her!"

Though Lucca narrowed his eyes and coldly stated, "Don't worry, Mrs. Rossi, I don't believe a single word of this ex-convict's desperate bluff," his massive ego was clearly, visibly bruised. The muscle in his jaw feathered with suppressed rage.

He stepped aggressively into Julian’s personal space, the scent of expensive cologne clashing with Julian's prison-hardened grit. Lucca issued a dark, quiet warning. "You better keep your mouth completely shut. If I find you spreading nasty rumors about my new wife, I will personally make sure you deeply regret the day you were born."

Julian didn’t flinch. He didn't even blink. He met Lucca’s murderous gaze with absolute, chilling calm.

"My mouth is my own, Lucca. I'll say whatever the hell I want," Julian countered smoothly, his voice dropping to a deadly, icy tone. "In fact, you are the one who should watch your back. If you aren't careful, you won't even know what hits you on the day you abruptly lose your miserable life."

A sudden, inexplicable chill shot straight down Lucca’s spine at the icy delivery. It felt as if the Grim Reaper himself had just breathed down his neck. Furious at his own momentary weakness, Lucca widened his eyes in blind fury. "You have a death wish, convict!" he vehemently threatened, spit flying from his lips. "I swear to God, I will make you beg on your hands and knees before this day is done!"

"We'll see who ends up on their knees," Julian replied, an emotionless void in his eyes.

"Lucca, please, it's time!" Mina urged urgently, grabbing the irritated groom by the elbow and ushering him inside the mansion to prepare for the ceremony. "Let’s just ignore this broke bastard. He isn't worth ruining your perfect day."

Julian stood perfectly still in the courtyard. Watching Lucca’s retreating back as he stomped up the marble stairs, Julian covertly raised his hand by his side. With a highly subtle, practically invisible flick of his finger, he shot a concentrated ray of internal spiritual light directly across the distance, burying it deep into Lucca's body.

Lucca physically jolted on the top step for a brief second. He twisted uncomfortably, aggressively rubbing the center of his back as if he had just been bitten by a massive, unseen bug, but ultimately shrugged it off and carried on walking into the grand house.

Smirking darkly at the thought of who would actually be crying and begging on their knees once the latent energy took its inevitable, agonizing effect, Julian turned sharply on his heel. He left the Rossi estate behind forever, heading directly for The Grand Sterling.

Meanwhile, outside the towering glass-and-gold entrance of The Grand Sterling, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense. William Sterling paced anxiously back and forth across the polished granite pavement. The prominent billionaire, widely known as the richest and most powerful man in the city, ignored everything around him.

A large, whispering crowd of onlookers rapidly gathered near the velvet ropes, murmuring in total surprise as they recorded the unprecedented sight on their phones.

"Is that really Mr. Sterling?" one bystander murmured excitedly. "Why on earth is he standing out here like a common doorman?"

"I heard the Morello family's eldest son is hosting his wedding reception here today," another speculated wildly. "Do you think Mr. Sterling is waiting outside to personally and respectfully greet the Morello family's wedding party? They must have unimaginable hidden power to demand that kind of respect!"

Checking the face of his expensive watch repeatedly, William completely ignored the buzzing crowd. More importantly, he entirely ignored his daughter’s persistent, irritated pleas.

Jolene followed him back and forth, her designer heels clicking frantically against the stone. "Dad, please, you need to stop this madness!" she argued forcefully, crossing her arms. "I am firmly convinced that the young man who poked you is simply bullshitting us."

William continued to pace, his eyes darting frantically down the busy avenue.

"Are you even listening to me?" Jolene vehemently insisted, her voice rising in frustration. "All this dramatic talk about a hidden injured left lung is pure crap! It is specifically designed to terrify you so he can extort us for millions later! You have a little lung inflammation from the severe flu you caught last week, nothing more. Stop waiting for a scammer and let me take you to a real, certified hospital right now!"

William sighed grimly. The heavy weight of his agonizing reality finally forced him to halt. Stopping his anxious pacing, he turned to look his beautiful daughter directly in the eye, his expression carved from absolute gravity.

"Jolene," he began, his voice thick with a weary, hidden sorrow. "There are deeply hidden matters in this world that you are entirely unaware of."

Jolene blinked, taken aback by the sheer, uncharacteristic solemnity in her father's tone. The bustling noise of the city seemed to fade away.

"The highly trained doctors at the hospital have absolutely no way of seeing or detecting the deeply ingrained injury on my left lung," William revealed gravely, placing a trembling hand over his chest. "Modern medicine cannot map it. Scanners cannot find it. This hidden, life-threatening ailment has silently plagued me for more than twenty years, eating away at my vitality day by day."

He looked away, staring into the middle distance. "I deliberately kept it a total secret from you because I didn't want you to spend your entire life constantly worrying about my sudden demise. You are all I have left."

Stupefied, the color drained from Jolene’s face. Consumed by a sudden, overwhelming panic for the only family she had left in the world, she lunged forward and firmly grasped his cold hand.

"Dad... what are you talking about? Twenty years?" she stammered wildly, her eyes wide with mounting terror. "Please, don't scare me like this! You can't be dying! I... I already called the famous Dr. Westcott! He's the best physician in the state! I told him to come directly to the hotel to intervene, he’ll be arriving shortly, he can fix whatever this is!"

Completely dismissing her frantic panic over the renowned doctor's impending arrival, William simply shook his head slowly. "My injury is a very long, very dark story, Jolene. A doctor like Westcott cannot save me now."

As his solemn words fell heavily between them, an oppressive silence settled over the father and daughter. William gently squeezed Jolene's trembling hand. He raised his wrist, checking his watch one last time as the appointed hour rapidly approached. Stepping slightly away from the luxurious hotel entrance, William peered out far ahead, his intense gaze desperately searching the hazy city horizon, clinging to the desperate hope that his mysterious savior would finally arrive.