The Mafia King's Unknown Doctor Wife novel Chapter 325

"They've brought in outside animals," Elio explained. "All species that are already supposed to be in play, but only the most dangerous ones. They've already released some."

"The squares show where the cages are hidden," Rocco continued. "The color marks what day they're supposed to be released on."

"To what end?" Massimo asked, looking even more closely at the map. "Sure, some of these are along zone edges and could cause some problems, but not before the guards stop the wild beasts. And it's not like you can control a wild beast—outside of making it angry and vicious."

"It's a two-fold attack," Elio replied. "On the one hand, they've got a bunch of dangerous, high point value animals that they know the exact location of. They can always kill these big bears and buffalo to inflate their own scores for the competition."

"But," Rocco said, "we think the real plan is to cause trouble. Those dons were mentioning that the 'real kicker' is supposed to take place on the last day of the competition."

"But the assholes are keeping their cards close to their chest," Elio complained. "We haven't been told any specifics yet. "

Massimo nodded. "Still, this isn't nothing," he replied. "Keep up the good work."

The two men took the compliment for the dismissal it was. But as Elio went to open the door, he suddenly turned around.

"Luna wanted me to pass along her apologies to Elena," he explained. "Our wives thought it might be more convincing if they acted coldly to both of you, too—and, I mean, it obviously worked. But Luna wanted Elena to know she's very sorry for acting so rudely."

Massimo wondered if this, perhaps, was the cause of Elena's behavior at dinner. She had gotten closer to Luna, after all. And Elena, for all her strengths, was easily hurt by the cruelty of others.

"I'll let her know," Massimo said. "Now leave. All this hard work will be for nothing if you get caught sneaking around in the middle of the night."

The next morning as Massimo got ready, he knocked on Elena's door.

"It is," Elena replied simply. "It's only a day away." Her lips stayed pressed together in a flat line.

"What's bothering you?" Massimo asked for what felt like the hundredth time. He kept making incorrect guesses, so it was time for the direct approach.

And maybe he had asked too many times because rather than defect his question, Elena just sighed. "I can't stop thinking about what I did to that poor wolf," she confessed.

"That was self-defense though?" Massimo said, completely confused. Why was this still bothering her? "It was pretty clearly your life or its—"

"That doesn't make what I did okay!" Elena suddenly snapped. "And guilt doesn't just disappear like that either—though I doubt a mafia man like yourself could ever understand that."