Chapter: Flames of HomeCandice’s POVThe villa—our home, the place where Mom and I had rebuilt trust, where Mantovani and I had first confessed love on a moonlit piano—was engulfed in flames on that screen, and I felt my world fracture again, the war striking when we were halfway across the country, the sheriff’s revenge perfectly timed to split our forces and break our spirits. Dad’s apartment suddenly felt too small, the air thick with shock as Mantovani grabbed the phone, trying to call Sanna, Conti, anyone, but getting only static and voicemail, his face paling beneath the stubble, and I clutched Dad’s hand, promising him he was safe now, even as my own safety crumbled thousands of miles away. Mom sank into a chair, whispering, “We left them alone; this is my fault,” guilt eating at her, but Mantovani knelt in front of her, voice firm, “It’s the sheriff’s fault, Elena; we finish this for all of us,” and the passion in his eyes reignited our resolve, turning grief into action.We secured Dad in a safe lo
Last Updated: 2026-01-11
Chapter: A Father’s ShadowThe image seared my retina--the face of my dad, bruised and terrified, with duct tape over his mouth, the background his small apartment in New York that remained easily identifiable--and I was falling over to the world tipping the scales and my legs shaking as Mantovani picked me up, and the only thing supporting me is his face, which was duct taped, and I kept saying, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no Mom looked at the screen and screamed, her hand to her mouth, with tears instantly and streaming because even after the divorce she still cared, still recalled the man who had loved us both in his silent fashion and Sanna took the phone, his face hard to something deadly, and ordered flights and alliances to be made at once in New York. Bandaged though he was, and insisting on remaining, Conti rose, growling, on the couch, saying, We get him back, no one touches family, and the intensity with which he spoke was reflected in
Last Updated: 2026-01-09
Chapter: Blood Ties and Broken LiesConti fell with a sickening shock, and the blood leeked over his shirt like red wine, and I screamed his name and sank to my knees beside him, my hands against the wound in his shoulder, and I could feel the warm stickiness run through my fingers at the first touch, and then Mantovani was there, and his gun was being leveled at the new traitor--Giovanni, one of the bodyguards, who had been with us since the start, and his face was drawn up in remorse and covetingness as he took the smoking pistol, and said, "The The war boomed out again within our house, bullets bouncing on walls, Sanna and the rest of the remaining loyal men fired back and Giovanni was forced to seek protection behind the overturned dining table and Mom seized a dropped gun, shaking in hands, but glaring, screaming, No one takes my family! and fired a shot before he could wring the trigger which cut Giovanni on the arm, causing him to scream with pain.Mantovani dragged Conti along a column and tore his own sh
Last Updated: 2026-01-08
Chapter: Depths of DespairCandice’s P.O.V.The hole in the floor was a yawning maw, dust and smoke billowing up from the darkness, and I dropped to my knees at the edge, screaming Mantovani's name, my voice raw and broken, the sound echoing into the void, and my heart felt like it was being ripped out, the passion we shared flashing through my mind in a torrent of memories—the way he kissed me, the way he held me, the way he fought for us—and I couldn't breathe, the war's cruelty hitting me like a wave. Sanna pulled me back, his arms strong around me, saying, "He's tough; he'll be okay," but his voice cracked, revealing his own fear, and Mom knelt beside me, her hands on my shoulders, whispering, "We'll get him out; we have to believe," and her presence was a comfort, the family bond we'd rebuilt giving me strength amid the intrigue of the attack's timing, making me wonder if the mole had planned this explosion as a final act.Conti
Last Updated: 2026-01-07
Chapter: Assault on HomeCandice’s P.O.V.The drive back to the villa was a blur of speed and fear, the van's tires screeching on the highway as Mantovani pushed the engine to its limit, his knuckles white on the steering wheel, and I sat in the passenger seat, my phone clutched in my hand, trying to call Mom but getting no answer, the signal dropping in and out like a cruel tease. Conti was in the back with Ryan, who was gagged and bound again, his eyes wide with terror, but I couldn't spare him a thought; all I could focus on was the image of the villa—our home, our fragile peace—under siege, and the war that had been simmering suddenly boiling over into something personal and devastating. Mantovani glanced at me, his voice steady but edged with worry, "We'll get there in time; Sanna has men holding the line, and your mom is tough, she'll be okay," and I nodded, wanting to believe him, but the intrigue of the mole's betrayal gnawed at me, making me que
Last Updated: 2026-01-06
Chapter: L.ACandice's P.O.V.The safe house was an old warehouse out in L.A., the type of place that smelled of rust and unfulfilled dreams, and I felt that the concrete walls were closing in on me as we hauled Ryan Harlow inside; his body was limp due to the tranquilizer, his hair was matted with sweat, and Mantovani was holding him by the collar, but he was not vicious, just like it was a package that could explode any time. I stood and watched Conti zip-tie Ryan to a metal chair in the middle of the room, the clicking of the plastic resonating in the empty room, and my heart was racing with the fear and the determination that I had the key to rid us of the sheriff and his terror, but I could not get out of the feeling of guilt that was churning up in me, that Ryan was a just a kid who had gotten involved in the web of his brother. Mantovani glanced at me, his green eyes burning in the low fluorescent lights and drew me to him and kissed me, his lips rough and desperate, and said, Stay s
Last Updated: 2026-01-05
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