Chapter 9

Elena's POV

"How much ransom do you want? I can pay it. I want both of them." Lorenzo tried to sound calm, but the tremor at the end of his words betrayed his panic.

The kidnapper laughed heartily. "Lorenzo, we don't want a ransom. We just want you to understand what it's like to lose someone you love.

"One is your new flame, while the other is an old love. Make your choice quickly, or both will die."

As he spoke, he tore the tape off my mouth and Sofia's.

Sofia could no longer keep her composure and screamed out in terror, "Lorenzo, save me! I don't want to die!"

Lorenzo stopped hesitating and said, "Let Sofia go."

My hands, sawing through the rope, paused for a moment before I sped up. Even though I had never expected anything from Lorenzo, his cold-bloodedness toward me still made me feel despair.

Fortunately, I had never intended to rely on him.

While the kidnapper was still talking to Lorenzo, I opened the door, jumped out, and rolled down the mountainside.

Amid Sofia's frantic scream of "She got away!", I gritted my teeth and ran downhill without stopping.

I ran for a long time until my feet bled. I ran until I was exhausted and only moving on instinct. Finally, I reached the main road, where a kind passerby took me to the police station.

After giving my statement, I treated my wounds and went home, just in time to receive a package from the private investigator.

I steadied my pounding heart and turned the pages one by one, my mood growing heavier with each page.

At last, when I saw the investigation date—the day before Dad jumped—I finally understood everything.

It turned out Mrs. Moretti had been one of the main driving forces behind the Bianchi family's bankruptcy. Her goal had been nothing more than the praise of repaying a favor, as well as the Bianchis' long-established business network.

It was no wonder Dad chose to jump that day. For a man who loved his daughter as much as he did, there was no way he could bear to keep sending her into the lion's den.

He didn't jump to die—he jumped to leave me the insurance money so I could leave without any ties.

I collapsed onto the floor and cried my heart out. After that, I took my investigation notes and headed to the airport.

Just as I was about to board, Lorenzo called me, his tone furious.

"Elena, I thought you were just simply jealous of Sofia, but I didn't expect you to be so vicious as to run away and leave her in danger. Do you know—"

"Lorenzo," I cut him off directly. "You started this. You're the one who should fix it."

With that, I hung up, got on the plane, and left.

By the time I landed, it was the next morning. I turned my phone back on, only to find that Lorenzo's missed calls and messages had completely overloaded it.

I ignored them. Instead, I personally handed the evidence to Guillermo Lucia of the Lucia family—Lorenzo's mortal enemy and the Bianchis' former ally.

The ruthless Mafia Don told me that he would help me make Lorenzo and the Moretti family pay a price worse than death.