MasukChapter One Hundred Eight Elena POV The sirens grew louder until they swallowed the street. Red and blue lights bounced off broken glass and fresh paint. Workers stood in clusters whispering. Someone pulled Sophia away while she screamed my name like it was a curse.Chapter One Hundred EightElena POVThe sirens grew louder until they swallowed the street. Red and blue lights bounced off broken glass and fresh paint. Workers stood in clusters whispering. Someone pulled Sophia away while she screamed my name like it was a curse.I did not move.Brian stayed close his hand hovering near my arm without touching. Sandra stood on my other side shaking.Police tape went up fast. Questions flew everywhere. I answered none of them. My eyes stayed on the cracked wall of the restaurant. The place I poured my heart into. The place that was almost ready. Almost safe.A black convoy rolled in like nightfall.Every sound dipped.Every head turned.Valerio stepped out of the car slow and controlle
Chapter One Hundred SevenElena POVMorning came softly through the tall windows. Pale light slid across the floor and rested on my face like a careful hand. I did not sleep much. Every time I closed my eyes I saw faces. Sophia smiling. Lucas watching. Valerio standing in shadows making promises that felt sharp.I sat up slowly and breathed through the ache in my body. The nurse helped me dress. Simple clothes. Flat shoes. No jewelry. I looked like myself again and that felt strange.When I stepped outside the house the air was cool and calm. Too calm. The driver opened the door and I got in without a word. As the car moved I watched the city wake up. Shops opening. People laughing. Life going on like nothing had happened.At the restaurant site workers were already moving. The sound of tools filled the space. The smell of fresh paint and wood wrapped around me. I stepped out of the car and for a moment everyone froze.Then Brian smiled.You look better he said gently.I nodded. I am
Chapter One Hundred SixElena POVMy heart hammered as his words settled inside me. Trust me. It sounded simple when he said it but nothing about my life had been simple for a long time.I folded my arms around myself. You are asking me to be bait.He did not deny it. I am asking you to be brave one more time.I laughed softly but there was no humor in it. Brave is just another word people use when they want you to suffer quietly.His jaw tightened. I will not let you suffer.You already have I whispered.The silence between us grew thick. He did not argue. That scared me more than any lie.I turned away and walked to the couch sitting slowly. My legs felt weak again. If I say no what happens.He answered without hesitation. Then I lock this house down and fight a shadow war until someone bleeds. More people get hurt. More time passes. And they will still come for you eventually.I closed my eyes. I hated that he was right.What do I have to do I asked quietly.Valerio exhaled like he
Chapter One Hundred FiveElena POVValerio moved fast after that. Orders were given in clipped tones. Phones rang. Men scattered like pieces on a chessboard. The house that had been chaos moments ago snapped into sharp discipline. I stood there trying to breathe while everything spun around me.He turned back to me and his face softened just a little.You are coming with me now he said.I nodded. I was too tired to argue. Too afraid to pretend I was brave. My legs felt weak as he guided me toward the stairs. We did not go to his room. Instead he led me to a smaller wing of the house I had never seen before.A safe room.Thick doors. No windows. Soft light. A couch that looked untouched. It felt strange being placed somewhere so secure when my heart was anything but.Sit he said gently.I sat.He crouched in front of me so we were eye to eye. His hands rested on his knees. For the first time since the attack I saw it clearly. Worry. Real worry.They mentioned your father he said.I swa
Chapter One Hundred FourElena POVMy stomach clenched at his words. The people who started this. It sounded final. Like a door slamming shut behind us.Valerio took my hand and guided me away from the ruined hallway. His grip was firm but careful, like he was afraid I might disappear if he let go. We moved through the house slowly. Broken furniture lay scattered. Bullet holes marked the walls. The place that once felt untouchable now looked fragile, violated.“Were they here for me?” I asked quietly.He did not answer right away. That silence was worse than any lie.“They were testing boundaries,” he finally said. “And sending a message.”“To you,” I whispered.“Yes.”We reached the living room. Men were everywhere, cleaning, securing, speaking in low urgent voices. The smell of smoke mixed with blood made my head spin. Valerio pulled me closer to his side, positioning himself between me and everything else.“You are leaving tonight,” he said.My heart skipped. “Leaving where?”“Some
Chapter One Hundred ThreeElena POVThe basement door slammed shut above me, sealing me into darkness so thick it felt alive. My heart raced wildly as I pressed my back against the cold wall, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor. The air smelled damp and metallic, like old pipes and forgotten things.I hugged my knees to my chest, rocking slightly as distant gunshots thundered overhead. Every sound made me flinch. Every second stretched painfully long.Valerio had promised he would come back.I clung to that promise like it was the only solid thing left in the world.Footsteps echoed above, running, shouting, chaos tearing through the house. I squeezed my eyes shut and whispered a prayer I wasn’t even sure I believed in anymore.Please let him live.Please let me see him again.Time lost meaning. It could have been minutes or hours. My legs went numb from sitting. My throat burned with fear and unshed tears.Then suddenly everything went quiet.No gunshots. No shouting. No al







