19: Someone Had to Pay

When we arrived at Valentino’s house, the car stopped right at the front entrance. Noah stepped out first, opened my door, and the moment I looked around, I sensed something was off. There were far too many men guarding the property—more than usual. The tension in the air was suffocating, like the calm before a storm ready to tear everything apart.

Standing at the door, like a shadow carved from stone, was Valentino’s father. Beside him, a man whose face looked twisted in grief and rage. He was pale, trembling slightly, and in his eyes—those hollow, wild eyes—I saw something that made my skin crawl. Fury. Hatred. Despair. As he looked at me, I could swear I felt that hatred seep into my bones. It was so sharp, so visceral, that I had to look away. I shivered without meaning to.

Noah helped me out of the car and settled me into the wheelchair.

“What’s going on?” I asked, my chest tight with an unspoken dread.

“There are important men here today,” he replied with unnerving calm.

He push