LOGIN**Stefano’s POV**My mind was spinning. My head felt like it was going to explode. How could Raffaele have had a hand in my father’s death? He was the man I trusted most with my revenge plans. He was the one who kept my anger alive. He pointed me like a loaded gun at Armando every single day. Had he just used me as a pawn to destroy his rival? Or was Armando lying right now to save his own skin?I didn't have time to find the truth. The air in the room hung heavy as we all stood there with our weapons drawn, and the only thing that truly mattered to me was Elena. She shouldn't have been in this room. She was the only light I had left in my dark life. I glanced at her for a split second and saw the terror in her eyes.How could I protect her if bullets started flying? There were too many guns and not enough cover.In the blink of an eye, Elena moved. She was fast, faster than I expected. Before I could reach out to shove her behind me, she threw herself into the line of fire, stepping
**Elena’s POV**The confidence I felt earlier began to leave my body. I suddenly became very afraid for Stefano. I turned to him, my hands clutching his jacket. "You have to hide, Stefano," I whispered, my voice shaking so much I could hardly get the words out. "You can’t let him see you. If he sees you here, he won’t stop until you are dead. Please... I can't lose you. Not now."Stefano cupped my face in his hands, his palms warm and steady. For a second, the chaos of the men outside faded. He looked into my eyes and gave me a small, sad smile. It was the kind of smile that made my chest hurt because it looked like a goodbye."I love you so much, Elena. Don’t worry about me. I will be fine. I'm a hard man to kill," he said.Before I could argue with him, he gently pushed me toward Luca. "Make sure you protect her," he commanded him.Heavy footsteps thudded against the hardwood floor. They were getting closer and closer to the living room. I stepped behind Luca, my fingers digging int
**Stefano’s POV**A soft sound came from the doorway, like a slight scuff of a shoe against the floor. I forced my heavy eyes open and lifted my head from the edge of the chair; my body felt heavy. For days, I had barely moved from this spot, staring at the space where Martina used to sit, surrounded by the silence of a house that no longer felt like a home. I saw her.I stayed frozen on the floor, afraid to move or even breathe. Was I dreaming? Was my mind finally breaking from the massive grief and the lack of sleep? I had been awake for too long, and my mind was playing tricks on me. If this was a hallucination, I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to hold on to this vision forever, to believe she was here, even if it wasn't true.I closed my eyes for a second, then forced them open again, half-expecting her to be gone, but she was still there.Elena stepped closer. She looked at me with so much worry and concern that it made my chest ache. She looked exhausted, her face pale, but h
**Elena’s POV**The sound was deafening as the gun kicked back in my hands, bruising my wrists. Dante’s body jerked backward as a small red hole appeared in his chest. He looked surprised for a split second, then the light left his eyes, and he slumped forward, his head hitting the floor with a dull thud.The room fell silent, the smell of smoke filling the air. I stood there, my hands still shaking, looking at the man I had just killed. I didn't feel like I was in my own body; I felt like I was watching a movie of myself.I wasn't a victim anymore. I was a murderer, just like my father.My heart pounded against my chest so hard that I felt faint. I stared at my hands. They were shaking so violently that I nearly dropped the gun.Elario rushed to my side and gently took the gun from my grip. "Elena," he whispered, but his voice felt miles away. It sounded like he was talking through water.My father walked toward me. He wore a cold, satisfied smile on his lips. He looked at the body o
**Elena’s POV*I stood in the center of the living room, and suddenly I couldn't breathe. "Welcome home, Ellie," Dante croaked. "I’ve been waiting for you."The sound of his voice made my skin crawl. It felt like a cold hand sliding down my back, dragging me back to that dark cabin in the woods. I could almost smell the dust and fear again. But here, everything was different. Dante was the one on his knees. He was the one at my father's mercy.Elario stepped toward Armando, his face filled with shock. "You found him," he said. It wasn't a question.My father’s lips pulled into a thin, satisfied smile. He looked like a man who had just won a game of cards. "Once I put my mind to something, Elario, you know I get it done. No one hides from me for long."A chill ran through me. If he could find Dante this quickly, Stefano didn't stand a chance. My father was a hunter who never missed his target. I realized then that, in my father’s mind, Stefano was already a dead man.I looked down at D
**Elena’s POV**"What?" I screamed. The word felt ripped from my throat. I grabbed Elario’s arm as he drove. My fingers dug into his sleeve. "You have to stop him, Elario! Please, you can’t let Father do this! You have to call the men back!"Elario didn't look at me. He kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. "You know how Father is, Elena. Once he decides someone is a threat, there's no changing his mind. He thinks Stefano is a loose end. He’s already set the wheels in motion. The orders are out."I felt a cold panic rising in my chest. It felt like ice was spreading through my blood. "Then why are you telling me this? Why are you telling me now, when it might be too late?"He was quiet for a long moment. The only sounds in the car were the hum of the engine and my rapid breathing. "When I found out what Stefano’s real plan was, how he used you and this marriage just to get to our family, I hated him. I really did. I wanted to be the one to pu







