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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
publish date:
2026-11-01 17:15:13
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NOT PART OF THE PLAN CHAPTER TWENTY
Lorenzo's POVThe drive back to the mansion felt agonizingly long.The burning ache in my side flared with every turn, but I ignored it. I had only one thing on my mind—the name written across the back of the photograph: Stefano Marino.Julian’s father’s former business partner. The same man whose records we had uncovered in the lower vaults weeks ago. We had assumed Stefano had vanished into thin air alongside Julian's father fifteen years ago. He hadn’t vanished at all. He had been hiding right under our noses in Rome.The moment our SUV pulled into the estate, Marco called for the family physician. Julian hovered right beside my arm as they brought me upstairs."Sit down," Julian commanded softly, his hands trembling."I'm fine," I gritted out."You've said that five times tonight, Lorenzo."I sat reluctantly on the edge of the leather sofa in my study. The doctor cut away the blood-soaked fabric of my shirt, cleaned the wound, and extracted the bullet. "You're extremely fortunate,
NOT PART OF THE PLAN CHAPTER NINETEEN
Julian's POVThe church looked nothing like I had pictured in my head during the drive up into the dark hills.It sat isolated at the edge of the forest, abandoned, crumbling, and surrounded by towering pine trees. Most of the stained-glass windows were shattered, and the heavy oak doors groaned on their rusted iron hinges as Lorenzo pushed one side open, his gun raised.I stepped inside behind him, the cool, damp night air wrapping around us. My heart was pounding so hard against my ribs I was sure Lorenzo could hear it."Stay right behind me," Lorenzo whispered, his voice low and steady."I am," I whispered back, my hand lightly touching the back of his coat.He glanced over his shoulder at me, gray eyes scanning my face. "You've been saying that all night.""And you've been worrying all night," I replied softly.The briefest ghost of a smile touched his sharp lips. "Maybe I have."For a fraction of a second, our eyes locked in the dim moonlight filtering through the broke
NOT PART OF THE PLAN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Lorenzo's POV"Carlo Valenti."I repeated the name in a low whisper, staring down at the faded print.I knew that name. Every single man in Rome's underworld did. Carlo was one of the most ruthless and elusive strategists in the Valenti family. He had vanished off the grid fifteen years ago, and for over a decade, most of the syndicate heads assumed he was dead.But here he was in my hands—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Julian’s father. Alive. And wearing a dark, confident smirk."What does he have to do with my father, Lorenzo?" Julian asked, his voice shaking slightly as he leaned over my arm to look at the photo.I looked down into his wide, anxious eyes. "I don't know the exact connection yet."Julian frowned, frustration leaking through his quiet demeanor. "You keep saying that.""Because it is the truth, Julian. But we're putting the pieces together."I turned the photograph over in my hands. Written across the lower left corner in faded blue ink was a date: October
NOT PART OF THE PLAN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Julian's POVI couldn’t stop thinking about yesterday.The old black-and-white photograph. My father’s hidden connection to Lorenzo’s family. And above all, the way Lorenzo had held my hand in that dimly lit storage room.It was such a simple gesture, yet in the middle of all the chaos, his warm, steady grip had made me feel safe for the very first time since I was taken outside Club Vespera.I shook my head, staring into the bathroom mirror as I splashed cold water over my face. I needed to push those thoughts aside. There were far more urgent things to focus on. My father. The Valenti syndicate. And the dangerous truth we were inching closer to uncovering every single day.I walked downstairs into the grand dining wing and found Lorenzo standing near the tall arched windows, speaking in low, serious tones with Marco.The moment Lorenzo noticed me walking into the room, his conversation cut off instantly."Good morning," I said quietly, stopping near the edge of the long mahog
NOT PART OF THE PLAN CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Julian's POVI couldn’t sleep a single wink that night.Every time I closed my eyes, the traitor’s panicked words rang out in the darkness of my mind like a terrifying alarm: If the boy ever discovered what his father built against the Valenti family... he had to be eliminated immediately.Why would anyone want me dead over secrets a man buried fifteen years ago?I sat on the edge of the large mattress, staring down at the silver pendant resting against my chest. My father had worn this exact chain every day of my childhood. The Valentis knew about it. And somehow, Lorenzo had been dragged right into the center of a war that began long before I ever took my first breath.A quiet, soft knock against the heavy door broke the suffocating silence."Come in," I called out softly.Lorenzo stepped inside. He was dressed in a dark button-down shirt, his dark sleeves rolled up past his forearms, looking broad, intimidating, and completely exhausted."How are you holding up?" he asked,
NOT PART OF THE PLAN CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Lorenzo's POVThe second Marco confirmed someone had breached the estate, every other thought vanished from my mind."Where?" I demanded, my hands tightening on the steering wheel as I pushed the car faster down the highway."Julian's suite," Marco answered from the front seat.My blood ran cold. I glanced through the rearview mirror at Julian sitting in the back, his face pale against the dark windows."Stay inside the car when we pull up," I ordered.Julian shook his head instantly, his stubbornness flaring back up. "No.""Julian—""I am not sitting in a car while someone goes through my room!" he said, staring right back at me through the mirror. "I'm coming in with you.""This is not open for discussion.""And I am not a child!"I held his gaze for a second before letting out a heavy sigh. "Fine. But stay right behind me."We pulled into the driveway, tires kicking up gravel. Heavily armed guards were already sweeping the grounds. I led the way up the central marble st
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