LOGINThe first thing Elena noticed when she woke up that morning was that she could no longer see her feet.She sat up slowly in bed, her back already aching, and looked down at her belly. It was round and full and enormous, sitting in her lap like a small planet. She was thirty-two weeks pregnant. Eight months. And she felt every single day of it.“Good morning,” said a voice from the doorway.Dante was standing there holding a tray. On it was a cup of warm tea, a plate of plain crackers, a small bowl of sliced fruit, and — because he always remembered — a single yellow flower in a tiny glass of water.“You picked another flower from the garden,” Elena said.“Rosa was angry about it again,” Dante said, walking over carefully and setting the tray on her bedside table. “She said if I keep stealing from her roses, she will quit.”“She has said that eleven times.”“Twelve now.” He sat on the edge of the bed and handed her the tea. “How did you sleep?”“Badly,” Elena admitted. “Sofia kept kick
Sicily - The Next MorningElena stood in the villa's main hall as they brought Isabelle in. The woman who'd caused so much pain, so much suffering, now looked small and defeated. Her platinum blonde hair was disheveled. Her expensive clothes were wrinkled. Her makeup was smeared from crying.She looked up and saw Elena. For a moment, pure hatred blazed in her green eyes.Then Elena rested a hand on her pregnant belly—obvious now at seventeen weeks, unmistakable evidence of the life Isabelle had tried to destroy.And all the fight went out of Isabelle. She slumped in her restraints, looking suddenly ancient despite being only thirty-two."You lost," Elena said quietly. "All your plans. All your manipulation. All your attempts to hurt me. They all failed. The babies are healthy. Dante loves me. My family is safe. And you're going to spend the rest of your life in prison.""I could have given you everything," Isabelle spat. "I could have made Marcus happy. We were perfect together until
The Scottish Highlands in February were brutal—cold wind, persistent mist, landscape that seemed to go on forever in shades of gray and brown. The helicopter touched down two miles from Robert Thorne's hunting lodge, far enough away that the occupants wouldn't hear the engine.Eight men emerged: Alessandro, Dante, Lorenzo, Giovanni, Rafael, Luca, Cristian, and—staying back as agreed—Marcus Thorne."Remember the objective," Alessandro said as they checked weapons and equipment. "We take Isabelle and Robert alive if possible. But if they threaten anyone or try to escape, we end them. Catherine and David Thorne are to be protected—they're victims in this as much as Elena was."Everyone nodded understanding. They moved through the highland mist like shadows, using the terrain for cover. The lodge appeared gradually through the fog—a large stone building with multiple chimneys, surrounded by bare trees and rocky outcroppings.Perfect for defense. Which meant perfect for an ambush too."Inf
Six minutes felt like an eternity. They descended the cliff path carefully, Elena moving as quickly as her pregnant body allowed. Dante stayed close, ready to catch her if she stumbled.Behind them, the monastery continued its destruction. Fire now added to the chaos, something in the explosion had ignited, turning the ancient building into a massive torch against the night sky.All that planning. All that history. Gone in minutes because Isabelle Laurent couldn't accept defeat gracefully.They reached the cove as the boat appeared. Rafael brought it in as close as possible, and willing hands pulled them aboard one by one.As soon as Elena was on deck, she collapsed. Not unconscious, just exhausted beyond anything she'd ever experienced."Hospital," Dante ordered. "Now. We need to make sure the babies are okay.""Already called ahead," Rafael said, steering the boat away from the burning island. "Dr. Mitchell will meet us at the villa. Full medical team standing by."The trip back to
Dante stood at the edge of the boat, watching dark water rush past beneath him. Midnight had finally arrived, and with it, their window of opportunity.Six men in total made the assault team: Dante, Alessandro, Lorenzo, Giovanni, and two of their most trusted soldiers—Marco's replacement, Luca, and a special forces veteran named Cristian. All of them equipped with diving gear, suppressed weapons, and a burning need to bring Elena home."Remember," Alessandro said as they prepared to enter the water. "We need at least one of them alive to testify about Isabelle's escape. Preferably Isabelle herself. But if it comes down to choosing between taking prisoners and saving Elena, we choose Elena. Every time."Everyone nodded. The mission parameters were clear.They slipped into the cold Mediterranean water one by one, descending to twenty feet below the surface. Underwater lights guided them toward Kalyros Island, its rocky cliffs looming like dark teeth against the starlit sky.The approach
When Dante's eyes adjusted enough to see shapes in the darkness, Elena was gone.Just gone. As if she'd never been there at all."Elena!" His roar was anguished, desperate. "ELENA!"No answer. Just his own voice echoing through the villa.The emergency lights finally flickered on, dim, battery-powered, casting everything in red shadows.Dante could see the aftermath of the brief fight. Two guards down, not dead but unconscious. Lorenzo had blood streaming from a cut above his eye. Alessandro was on his phone, barking orders.But Elena wasn't there."They took her," Victoria gasped, also bleeding from a head wound. "Three of them. Professionals. They came straight for her like they knew exactly where she'd be.""Because Marcus told them," Dante's voice was ice and fury. "He told Isabelle everything. Where Elena would be during an attack. How we'd protect her. Where her guards would position themselves.""We don't know for sure—""I know!" Dante slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a







