The Voice in the Darkness

"Lucia... it's time you came home."

The voice echoed through the darkness.

My entire body froze.

I knew that voice.

But that was impossible.

The tunnel had collapsed around us.

Dust filled the air.

Stone crashed somewhere nearby.

Yet somehow, through all the chaos, I recognized the voice instantly.

My heart pounded painfully.

"No..." I whispered.

Alessio tightened his grip on my waist.

"Lucia?"

I barely heard him.

Because memories were crashing into me.

A laugh.

A smile.

Warm hands brushing my hair when I was little.

A voice reading bedtime stories.

A voice I hadn't heard in years.

My mother.

The woman I had been told died when I was a child.

Another piece of stone crashed nearby.

Marco grabbed my arm.

"We need to move. Now."

The tunnel was still collapsing.

Alessio didn't hesitate.

He practically lifted me off my feet and pulled me through the debris.

Behind us, Bianca disappeared into the dust.

I tried to look back.

"Bianca!"

Nothing.

Only darkness.

Only falling stone.

"Lucia!"

Alessio's voice snapped me back to reality.

"We have to go."

The four of us—Alessio, Marco, several Romano guards and I—rushed through a narrow passage that seemed untouched by the collapse.

The deeper we went, the colder the air became.

Something about this place felt wrong.

Ancient.

Forgotten.

Like it had been buried beneath New York for decades.

Maybe longer.

After several minutes, the tunnel finally widened.

A heavy steel door stood before us.

One of Alessio's men entered a code.

The door opened.

Fresh air rushed inside.

Relief hit me instantly.

We emerged into an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city.

Night had already fallen.

Police sirens echoed in the distance.

Ambulances.

Helicopters.

The city had no idea a war was quietly unfolding beneath its streets.

Alessio turned to me immediately.

"Are you hurt?"

I shook my head.

"No."

His hands moved over my arms, checking for injuries anyway.

Typical Alessio.

Overprotective.

Possessive.

Infuriating.

And somehow comforting.

His jaw tightened when he noticed bruises on my wrists.

"Who did this?"

"I'm fine."

"Lucia."

His tone made it clear he wasn't asking.

I sighed.

"It's nothing."

His gray eyes narrowed.

Neither of us believed that.

Before the argument could continue, Marco interrupted.

"We have bigger problems."

Everyone looked at him.

The older man looked exhausted.

For the first time since I'd met him, he seemed his age.

"What exactly happened down there?" I demanded.

Marco rubbed his face.

"You weren't supposed to find the Core Chamber yet."

"Yet?"

He ignored that.

"What Bianca said..."

His expression darkened.

"Some of it is true."

My stomach dropped.

Some of it.

Not all.

Not none.

Just enough to make me miserable.

"What am I?" I asked quietly.

Silence.

Nobody answered.

Even Alessio looked uncomfortable.

That scared me more than anything.

Finally Marco sighed.

"Not here."

I almost screamed.

Not here.

Not now.

Not yet.

I was so tired of secrets.

But before I could argue, headlights appeared outside.

Several black SUVs entered the warehouse.

Romano security.

Moretti guards.

And two very familiar figures.

Immediately Marco sighted them he disappeared and couldn’t be found

My father.

And Roman Romano.

I froze.

My father was alive.

His shoulder was heavily bandaged, but he was standing.

Relief hit me so hard I nearly cried.

"Papa."

His gaze found mine immediately.

For a second, the powerful Don disappeared.

Only my father remained.

He pulled me into a hug.

I hadn't realized how terrified I'd been until then.

"You're safe," he murmured.

I nodded.

Unable to speak.

After a moment, he released me.

Then his expression became serious again.

The Don returned.

Roman stepped forward.

His cold eyes surveyed everyone.

"Enough hiding."

The warehouse fell silent.

"We have a war coming."

Nobody argued.

Because he was right.

The attacks were increasing.

The betrayals were multiplying.

And whoever was behind everything was getting bolder.

Roman's gaze shifted to Alessio.

"You and Lucia will be married immediately."

The words hit me like a truck.

"What?"

My father nodded grimly.

"The alliance cannot wait any longer."

I stared at both men.

Surely they weren't serious.

Surely after everything that happened—

after kidnappings, betrayals, secret tunnels and possible identity crises—

marriage wasn't the priority.

Apparently it was.

"The wedding will take place within two weeks," Roman continued.

Alessio didn't argue.

Which somehow annoyed me.

I looked at him.

"You're okay with this?"

His eyes met mine.

Something softened there.

Only slightly.

"Lucia."

That wasn't an answer.

I folded my arms.

"That's definitely not an answer."

A few guards quickly looked away.

Trying not to laugh.

Roman looked unimpressed.

"The decision is final."

I opened my mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because honestly?

Part of me wanted it.

And that realization terrified me.

Weeks ago I couldn't stand Alessio.

Now the thought of marrying him didn't sound awful.

Actually...

It sounded dangerous for entirely different reasons.

Alessio moved closer.

Close enough that only I could hear him.

"You look nervous."

I glared.

"You look smug."

One corner of his mouth lifted.

That tiny smile should honestly be illegal.

"We'll discuss it later."

That somehow sounded even worse.

Before I could respond, movement near the warehouse entrance caught my attention.

A familiar figure stepped inside.

Bianca.

My breath caught.

She looked exhausted.

Dirty.

Shaken.

But finally...

she looked like herself.

Not the strange emotionless version from the tunnels.

My sister.

Real Bianca.

I rushed forward immediately.

"Bianca!"

She burst into tears the second I hugged her.

And suddenly I knew.

Whatever had happened underground—

whatever manipulation she had been under—

it was gone.

At least for now.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed.

"I know."

"I'm so sorry."

I held her tighter.

Because despite everything...

she was still my sister.

Still family.

Still someone worth saving.

Eventually Bianca pulled away.

Her eyes were red.

Swollen.

But clear.

And for the first time in weeks, she looked free.

Then she glanced at Alessio.

And surprisingly smiled.

A genuine smile.

"Take care of her."

Alessio's expression remained calm.

But his answer came instantly.

"Always."

My heart betrayed me by skipping a beat.

Stupid heart.

Very stupid heart.

But Alessio still didn’t believe her after what happened in there.

The rest of the night passed in a blur of meetings and security discussions.

By the time everything ended, I was exhausted.

Mentally.

Physically.

Emotionally.

Alessio escorted me toward one of the waiting SUVs.

Neither of us spoke for several moments.

The city lights glittered in the distance.

For once, there were no arguments.

No threats.

No secrets.

Just silence.

Then he suddenly stopped walking.

I turned toward him.

"What?"

His gray eyes searched my face.

Almost carefully.

"You were scared."

I laughed softly.

"Understatement of the century."

His hand reached for mine.

Slowly.

Giving me time to pull away.

I didn't.

His fingers intertwined with mine.

Warm.

Strong.

Safe.

Something inside me melted.

And that was dangerous.

Because loving Alessio Romano was probably the worst idea I'd ever had.

Yet here I was.

Falling anyway.

His thumb brushed my knuckles.

A small gesture.

But somehow more intimate than a kiss.

"We'll get through this."

His voice was low.

Certain.

Like a promise.

I wanted to believe him.

I really did.

But something still felt wrong.

The mystery wasn't solved.

The war wasn't over.

And the voice in the tunnel still haunted me.

My mother.

Or someone pretending to be her.

As if reading my thoughts, Alessio frowned.

"What are you thinking?"

I hesitated.

Then answered honestly.

"The voice."

His expression darkened instantly.

"I know."

"You heard it too."

"Yes."

A cold chill slid down my spine.

Because if Alessio heard it too...

then it wasn't my imagination.

Someone had called my name.

Someone who knew me.

Someone waiting in the shadows.

Suddenly a guard ran toward us.

Panic on his face.

"Boss."

Alessio instantly became alert.

"What happened?"

The guard swallowed hard.

Then handed him a sealed envelope.

"No sender."

Alessio opened it immediately.

His expression changed.

Completely.

The color drained from his face.

My stomach dropped.

"What is it?"

He didn't answer.

I grabbed the paper from his hand.

And instantly wished I hadn't.

Because there was only one sentence written across the page.

A sentence that made my blood run cold.

THE BRIDE BELONGS TO US.

And beneath the message...

was a recent photograph.

A photograph of me sleeping in my bedroom.