Domenico’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “Enzo’s on foot. South perimeter. Heading toward the ravine. We’re cutting him off.”Leonardo gently handed Sofia to one of his men. “Take her to the car. Don't let her out of your sight. Call the doctor. Now.”She clung to his shirt. “Leonardo…”He kissed her forehead, his jaw clenched. “I’ll be back, angel. I promise. Just close your eyes. You don’t need to see what comes next.”He turned, eyes cold, heart pounding—not with fear this time, but with fire.He stormed out the front door, gun in hand, footsteps pounding through the muddy trail Enzo had taken in his desperate escape.The moon cast a pale glow through the trees, shadows flitting past like ghosts. Domenico and two others were up ahead, cutting off Enzo’s exit.“There!” Domenico shouted.Enzo stumbled, bloodied and limping, barely keeping pace as he scrambled through the brush. He turned, saw them, eyes wide with panic.“Don’t shoot!” he screamed. “I surrender!”But Leonardo w
Leonardo’s heart thundered in his chest as they pulled up to the remote property Enzo had been hiding in. It was heavily guarded—but so were they.With silent gestures, they surrounded the place. Then, chaos erupted. Gunfire blazed in every direction. His men stormed the perimeter, taking down Enzo’s guards one by one with precise shots. Domenico moved with calculated swiftness, giving orders while firing, while Leonardo’s eyes burned with only one mission—Sofia.As Domenico swept the ground floor, Leonardo darted up the stairs two at a time, blood roaring in his ears. He kicked open door after door—empty bedrooms, storage spaces, closets. Each one stoked his fear.Then he saw it. A heavy wooden door was tucked in the corner of the hallway, unlit and ominous.Something in his gut twisted.He ran.With a growl of fury, he kicked the door open—and his world stopped.There she was.Sofia.Pinned beneath Enzo, crying, fighting, helpless.A red haze clouded his vision.“You son of a bitch!
Without knocking, Enzo barged into the dimly lit room where Sofia was held captive.The door slammed against the wall, jarring the silence.Sofia stirred from her restless sleep. Her eyes fluttered open, still puffy from crying, her limbs heavy from exhaustion. But the moment she saw him standing there—uninvited, unhinged—her entire body stiffened with dread.She sat up slowly, sliding her feet off the edge of the bed and planting them firmly on the floor, willing herself to be steady. Her heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline shooting through her veins.“Enzo,” she said, her voice low and guarded. “What’s going on? When are you going to let me go? Can’t you just let me go?” Desperation laced her voice.He didn’t answer. He crossed the room in seconds, eyes wild with lust, and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her toward him.“What the hell is wrong with you?” she snapped, struggling to break free. “Get your hands off me!”“No, baby,” he hissed, tightening his grip. The stench of alcoh
Though Mark was critically wounded and unable to fight back, he managed to do one thing before losing consciousness—he called Leonardo.Mark’s voice had been strained, barely a whisper over the line, but the urgency in his words had slammed into Leonardo like a freight train.“They ambushed us… Madam… and kids... I tried to stop them, but—” he rasped, coughing hard. The line went dead before he could finish.Leonardo was already on his feet, barking orders into his phone. “Bring the backup. Full force. I’m heading there now.”By the time he reached the amusement park, it was chaos. Smoke still lingered in the air, and sirens wailed in the distance. But it was already too late.She was gone.His eyes scanned the area, heart pounding, dread curling in his gut. And then—just down the road—he saw two small figures running toward him, breathless and wide-eyed.“Kids!” he called out, jumping out of the car and rushing toward them.“Are you okay?” he asked instantly, kneeling to their level
The sky was blanketed with thick clouds as Ava’s black SUV rolled through the narrow gravel path that twisted through dense forest. Birds scattered as the vehicle approached the iron gates of a remote countryside estate. Guards flanked the gates, rifles slung over their shoulders, their eyes scanning the vehicle. Without a word, they opened the gates.She had arrived.The mansion stood tall and ominous in the distance—an ancient estate buried deep in rural isolation, shrouded by woods and silence. No trace of civilization for miles.Ava stepped out of the car, her heels crunching against the gravel. A guard silently escorted her into the mansion’s vast, stone corridors until they reached the study—where Enzo waited, his silhouette framed by a fireplace’s faint glow, a glass of red wine in hand.“You came alone?” Enzo asked, not turning around.“Of course,” Ava replied coolly, removing her coat. “I’m not stupid. This place… it’s impossible to find.”“Exactly,” he said, finally facing h
“E…Enzo!” Sofia gasped, her voice trembling with horror as the flood of terrifying memories from the past surged back into her mind. Her legs wobbled beneath her. “You… you’re alive?!”Enzo grinned, that same cruel, cunning smirk stretching across his face. “Oh, Sofia. You don’t seem thrilled to see me alive, sweetheart,” he drawled mockingly, spreading his arms wide as if expecting an embrace. “I missed you.”Over my dead body, she thought bitterly, her jaw tightening.“What do you want, Enzo?” Sofia snapped, her voice laced with fury. “Why did your men drag me here like a criminal?”Enzo tilted his head, feigning innocence. “That’s just your bad luck, darling. You married Leonardo Morelli. And now, you get to pay the price for being his wife.”He laughed shamelessly and began walking toward her.Sofia’s heart pounded, but she held her ground. “Why are you doing this? You know you won’t gain anything by keeping me here. Leonardo has already destroyed the Russian Mafia. You think he’l
She slipped toward the exit of the Freak House and carefully peered out. The coast was momentarily clear. Sofia took a deep breath. Her body felt heavier than ever, her pregnant belly aching from the stress. She knew she couldn’t run fast, not like before, but this wasn’t about her. It was about her two innocent children. She wouldn’t let anyone harm them—not now, not ever.Her hand instinctively cradled her belly. We have to be strong, baby, she whispered in her mind. Just a little longer.She stepped into the open and deliberately made herself visible. Seconds later, one of the armed men spotted her.“There she is!”Without wasting a second, she turned and bolted in the opposite direction of the park exit, drawing the attention of several gunmen. Just as she hoped, they all gave chase.Behind her, she caught a glimpse—Vincenzo and Lucia sprinting toward the exit. Relief bloomed in her chest.Good. They understood. They’re getting out.“Stop right there!” one of the men shouted.A
The children had already enjoyed several rides—merry-go-rounds, spinning teacups, and more. Their laughter echoed as they ran from one attraction to the next. Now, they were at the bumper cars, and it was no surprise that Vincenzo was dominating the track, his competitive spirit shining through as he crashed gleefully into other kids, laughing like a little daredevil. Lucia, more gentle but equally excited, tried her best to keep up.Later, they wandered to the shooting games. Sofia managed to hit enough targets to win a soft, fluffy stuffed bear. Lucia clapped with joy, and Vincenzo cheered, "You're the best, Mom!"They grabbed cotton candy, their fingers sticky and their smiles wide, before heading to an indoor restaurant for pizza and cold drinks. It had been so long since Sofia felt this much happiness in one day. Her cheeks ached from smiling, and her heart was full watching her kids being kids again.But the peace was shattered in an instant.Gunshots rang out in the distance. T
Ava glanced around the dimly lit hotel hallway, her eyes sharp beneath the oversized sunglasses. She kept her head low as she slipped inside the designated room, her heels silent on the carpet. The door clicked shut behind her and locked automatically. The air inside was thick with the smell of cigar smoke and expensive scotch.Seated in the armchair across the room, a broad-shouldered man swirled a glass of amber liquid in his hand, his icy blue eyes studying her with calculating interest. The shadows cast by the lamp made his face appear even more menacing, the scar along his jawline a chilling reminder of his past battles.With a slow, deliberate motion, Ava pulled off her scarf and sunglasses, revealing her cold, determined expression.“Don Enzo,” she said smoothly, her voice dipped in venom and ambition.The Russian leaned back, his lip curling slightly into a dangerous smile. “Miss Ava. Or should I say, Leonardo Morelli’s discarded obsession?”Ava’s eyes flared, but she didn’t f