The Choice

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Now let's see what kind of wife you really are."

Adrian's words hung in the night.

I couldn't move.

Damien stood several yards away, his hands bound behind his back. Blood ran from the corner of his mouth, and his suit was torn at the shoulder.

A gun was pressed against his temple.

My mother stood beside me, gripping my wrist.

"Lena," Damien said quietly.

His voice was controlled.

Too controlled.

"Don't do anything."

I stared at him.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"I've looked worse."

Adrian laughed.

"Still trying to reassure her."

Damien's eyes never left mine.

"Because she's frightened."

"I'm not frightened."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Liar."

Despite everything, my heart tightened.

That tiny exchange felt strangely normal.

Like we were still on the balcony.

Like we hadn't just discovered that our wedding might have been part of a twenty-year-old plan.

Like he hadn't been taken hostage.

Like my mother hadn't just told me my grandfather wanted me to become the future of the Black Circle.

Adrian interrupted.

"Enough."

His gun pressed harder against Damien's head.

I stepped forward.

"Don't."

Damien's eyes sharpened.

"Lena."

I stopped.

Adrian smiled.

"Good."

My mother moved in front of me.

"You have what you wanted."

Adrian looked at her.

"No."

"You have the ledger."

"I don't."

Her expression changed.

I realized immediately.

The ledger wasn't with him.

It was still at the mansion.

Adrian looked at me.

"You have it."

I said nothing.

"Of course you do."

He smiled.

"You're your mother's daughter."

Damien's voice was cold.

"Leave her out of this."

"She's the entire reason you're here."

Adrian walked around him.

"Your grandfather spent decades preparing for this."

Damien looked at him.

"My grandfather is dead."

"No."

Adrian laughed.

"He's very much alive."

I glanced toward the darkness.

"Where is he?"

"Watching."

A chill ran through me.

"Watching what?"

"You."

He pointed at me.

"Your entire life has been observed."

My stomach twisted.

"The club?"

"Yes."

"The people who followed me?"

"Some."

"The murder?"

"Not planned."

Adrian smiled.

"But useful."

I looked at Damien.

He didn't look away.

"You knew I'd see."

"No."

He shook his head.

"I didn't."

"But you married me because I saw you."

"Yes."

"Would you have killed me if you hadn't..."

He stopped.

His eyes softened.

"No."

I swallowed.

"Why?"

He looked directly at me.

"Because by then, I already couldn't."

Adrian rolled his eyes.

"How touching."

He gestured toward the mansion.

"Bring me the ledger."

"No."

The answer came from me.

Adrian's expression hardened.

"No?"

"You heard me."

"You seem to forget that I have your husband."

I looked at Damien.

He shook his head.

"Don't give him anything."

I turned back to Adrian.

"You won't kill him."

"Why?"

"Because you need him."

His smile disappeared.

I continued.

"You said it yourself. My marriage to him was part of your plan."

Adrian stared at me.

"You need us together."

"You're learning."

"So if you kill him, you lose whatever you need from him."

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"Careful."

I stepped forward.

"You're the one who told me I was important."

Damien stared at me.

I continued.

"Which means I'm not just a witness."

"No."

Adrian smiled slowly.

"You're the key."

I felt the small silver key in my pocket.

"What does it open?"

"Something you haven't found yet."

"The final page?"

"Something far more valuable."

My mother shook her head.

"Don't listen to him."

Adrian laughed.

"You still think you can protect her."

"I can."

"Not from the truth."

He looked at me.

"Your mother has lied to you."

I looked at her.

She closed her eyes.

"About what?"

"Your birth."

My stomach dropped.

"My birth?"

Adrian nodded.

"You weren't supposed to survive."

My mother stepped forward.

"Enough."

"You were born into a war."

He smiled.

"Your mother wanted to run."

"I did."

"Your father wanted to fight."

"He did."

"And Marcello wanted you dead."

I looked at Damien.

His face was hard.

"But someone else made the final decision."

"Who?"

Adrian smiled.

"Your grandfather."

My mother shook her head.

"No."

"He ordered your death before you were even born."

My breath caught.

"Why?"

"Because your mother was carrying something."

I looked at her.

"What?"

She stared at me.

Then whispered:

"You."

I frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Adrian answered.

"Your mother wasn't supposed to have a child."

"Why?"

"Because the child of Elena Moretti would inherit something."

"The Black Circle?"

"No."

He smiled.

"The De Luca bloodline."

I stared at him.

"What?"

Damien suddenly spoke.

"That's impossible."

Adrian looked at him.

"Is it?"

Damien's expression changed.

"You said my grandfather wanted her as an heir."

"He did."

"But she's not a De Luca."

Adrian smiled.

"Not by blood."

Silence.

I looked at my mother.

She was crying.

"Mom?"

She shook her head.

"I didn't want you to know this."

"Know what?"

She looked at Damien.

Then at me.

"Your father isn't your biological father."

The world seemed to tilt.

I couldn't hear anything.

"What?"

My mother stepped toward me.

"Lena..."

"No."

I stepped backward.

"No."

Adrian smiled.

"There it is."

Damien stared at my mother.

"Who is her father?"

She didn't answer.

I couldn't breathe.

"Who?"

My mother closed her eyes.

"Marcello."

Damien froze.

His grandfather.

My supposed father.

My mother's husband.

The man whose family had been hunting me.

The man who had wanted me married to Damien.

I shook my head.

"No."

My mother rushed toward me.

"I didn't know until after you were born."

I pulled away.

"You knew."

"I found out later."

"You knew."

"I was trying to protect you."

"You lied to me."

"I was afraid."

"Everyone is always afraid."

My voice broke.

"And I'm always the one paying for it."

Damien looked at me.

"Lena."

I couldn't look at him.

He was Marcello's grandson.

And if my mother was telling the truth...

Then there was something horrifying connecting us.

Something neither of us had chosen.

Adrian smiled.

"Now you understand."

I looked at him.

"Understand what?"

"Why Marcello arranged your marriage."

I felt sick.

"He knew."

"Yes."

"He knew who I was."

"Yes."

"And he wanted me to marry Damien."

"Exactly."

Damien's face was filled with rage.

"Why?"

Adrian's smile disappeared.

"Because Marcello believed that if the bloodlines were reunited..."

He looked at me.

"...the Black Circle would belong to your child."

Silence.

I couldn't breathe.

Damien suddenly pulled against his restraints.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that."

Adrian smiled.

"There he is."

Damien's eyes were terrifying.

"She isn't an heir."

"Not yet."

"She isn't a possession."

"No."

Adrian looked at me.

"She's a person."

His smile returned.

"Which is precisely why she's more valuable."

I looked at Damien.

He was struggling against the ropes.

"Stop."

His eyes found mine.

"I won't let them use you."

I walked toward him.

Adrian raised the gun.

"Stay where you are."

I stopped.

Then I did something I didn't expect.

I removed my wedding ring.

Damien's eyes widened.

"Lena."

I held it up.

"You want the ledger?"

Adrian nodded.

"You want the key?"

Another nod.

"Then let him go."

Adrian laughed.

"You think you can negotiate?"

"Yes."

"You have no power."

I looked at Damien.

"Neither did I when I first met him."

My voice shook.

"But I learned something."

"What?"

"People who think they're powerful always make the same mistake."

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"They believe everyone else is afraid."

I looked directly at him.

"I'm not."

He smiled.

"You're bluffing."

"No."

I held up the ring.

"I'm choosing."

His expression changed.

"What are you choosing?"

I put the ring back on.

"My husband."

Damien stared at me.

I continued.

"Not because your grandfather planned it."

"Not because the Black Circle wants it."

"Not because a contract says it."

I looked at Damien.

"Because I chose him."

For a moment, his expression softened.

Then Adrian's face became furious.

"Enough."

He lifted his weapon.

I heard the click.

Damien shouted.

"Lena, run!"

I didn't.

Instead, I stepped toward him.

Adrian's finger tightened.

Then—

A gunshot.

I screamed.

Damien fell.

"No!"

I ran toward him.

But he wasn't the one who had been shot.

My mother stood behind me.

Blood spread across her chest.

"Mom!"

She collapsed into my arms.

Everything stopped.

I caught her before she hit the ground.

"No, no, no."

She looked at me.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't."

Tears streamed down my face.

"Don't leave me again."

She smiled weakly.

"I won't."

Then she looked past me.

At Damien.

"Protect her."

Damien struggled against the restraints.

"I will."

My mother closed her eyes.

Adrian's voice came from behind us.

"You should have moved, Elena."

I looked up.

My mother was still breathing.

Barely.

Something inside me snapped.

I stood.

My hands were shaking.

But my voice wasn't.

"You wanted the key."

Adrian looked at me.

"Yes."

I pulled it from my pocket.

I held it out.

"Then come and get it."

Damien's eyes widened.

"Lena, don't."

I smiled at Adrian.

"You wanted to see what kind of wife I am."

I looked at Damien.

"Now you know."

Adrian stepped forward.

And that was exactly when Victor's men opened fire from the trees.

Chaos exploded around us.

Adrian disappeared into the darkness.

Damien's captors scattered.

Victor rushed toward him.

I dropped beside my mother.

"Stay with me."

She opened her eyes.

"Lena..."

"I'm here."

She touched my cheek.

"There's one more thing."

"What?"

Her eyes moved toward Damien.

"He's not your brother."

I stared at her.

"What?"

She smiled faintly.

"He's the one person in this family who can love you without wanting anything from you."

Then she passed out.

I screamed for help.

Damien reached me.

His restraints had been cut.

He dropped beside us.

"She's alive."

I nodded through tears.

"She can't leave me."

"She won't."

He pulled me against him.

For once, I didn't think about the secrets.

I didn't think about the age difference.

I didn't think about the contract.

I didn't think about the bloodlines.

I simply held my husband.

And for the first time since this nightmare began, I understood something.

Our marriage might have been planned.

Our meeting might have been manipulated.

Our families might have been connected long before we were born.

But what happened between Damien and me after that first kiss?

That belonged to us.

No grandfather.

No mafia.

No ledger.

Nobody could take that away.

Then Victor shouted from behind us.

"Boss!"

Damien turned.

"What?"

Victor held up a phone.

"We found something."

"What?"

Victor looked at me.

"The photograph was taken three minutes ago."

I frowned.

"What photograph?"

"The one of your mother and father."

My heart stopped.

Damien stood.

"That's impossible."

Victor shook his head.

"It was taken from inside this warehouse."

He turned the screen toward us.

There was one final message.

You are looking in the wrong place.

Then another appeared.

Your mother isn't the one we took.

I stared at the screen.

My blood ran cold.

"Then who did they take?"

Damien looked at me.

And somewhere in the darkness, a phone began ringing.