Chapter Six: Fire and Ashes

The villa trembled.

It began with a low rumble, like distant thunder. Then came the explosion—violent, deafening, shattering the stillness of dawn. Windows burst inward. Flames licked the sky. Smoke curled through the olive trees like serpents.

Amaro was thrown from his bed, landing hard against the floor. He scrambled to his feet, ears ringing, heart racing.

“Lucia!” he shouted.

She burst into the hallway, barefoot, coughing through the smoke. “What happened?”

Bianca appeared behind her, pistol in hand, blood trickling from a cut on her forehead. “We’re under attack.”

Amaro ran to the window. The courtyard was ablaze. Three black SUVs were parked at the gate, their doors open, men pouring out with rifles.

“Alessandro,” he muttered.

Bianca pulled them into the study. “We need to move. There’s a tunnel beneath the wine cellar. It leads to the forest.”

Lucia grabbed the flash drive and the remaining ledgers. “We can’t leave this behind.”

Amaro nodded. “Go. I’ll cover you.”

Bianca didn’t argue. She knew Amaro’s instincts were sharp, his aim deadly.

They raced through the villa, dodging falling beams and gunfire. Amaro fired at the intruders, taking down two before ducking behind a column.

Lucia and Bianca reached the cellar, pried open the trapdoor, and descended into darkness.

Amaro followed moments later, sealing the hatch behind him.

—

The tunnel was narrow, damp, and suffocating. They moved quickly, guided by Bianca’s flashlight.

Lucia clutched Amaro’s hand. “He’s trying to kill us.”

Amaro’s voice was steady. “He won’t succeed.”

Bianca stopped at a fork. “Left leads to the forest. Right leads to the old chapel.”

Lucia hesitated. “The chapel. That’s where my mother was buried.”

Bianca looked at her. “Now’s not the time.”

Lucia’s eyes burned. “It is. There’s something I need to see.”

Amaro nodded. “We’ll go together.”

—

The chapel was untouched by the chaos. Dust coated the pews. Candles flickered in the alcove. Lucia approached the altar, kneeling before the marble tomb.

“Elena Moretti,” the inscription read.

She placed a hand on the stone. “I need strength, Mama.”

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the chapel.

“Touching.”

Alessandro stepped from the shadows, flanked by two men.

Lucia stood slowly. “You destroyed our home.”

Alessandro’s smile was cold. “It wasn’t yours.”

Amaro raised his gun. “Back away.”

Alessandro didn’t flinch. “You think you’re protecting her? She’s a liability. A symbol of weakness.”

Lucia stepped forward. “I’m a symbol of truth. That’s why you hate me.”

Alessandro’s eyes narrowed. “Truth is irrelevant. Power is eternal.”

Bianca fired first.

One of Alessandro’s men dropped. Amaro took out the second.

Alessandro lunged at Lucia, grabbing her wrist.

Amaro tackled him, the two men crashing into the pews, fists flying.

Lucia grabbed a fallen pistol and aimed.

“Stop!” she shouted.

Alessandro froze, blood dripping from his mouth.

Lucia’s hands trembled. “You’re my brother. But I won’t let you destroy everything.”

Alessandro laughed. “Then shoot.”

Amaro stood, breathing hard. “Don’t.”

Lucia lowered the gun.

Alessandro smirked. “Weak.”

Bianca stepped forward and struck him with the butt of her pistol, knocking him unconscious.

—

They tied Alessandro and left him in the chapel, alerting the authorities anonymously.

By the time they reached the forest, sirens echoed in the distance.

Lucia collapsed against a tree, sobbing.

Amaro held her. “It’s over.”

Bianca shook her head. “It’s never over. But we’ve won a battle.”

Lucia looked up. “What now?”

Bianca smiled faintly. “Now we rebuild.”

—

Days later, the news spread:

“Alessandro Moretti Captured in Failed Coup Attempt”

“Lucia De Luca Declared Heir to Unified Mafia Territories”

But Lucia refused the crown.

She stood before the press, Amaro at her side, and spoke with clarity.

“I was born into blood. But I choose peace. I choose love.”

The world listened.

And the war began to fade.

—

That night, in a quiet villa by the sea, Amaro and Lucia sat on the balcony, watching the stars.

“I never thought we’d survive,” Lucia whispered.

Amaro kissed her hand. “We didn’t just survive. We changed everything.”

Lucia smiled. “Then let’s live. Truly live.”

And beneath the Sardinian sky, they began again.