All Chapters of Bait on the Battlefield: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Isabella Rossi's POVThe red dot of an infrared laser sight was locked dead center on my forehead.350 yards away, a sniper from the Santoro famiglia was perched atop the tower.Lorenzo Santoro's cold voice cut through my earpiece. "Target 01 is in position to test the blast resistance of the new ballistic glass. Countdown: tre, due, uno."There was no hesitation.With a deafening bang, the round slammed into the glass in front of me with massive force. Even though the pane held, the terrifying kinetic energy transferred through the barrier like a physical blow, rupturing my eardrum and rattling my skull. The glass instantly spiderwebbed, a thousand silver fractures blooming in the light. A razor-thin splinter hissed through the air, grazing the corner of my eye. Blood beaded at once, mixing with cold sweat before trickling into my eye, stinging like acid.I was Lorenzo's live target, codenamed 01.Names didn't matter, and pain wasn't allowed. My role was simple—to replicate h

Chapter 2

Isabella Rossi's POVBrutality flared in Lorenzo's eyes. He shoved me away with a violent jerk, then wiped his fingers with a handkerchief as if cleansing himself of filth."Give this Soldato her check," he said coldly. "Then get her out of my sight."With that, he turned on his heel, leaving without a second glance. Just as he reached the door, he paused. His gaze, dark and sinister, locked onto me over his shoulder. "And one more thing," he added. "Elena is hosting a celebration tonight, and we're short on entertainment. Be there."I picked up the check from the floor, blowing gently on the wet blood until it was dry enough to fold, then slipped it into my inner pocket.The paper pressed against my fresh wound, but I felt no pain. "Fine. As long as you pay," I said flatly.…The Santoro Estate was ablaze with light.Once, this had been the Rossi ancestral home. Three years ago, when the Rossi famiglia fell, and I was sent to prison, Lorenzo seized our territory with ruthl

Chapter 3

Isabella Rossi's POVThe slap snapped my head to the side. A high-pitched ringing filled my ears, and my left ear—already failing me—went completely deaf."Who gave you permission to kill it?"Lorenzo seized my collar, his eyes burning with terrifying intensity. "Isabella, your life isn't worth as much as Elena's dog. You frightened her. For that, you deserve to die."I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and looked up at the man I had once risked everything to protect.In my memory, Lorenzo had been just as feral as that Rottweiler. Back then, even if he accidentally hurt me, I would cradle his head and gently stroke his back until the madness left him.I had turned him from a rabid man into a loyal Underboss. But now, for the sake of a dog, he wanted my life. "You're right." I lowered my head, my voice eerily calm. "The dog is dead. The show's ruined. Keep the hundred grand."With that, I turned to leave."Stand right there."Lorenzo's icy voice rang out behind me.

Chapter 4

Isabella Rossi's POVThe next day, I was taken to an abandoned chemical plant in the western suburbs.The site was desolate—the perfect backdrop for a mafia hideout.The script Lorenzo gave me was simple. I was to play a hostage kidnapped by a rival famiglia, awaiting rescue by the Santoro security team.But I hadn't expected Elena to be there.Dressed in a tactical vest, she stood beside Lorenzo, her voice cloyingly sweet. "Lorenzo, I want to take part in the drill too. I need to toughen up so I won't be a burden to you later."To my surprise, Lorenzo actually agreed."Then stay by my side and don't wander off," he said softly. "The men playing the kidnappers are mercenaries from Sicanza. They're rough around the edges."… The drill began.I was thrown into a shipping container, my hands zip-tied behind my back.According to the plan, a "kidnapper" would set off smoke grenades ten minutes into the exercise to simulate a fire. Lorenzo's security team was supposed to breach

Chapter 5

Lorenzo Santoro's POV"Isabella, don't you dare play dead! Get out of there!" I roared. I kicked the warped door of the shipping container open. Billowing black smoke surged out, the acrid heat clawing at my lungs until I doubled over in a violent coughing fit. My security team had rushed over, dousing the worst of the flames with extinguishers, but the cramped interior was already charred a skeletal black. I charged inside, my eyes scanning every corner in frantic desperation. My heart hammered against my ribs, my fingertips numb with icy terror. But the container was empty—save for a gruesome smear of blood in the corner and a phone, its screen shattered, body mangled by the fire."Where is she?"I spun, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at the Capitano behind me. "I asked you a question. Where the hell is she?"The Capitano bowed his head, trembling. "Boss, when we breached the door, it was already empty. There's a ventilation hatch in the back that looks like it was burned

Chapter 6

Isabella Rossi's POV"Isabella!" Lorenzo roared, veins bulging on the back of his hand as he gripped the phone so tightly that it nearly cracked.Leonardo seemed to relish the reaction. He drew a serrated blade, letting its cold edge trace the contours of my deathly pale face."Don Santoro, is she someone you can't bear to lose, or just a discarded pawn?""Name your price," Lorenzo rasped. He fought to steady himself, but his voice still shook. "How much do you want? Whatever it is, it's yours." "Money?" Leonardo threw back his head and laughed. "Lorenzo, you're rich enough to buy a country. If I asked for a billion, you'd pay it without blinking. But I don't need money. I need divertimento. I need entertainment."He added viciously, "There is a blood debt to be settled. If this woman hadn't led my men on a wild goose chase three years ago, you wouldn't have lived long enough to become the Don."Leonardo yanked a fistful of my matted hair. I shut my eyes instinctively, blood

Chapter 7

Lorenzo Santoro's POVI had lost my mind.I mobilized the full might of the Santoro famiglia, leveling Leonardo's stronghold in under three hours.The site was a scene of total devastation, the air thick with smoke and the acrid sting of gunpowder.Elena was rescued without a scratch. She lunged for me, throwing herself into my arms in a fit of hysterical sobbing, but I shoved her aside so violently that she sprawled onto the ground.I rushed toward the crocodile pit.The water was a murky sludge. A few crocodiles basked on the banks, shreds of black fabric still clinging to their jaws. It was the same workwear Isabella had been wearing."No! It's impossible!"I collapsed to my knees, trembling violently as the color drained from my face.I roared at my men, "Drain it! Pump every last drop of water out!"Just then, a man in a white lab coat rushed in. He was handsome and clean-cut, but his features were twisted with murderous rage. In his hand, he gripped a thick stack of doc

Chapter 8

Lorenzo Santoro's POVWhen I finally regained consciousness, I found myself in a hospital bed. I felt as though I had aged a decade in a single night. Gray was already streaking the hair at my temples.I ignored the doctors' frantic protests, ripped the IV from my arm, and stumbled my way back to headquarters.The first thing I did upon arrival was launch a full investigation into Elena.It took only one crack for the truth to spill out. Once the facade broke, the filth came pouring out.Elena had never been pregnant. Her "panic disorder" had been nothing but a curated performance. She wasn't the one who had saved me back then. She had merely found my unconscious body by the river and stripped me of my family signet.As for the fire, the Santoro tech division managed to salvage the footage from the scorched security camera inside the shipping container.In the video, Elena stood outside the container, her features twisted in a mask of pure malice. She held a custom-made lock and

Chapter 9

Isabella Rossi's POVThe Black Shield Alliance was a shadow organization that had risen to power in recent years. They specialized in the kind of S-Rank assignments that made even the Santoro famiglia hesitate. Lorenzo nodded dismissively, unimpressed—until the grand doors swung open, and the spotlights converged on the entrance.I stepped into the light with effortless grace, wearing a custom red velvet gown, my arm linked through Dante's.My hair was swept up, exposing the long, elegant curve of my neck. I wore delicate makeup, and the skin that had once been deathly pale now glowed with radiant health.I still walked with a slight limp, but the imperfection only added to a haunting, fragile beauty.Yet it was my eyes that stopped the room. The emptiness in them was gone. They gleamed with confidence and an arrogance belonging to someone who had stared down death and won.The champagne flute in Lorenzo's hand shattered.Shards of glass pierced his palm, and blood began to sp

Chapter 10

Lorenzo Santoro's POVI refused to accept the end. I lurked outside Isabella's hotel like a desperate stalker until Dante finally came down to confront me."Save yourself the trouble," Dante said, tossing an exquisite velvet box at me.I clicked it open. Inside lay an antique signet ring engraved with the Rossi famiglia crest.My hands shook. "This is…""Three years ago, she put her life on the line acting as your live target and fighting a rabid dog—all just to buy this back for you."Dante's voice was as cold as the grave. "She had planned to put this on your finger herself on your birthday. Years ago, when the Rossi famiglia went bankrupt, you pawned this ring to secure the initial capital. She always believed her famiglia owed you for that sacrifice. But on that very day, you threw her into the crocodile pit."I clutched the ring to my heart, and finally, the dam broke. I collapsed, my tears falling freely.What I had mistaken for betrayal was devotion.What I had mocked a

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