All Chapters of SAY MY NAME, WHEN YOU BREAK : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The school gates disappeared behind us as we drove, the afternoon sun dipping low, painting the campus in gold. Lucente’s engine purred beneath me, a calm contrast to the tension curling in my chest. Aaron sat beside me, silent. Not from class, not from lectures—I didn’t need reminders of anything academic. No, this was different. Something had happened today, and I intended to handle it.The basement was dark, lit only by faint bulbs that cast long, sharp shadows across the concrete walls. My men were there, already uneasy, trying to mask their fear with stiff postures. The moment they saw me step in, their pretense cracked.“You think you can disappoint me,” I said softly, voice low but weighted with authority, “e non pagare il prezzo?”I said softly, letting the words roll like steel across the room. A punch slammed into the first man’s shoulder, precise and punishing. Another cracked across a cheek, sharp enough to echo. The message was simple: loyalty without action is worthless.

Vera typed the message twice before sending it.One wrong word could ruin everything.Midnight. Cafe. Be there.She deleted the thread immediately, slid the phone back into her pocket, and stared at the wall until her pulse slowed. Her ribs still hurt when she breathed too deeply. She ignored it. Pain was manageable. What followed pain was not.The café they chose was small and almost forgotten, tucked between a closed bookstore and a laundromat that never seemed open. The lights inside were dim, yellow, safe-looking. Lies always looked safe at first.She arrived early. Sat where she could see the door. Her back to the wall. Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking, so she curled them into fists and pressed them against her thighs until her nails bit into skin.She counted exits. One door. A narrow hallway that might lead to a back exit—or a dead end. The windows were too clear. Too exposed.Midnight passed.Then the door opened.Vera’s breath caught so hard it hurt.“Vera…”The voice alone al

Vera woke up to pain before she woke up to light.Her wrists burned. Not rope—something thinner, tighter. It bit into skin with every small movement, deliberate, engineered. Her ankles were the same. Suspended just enough that her toes brushed the floor but never rested. Enough to remind her she was not meant to be comfortable.Her head throbbed. Her mouth was dry.She tried to move. The bindings answered for her—sharp, exact. She sucked in a breath and forced herself still.The air felt wrong. Too still. Like it was waiting.“Lina,” she said. Her voice came out rough. “Lina.”A chair scraped somewhere behind her.“Hello Vera,” a man said calmly.The calm scared her more than shouting ever could.Vera lifted her head. The room was bare. Concrete walls. One light above her, too bright, humming faintly. The man stood where the light didn’t quite reach him. Hands clasped. Patient.“Where is she?” Vera asked.He smiled—not wide. Not cruel. Controlled. “Not dead yet.”The word yet lodged i

The room was quiet in the way only powerful men allowed it to be.One man knelt on the concrete floor, blood pooling beneath his hands, breath ragged, eyes wide with regret that had come far too late. Kael stood in front of him, jacket off, sleeves rolled, expression unreadable. No anger. No satisfaction. Just assessment.“You were given one instruction,” Kael said calmly. “One.”The man shook his head violently. “I—I didn’t know it would cross—”Kael lifted a finger.Silence returned instantly.Behind him, Aaron leaned against the wall, arms folded, jaw tight. Two of Kael’s most trusted men—Marco and Luca—stood watch, faces cold, detached. This wasn’t new. This was routine.Kael stepped forward and ended him without drama.When he was done, he turned away as if nothing significant had happened. Marco signaled for the body to be removed.“Clean it,” Kael said. “Quietly.”They moved fast.Kael reached for the glass of water on the table, took a sip, then paused. Something… tugged. Not

Kael’s fingers hovered over the city map. Every red dot pulsed in his system. One moved differently. Slow, deliberate, dangerous—but not random. He didn’t need Aaron to point it out. Something was off. Aaron leaned closer, whispering, “Kael… it’s this building. Underground, minimal traffic. Whoever’s inside is careful.” Kael didn’t answer. His eyes stayed sharp, calculating. “We move. Quiet. Efficient. No theatrics.” Marco smirked. “Quiet? We’re about to crash into a building full of armed men. Quiet?” Kael didn’t blink. “Quiet for us. Deadly for them. Follow my lead.” The team moved like shadows. Luca checked exits. Aaron flanked left. Marco covered the rear. Kael’s mind was already inside the building, anticipating every move, every angle, every heartbeat. Inside, Vera crouched low, chest heaving, sweat and blood mingling on her skin. Lina’s soft whimpers echoed in the cold, dark space. Captors whispered, thinking they were still in control. Vera’s eyes darted, noting weak spo