Chapter four

Shadows of the Past

The silence that followed his entrance was suffocating, like the air itself had frozen in fear. My heart pounded so violently in my chest I was sure everyone in the room could hear it. He stood there, tall and menacing, like a specter from my worst nightmares—a figure who had once been a ghost, but was now flesh and blood, staring me down.

“How...?” I managed to choke out, my voice trembling. How had he found us so quickly? It didn’t make sense.

The man who had burst through the door looked like he had stepped out of a nightmare—his eyes dark, calculating, and filled with cruel amusement. His presence alone seemed to suck the oxygen from the room.

“I’ve always known where to find you, Elena,” he said with a sickening smirk. His voice was smooth, filled with the kind of calm arrogance that came from knowing he held all the power. “You didn’t think you could hide forever, did you?”

Ryder moved in front of me, his body tense, ready for anything. Luca and Sasha flanked either side of me, their stances defensive, but their faces betrayed the same confusion I felt. This man—this thing—had been orchestrating everything from behind the scenes, pulling strings we didn’t even know were connected. And now, here he was, standing in front of us, claiming to know more about my life than I did.

“Who the hell are you?” Dante growled, stepping forward, his fists clenched at his sides. I could see the fire in his eyes—the same rage that had drawn me to him all those years ago. But even he seemed off balance, unsure of how to handle the situation. 

The man’s smile widened, a dark, twisted thing. “Ah, Dante, always so eager to throw a punch before asking the right questions. But this isn’t your fight, not anymore.” His eyes flicked to me, and I felt like he could see right through me, see the fear that was gripping my heart. “This is about her.”

“What do you want?” Luca’s voice was ice cold, cutting through the thick tension in the room. His eyes, usually so calm and collected, were narrowed, burning with a fury I had rarely seen. “Why are you after her?”

The man didn’t answer immediately. He took a slow, measured step forward, his gaze never leaving mine. My breath hitched as his presence filled the space, oppressive and suffocating. There was something deeply familiar about him, but I couldn’t place it. Not yet.

“Elena,” he said softly, as if we were old friends, “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. Watching. Planning. And now, I’ve come to collect what’s mine.”

I recoiled at his words, instinctively pressing myself against Luca’s back. “I don’t belong to anyone,” I hissed, finding a sliver of strength in the face of my growing terror. “Least of all, you.”

His eyes darkened, and the smile on his face faltered, if only for a second. “You misunderstand, as you always have. This was never about ownership. It’s about destiny. Our paths were always going to cross again, Elena. You were always meant to come back to me.”

The weight of his words sent a shiver down my spine. I could feel the confusion rising within me, tangled with the memories I had tried so hard to bury. The years of running, hiding, and trying to forget... it had all been for nothing. He had known where I was this entire time.

“Enough with the cryptic bullshit,” Sasha snapped, his voice harsh and unforgiving. “If you think you can walk in here and take her, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Oh, Sasha,” the man chuckled, his tone filled with amusement. “Still playing the role of the cold, untouchable Bratva king, are we? I know all your secrets, too. And yours, Luca,” he added, turning his gaze to the Sicilian enforcer. “And Dante’s. I know more about the three of you than you know about yourselves.”

The air grew thicker with each word he spoke, as if we were sinking deeper into quicksand with every second. My mind raced, trying to piece together who this man was—how he knew so much about us, and why he was so hellbent on me and my children.

“You’re all caught in the same web,” he continued, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “But none of you truly see it, do you? The game has been rigged from the start. And I’m the one holding all the cards.”

I couldn’t breathe. The walls felt like they were closing in on me, suffocating me with the weight of his revelations. “Who are you?” I demanded, my voice trembling but louder now. “How do you know so much about us?”

He smiled again, this time a slow, deliberate curve of his lips that sent a chill down my spine. “That’s the right question, finally. You can call me—” He paused for effect, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Lorenzo.”

My heart stopped. The name sent shockwaves through my entire being. Lorenzo. The name of a man who had been whispered in the darkest corners of the mafia world. The ghost who controlled empires without ever being seen. He was a myth, a shadow—someone no one believed was real.

But here he was. Standing in front of me. 

And in that moment, everything clicked into place. The manipulations, the disappearances, the years of hiding. Lorenzo wasn’t just some random threat—he was the mastermind behind everything. He had been orchestrating this entire twisted game from the start, pulling the strings like we were all just pawns on his chessboard.

“I see you remember me,” Lorenzo said with satisfaction, clearly enjoying the look of horror that had washed over my face. “Good. It’ll make things easier.”

“You... you’re supposed to be dead,” I stammered, my voice weak. 

Lorenzo let out a dark laugh. “Is that what they told you? That I was dead? No, Elena, I’ve been very much alive. And watching. Always watching.”

A sickening realization washed over me. He had been there, lurking in the shadows, guiding every moment of my life from the day I disappeared. Every decision I’d made, every place I’d hidden—it was all part of his plan.

“I know everything about you, Elena,” he said, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. “I know about the children. I know about the legacy your father left behind. And I know how to take it all.”

“No,” I whispered, stepping back, the floor beneath me suddenly feeling like it was crumbling. “You won’t touch my children.”

Lorenzo’s eyes glinted dangerously. “Won’t I? They’re the key to everything, Elena. You’ve been running for so long, but you can’t hide from me anymore. I always get what I want. And now that I’ve found you, there’s nowhere left for you to go.”

I felt the panic rising in my throat, the urge to scream, to fight, to protect my children at all costs. But the weight of Lorenzo’s presence was suffocating, like he could crush me with just a word.

“I’ll never let you near them,” I said, my voice breaking. “Never.”

“You don’t have a choice,” he replied, his tone dripping with finality. “You’re mine now. And soon, your children will be, too.”

Suddenly, Ryder stepped forward, his expression fierce. “If you think you can take her or her children, you’re going to have to go through us.”

Lorenzo’s eyes narrowed, but the amusement never left his face. “Oh, I plan to.”

In an instant, everything exploded into chaos. Lorenzo lunged forward, and before I could react, Sasha and Luca moved in front of me, their bodies shielding me from the imminent attack. Dante was already throwing a punch, his movements quick and precise, but Lorenzo was faster.

I stumbled back, my heart racing, as Ryder reached for me. “Get behind me!” he ordered, his voice sharp with urgency.

The room was a blur of motion—bodies clashing, fists flying, the sound of grunts and shouts filling the air. But even in the midst of the chaos, one thought consumed me.

I had to get out. I had to protect my children.

But as I turned toward the door, I froze. Standing in the shadows, just outside the chaos, was a figure. A woman.

And I knew her.

She stepped forward, her face illuminated by the dim light, and my blood ran cold.

It was my mother.