Chapter seven

The Choice

Silence hung heavy in the room, thicker than the tension that crackled in the air. I could feel the eyes of everyone around me—Dante, Sasha, Luca—all of them waiting, watching for my next move. But none of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was my son, standing just inches away from a man who could take him from me forever.

Lorenzo’s ultimatum echoed in my ears, and my mind raced, trying to find a way out, a loophole, something that would let me save my son without condemning everything my father had built.

“Think carefully, Elena,” Lorenzo said, his voice low and dangerous. “You have one chance. Choose wisely.”

I swallowed hard, my throat tight with emotion. “How do I know you’ll keep your word?” I asked, my voice shaking. “How do I know you’ll let him go if I walk away?”

Lorenzo’s smile didn’t falter, but there was something darker in his eyes now. “You don’t. But that’s the risk you’ll have to take.”

I clenched my fists, anger, and fear warring within me. He was t