I can’t tell how long we’ve been staring into each other’s eyes or how long I’ve been holding my breath, but when he moves back, I let out a long sigh of relief. His eyes move from mine to my lips and then back to my eyes, and he smirks.
“You were wrong to say you weren’t afraid of me,” he whispers, his voice low yet dangerous. “You should be.” He removes his hand from my waist and grabs my wrist.
“You challenged me and my power, and no one does that. No one still alive, that is.” The moment he says that, fear floods my veins, and the little confidence I had earlier vanishes.
He starts dragging me toward a van parked nearby, his grip on my arm very firm.
“You threatened me with the FBI and thought you could get away with it?” he shouts, and I know this is it for me. All my sins have caught up with me, and today is the day I die.
I knew he was going to make me pay for that
My mind is racing with a million thoughts as I press the cotton ball gently against Raul’s nose. I can feel his eyes on me, and I wonder if he, too, is trying to find some resemblance between me and my father like I did. My mom always said I had my father’s eyes, and it just so happens that Raul and I share the same eye color. It's a good thing my nursing training always has me equipped with everything I need for first aid. I try to keep my hands steady, as the familiarity of this action gives me a strange sense of calm, even though my mind is swirling with confusion and disbelief. I am still struggling to look at him because the idea that he could be my half-brother is too much to process right now.We ordered an Uber back to the coffee shop where I had left my car when Alessandro took me.Could this be the reason why my father never came back? Because he had another family that he was taking care of? Sure, he kept in communication throughout my growing up
We are almost at Dell’s place, and the silence in the car is thick with unspoken thoughts. I have so many questions for him, but we are both in this awkward stage, not knowing each other well enough to feel comfortable asking. The reason I changed my mind and decided to take him to Dell’s is that if he turns out to be untrustworthy, being around an FBI agent is the safest option. Also, I need to keep him close to get answers to my questions. Deep down, I know he is my brother and I should trust him, but I can’t help but be skeptical. Why did I never know of him before? He says our dad talked about me to him, so he knew of my existence. Why didn’t he ever try to reach out? Even though I was in a different country, he should have made an effort.I glance at him briefly, and he is staring out the window, seemingly lost in his own world. I want to say something to break the awkwardness but decide against it and turn my attention back to the road. He clears
“Is everything okay?” Raul mutters beside me. I clear my throat and nod, seeing the look of concern etched on his face. I know this is something I don’t want him to hear, so I mouth ‘excuse me’ and step out of the car. Panic rises inside me, and the night air feels even colder.“What’s going on, Dell? Where are you?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. I can hear his struggling breaths on the call.“I can’t tell you everything right now, but I need your help,” he coughs again. “I… I was shot,” he says in a weak and pained voice, and I freeze as my heart races.“What? Dell, I’m calling the cops and the emergency number—”“No! Don’t do that,” he cuts me off, coughing violently. I can tell he is in pain. I am confused as to why he wouldn’t want me to call the cops. He should have called them himself by now. If he was shot an
I'm breathing so fast, and my hands are shaking as I shine the flashlight on the body in front of me. My panic doubles over.Lying on the floor in a pool of blood, with a bullet wound on his forehead and lifeless eyes staring up at me, is none other than Morales, Dell’s boss. I scream louder than I’ve ever screamed before. My breath comes in short, rapid gasps, and I back away even further from the body, my whole body trembling. Tears trickle down my face as I struggle to make sense of what I am seeing. Morales is dead.What the hell happened here?Dell…“Dell?” I scream out his name as the tears keep falling.Out of the dark, a faint cough comes from the far end of the room. I direct the flashlight towards the sound, and that’s when I see him, leaning against the wall, holding a blood-soaked T-shirt over his rib area. Relief and dread flood through me simultaneously as I stumble to rush to where he is.&
I stare at Dell, confused.Why would he want me to call Luca instead of the cops? It doesn’t make sense. When you're fighting for your life, you don't call a mafia group for help; you call the cops and paramedics. Worst of all, he wants me to call the very mafia group he's been trying to bring down.I shake my head, trying to make sense of his request. He doesn’t look okay, and even though the bullet is out and his life isn't as at risk as before, he still needs that blood transfusion.“Why would you want me to call Luca?” I ask. He looks at me, his eyes filled with pain and urgency.“Just call him. He will know what to do,” he says in barely a whisper. I am taken aback by that.I have so many questions that need answers, but the more time we waste, the less chance he has of surviving.“I can’t do that, Dell. I don’t want anything to do with the Romano mafia family,” I say. I keep t
I am sitting in the hospital reception, impatiently shaking my legs as I wait for any news from the doctors. I can’t seem to settle down. When I called Luca, he came all right, but he didn’t come alone. Alessandro was with him, along with most of his men. I couldn’t exactly tell them that Dell didn’t want Alessandro there because I was desperate to save his life.When they suggested we take him to the hospital, I almost lost my mind, yelling about how Dell didn’t want the police or the hospital involved. Luca said that Dell asked me to call him for a reason, and whatever it was, they would take care of it. I didn’t care to ask what they meant by that. I just wanted Dell to be okay.I remember seeing Alessandro’s men carrying Morales’s body from the warehouse. As much as I wanted to know where they were taking it, I didn’t ask anything. I got in the car that was carrying Dell to the hospital, and we left before I cou
My head is reeling with so many thoughts right now. I still can’t believe what Dell just said to me.“What do you mean Alessandro is your brother?” I manage to ask, my voice barely above a whisper. This must be some sort of joke because there is no way what he just said to me makes any sense.He sighs, looking exhausted.“Well, half-brother,” he says, and I am tempted to roll my eyes. That’s the only thing that would make sense because they are literally two different races. “We share the same mother, different fathers,” he says so casually, like he didn’t just spin my world around by telling me that.It takes a moment for it all to sink in. There’s just no way in hell that the two men who have been pushing me around, making me work for them, just so happen to be related.“You are kidding, right?” I ask. He shakes his head, and the look he gives me tells me that he is not kiddi
I barely got any sleep last night. Hell, even saying I’ve gotten any sleep recently would be an understatement. A lot has been happening in my life, and anytime I close my eyes, I wake up sweating and panting because of a nightmare. Besides, I came in late and slept only for a couple of hours before deciding I couldn’t do this anymore.I passed by the hotel to tell Raul I was okay and to book a room for myself. He wanted to know what had happened, but I still didn’t trust him enough to tell him. At this point, I don’t even know who to trust. Everyone seems to have betrayed me.I'm shoving clothes into my suitcase, my hands trembling with anger and betrayal. I can’t stay here, not after everything I’ve learned. Last night, I decided to move out. I can’t live with people who’ve lied to me since I arrived. As I toss another shirt into the case, I hear a slight knock on the door as it is pushed open. Dell’s mom, Rose, p
He’s dressed in his signature look—a black shirt and black pants. Given that it’s the middle of the night, I thought he might show up in something more casual. For a moment, there’s an awkward pause; his expression unreadable as he looks away, seemingly ignoring the scene, then moves toward us. I quickly stand up, straightening myself, trying to gauge his reaction, but he stays composed, his expression closed. I can’t quite explain how I feel seeing him. I should be relieved, even glad, but I don’t feel any of that. My heart hasn’t skipped a beat at his presence; the only reason it’s racing is because he walked in on me and Luca in an awkward position.“Give us a moment,” he tells Luca, who nervously clears his throat, nods, and walks away. Now it’s just the two of us, and the tension in the room crackles like electricity.“Are you okay?” he asks in a low tone. I clear my throat and nod. I&rs
I didn’t think I’d remember the address, but I’m here. I honestly can’t explain how fast I drove; I just needed to get here and find help before I lose not only my father but my brother too. After years of only having my mother as my closest family, and believing I had no one else after she died and my dad went missing, I’ve just discovered I have more family, and I’m not about to lose them. I wanted to call Alessandro to let him know I was free, as Raul advised, but I realized I don’t have his or anyone else’s number memorized. So, I took a risk and came here, hoping I’d find him.My hands are shaky as I get closer. The nearer I get, the more uneasy I feel, almost like I’m stepping into dangerous territory. After everything, I’m sure they wouldn’t expect someone like me to arrive alone.I squint, spotting shadows shifting near the entrance. A dark figure comes into view, followed by another—
My heart is racing, and I can't stop the tears streaming down my face as my hands grip the steering wheel. Sweat breaks out across my palms as I fight to keep my hold steady. Each breath feels shallow, barely filling my lungs. I don’t know where I am, but all I know is that I need to get as far away from here as possible and find help. My heart aches at the thought that I finally found my father, and now, I might lose him again. The road is secluded, bordered by thick bushes on both sides. I glance at the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see shadows from the past chasing me down the empty road.But it’s not just my imagination. There’s a car in the distance, following me. At first, I want to believe it’s just a random driver, but my situation doesn’t exactly allow me that privilege. And then, the moment I take a left turn, they follow. I know I’m being tailed. I mean, there’s no way they would just let me leave like that. I thought
When Michael told me to get ready because I’d be meeting someone for dinner, I never imagined it would be my father. This can’t be real—not after all this time. I just stare at him, unable to move, let alone blink. I’m frozen, struggling to believe my eyes. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him in person—not since before he went missing. The last time I saw him, I was young, maybe in junior high school or even younger. Since then, our only contact has been through video calls. But now, here he is in the flesh. He looks older and more tired, with a heaviness in his eyes I don’t remember. Yet even after all these years, I know without a doubt I’d recognize him anywhere.It takes a moment for it to sink in: he’s actually here with me. The man I’ve been searching for since I arrived in this country is standing right in front of me. Before I can stop myself, I push my seat back, rushing to him, throwing my arms around him. I bury my face in his chest, breathing in the familiar scent that b
I was moved to a new room, just as Michael said I would be. Now, I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, my hands gripping the sheets as I take in my surroundings. It’s warmer here, and less suffocating than the cold, damp cell I was trapped in before. There’s an actual bed with a blanket, a much larger window that lets in a sliver of light, and even a bathroom. It’s a world away from the darkness I was stuck in, but I know better than to take comfort in any of this. It’s just another cage, dressed up to look less cruel.The door swings open, and Michael steps in, not giving me a moment to absorb the new space. His eyes sweep over the room before landing on me.“I see you’ve settled in,” he says, his voice carrying a casual indifference. “Do you like it better here?”I don’t answer, just stare at him, because it doesn’t matter what I say. I never thought I would hold so much resentment for someone as I do for him. He takes a step closer, pulling a phone from his pocket, and I look up at h
I open my eyes. It’s another day in this dungeon. I don’t even know what day it is anymore. Every second drags on, blurring into the next, making it impossible to tell if it’s been days or weeks. Time means nothing here, just like I don’t. I’m still trapped, still their prisoner, even after they sent that video of me—bloodied and bruised—to Alessandro. I thought, hoped, that he might do something, that I was worth saving. But the bruises have started to heal, and though I don’t know exactly how many days have passed, I’ve woken up to that light beaming through the little window enough times to know it’s probably time to give up on him saving me. Because now…I know he won’t. That voice message they played for me, his cold voice dismissing their threats, plays in my head like a bad dream. He doesn’t care about me—not enough to negotiate, not enough to even consider it. Sleep has become my only escape, where I can see her—my mom. But every time I wake up and remember she’s gone, and I mi
I’m seated on the floor, cradling my knees as my whole body trembles with regret and exhaustion. I am in pain from the rough way the kidnapper threw me back in here. I was so close—so close to escaping, to being free of this nightmare. But it wasn’t enough. My wrists throb from where the ropes dug into my skin earlier, and my heart pounds as the panic refuses to fade. The tears just keep falling, blurring my vision, and I press my face into my knees.Now that the only means I had thought of for escaping is no longer an option, I don’t know if I will ever leave this place. Maybe I should wait for a while, then ask to go to the washrooms again, and try to escape successfully this time. I know they will probably be extra careful with me, but maybe it’s worth a try because, if I’m being honest, depending solely on Alessandro to get me out of here isn’t something I can count on. What if he really doesn’t care? What if this is how it
I wake up on the cold, hard floor of a tiny room, confused as I blink my eyes open. I remember being dragged into this room last night by the kidnappers. The darkness has lifted, replaced by a faint light filtering through the small window high above me. I can tell it’s morning, not only from the soft light of the sun but also from the distant sound of birds chirping. I’ve had sleepless nights before, but this is one that will stick with me forever because I barely got any sleep.I don’t know where I am, and panic sets in as the events of last night flood back. I remember being dragged from the van, my heart racing as I struggled against their grip. I remember how Michael tricked me into this trap. I know they’re holding me because they want Alessandro to release Michael, and somehow they think this will work. I try to get up, but realize my hands are tied.I struggle against the ropes binding my wrists, but they dig into my skin, a harsh remind
As I unlock the door, the banging stops abruptly. Alessandro’s eyes immediately narrow.“What the hell was that? What were you doing in there with him?” he asks, his voice low and menacing. I would say I was scared, but right now, I’m just over him. Luca is standing behind him, looking more focused than angry. His eyes move between me and Michael, who’s still tied up, a smirk on his lips.“Renée!” Alessandro blurts out, and I scoff, brushing past him as if his question barely registers.“I needed to talk to him,” I reply, keeping my tone calm but firm. “And you’re not going to kill him… not until I say so.” He creases his brow in confusion as his expression darkens. He steps closer, towering over me.Luca walks over to where Michael is, still bound to the chair, seemingly unfazed.“What the hell did you tell her?” Luca asks Michael, who only shrugs, th