Carls paced around in his secret establishment’s office. Maria had proven to be a bigger distraction than he would ever admit. He had to keep himself in line, in check, especially as he was this close to fulfilling his dreams. Bringing the Don to his knees. All he had to do was wait for Maria to return with the good news and it would be as easy as pie. Speaking of Maria, he admired her drive and mastermind. She knew what she wanted and was not afraid to go for it, no matter the cost. Too bad he had to get rid of her once the deal was done. This was the part of the plan he hated, waiting. He sat on his seat. Calling her in the moment was risky so he refrained from doing so. Rico was not picking up as well. They only had one shot and if they miss- Knock Knock! Yes!! The door opened and Maria stood there with an I-told-you-so smile on her face. “With a smile like that I can only say we were successful”, he started. “Extremely successful”, she said as she walked into the
Carls smiled. Maria was no doubt the best. He began to rethink killing her. Keeping her around would not hurt one bit, after all. One of the babies started crying, and Fin attempted to take him or her out to rock them to sleep. “Don’t do that. I hate babies. Rock the carrier instead”, Maria said. Fin did as he was told and the baby calmed down. “So what is the next step?”, Maria asked Carls. “What else but to make demands to the Don. With his twins here he’d sacrifice anything to get them back”, Carls responded. “Definitely. Do we need to send him a message?”, she asked. “Well, that would have been Rico’s duty but I don’t know where the fuck he is. I don’t want Leonardo to find out about this place”, Carls responded. “Yeah, about that. What is this place, though?”, she asked. A man entered the office. “Boss. The women have been moved to the owner’s location, including children. The disabled are going to be used as organ donors”, he said. Maria looked at Carls
Leonardo stood in the front of the building with Arya between him and Rob. He eyes scanned the area with scrutiny extra concerned for Arya’s safety. His eyes met with hers and his heart broke. Her entire life was about to be shattered by the coming events. “Remember that you won’t come back the same way you go in”, he reminded her. “It’s a good thing then”, she replied and walked into the building, kicking the dead body he knocked down out of the way. He watched as her hips swayed with every step she took and he got lost. She turned around to catch him drooling. “Are you coming?”, she asked. “Yes, Don. You can stare all you want after. The men have given us the signal to in”, Rob said. He was watching Don the whole time. Leonardo shook his head and went after her. Arya’s mind flashed back to their earlier conversation. FLASH BACK She came out of the bathroom to find the baby carriers gone. Her scream brought the nurses into her room. They looked at each other in
Arya needed to be sure she was seeing right. A safe like board was under the wooden floor. “Leo…”, she called out to her husband. A gun shot was heard and her heart dropped. No, no, no! It can’t be. Not now. “Arya!”, he called. Relief flooded through her. “In here”, she responded. “Our men must have missed one person”, Leonardo said as he entered the room with Rob. “There’s a safe here. Or I think it’s a safe. But how do we get the password?”, she asked. Leonardo knelt down with her and tried the passcode. It was wrong. “From what I know about this person, there can only be one passcode”, he said and tried again. A - D - R - I - A - N - A He typed that in and it pinged, opening a door in the wall that they didn’t know was there. Arya had a shocking expression. “Who is Adriana and how is that door in the wall?”, she asked. “I have no idea about that wall door. And as for the name, you’ll come to know in time”, he responded. The door had a stair
“What the fuck?!”, Arya cursed. Walking in on her father having sex was not the nicest experience and with Maria? “What are you… Don, what a surprise”, Carls said as she tried to press the button to alert his men. “That won’t be necessary”, Leonardo said. “We have taken care of them for you. You’re welcome”, Rob said. “What do you mean by taken care of them?”, Carls raised an eyebrow. Maria quickly covered herself with the sheets on the couch bed. Turns out Carls had them in all his offices. “Leonardo, my love. I can explain. It’s…. It’s not what you think. I stopped when you confronted me”, she said. “Confronted you? If I remember well, which I do, I could not care less”, Leonardo said with disgust written all over his face. “Father. Wow! I am disappointed but I guess nothing could compare to the disappointment I felt when I saw you how locked up our fellow humans in a tight cages”, Arya said. “I can explain… Wait, how could you get in?”, Carls asked. Leona
“So you’d rather kill your innocent grandchildren than change your ways or own up to the consequences of your actions?”, Arya asked. “Grandchildren?”, Carls spat and continued. “These bastards are not my grandchildren.” “Then it’s good those aren’t my newborns”, she said. “But they are someone else’s? Surrogates? You don’t look like you just had a baby so it could be accurate”, he said. Arya laughed. “Go ahead and drop them I could not care less. You are still going to get down on your knees”, she responded with a scoff and crossed her legs in an elegant manner. Leonardo and Rob stood beside her signifying to Carls they were here for business. Carls brows etched in confusion. “You don’t care if I drop your babies?”, he asked. “Please…. I could not care less. Besides, like I said before, those are not my kids”, she said and blew off imaginary dusts from her hands. Carls and Maria exchanged glances. “What is she saying?”, he asked. “I have no idea what she’s talking
“Adriana is my mother?”, Arya asked just to be certain her ears weren’t playing tricks on her. “Yes”, Carls answered. “Wait, you had a baby with your brother’s wife and that baby is me?”, she asked. “No and yes”, he answered and continued. “I loved your mother very very much but she did not feel the same way. She died shortly after she had you. She was murdered”, he said. “So I am not your child?.” He hesitated. “No. You are not my child nor Camilla’s.” It all finally made sense. How he treated her like his worse enemy and made her entire life miserable. How he made her suffer the indignity of being checked out in front of older ugly looking men as if she was some whore on sale. “And my father?”, she asked. “He was my elder brother. Unfortunately, he too was murdered”, Carls answered. “And you took me in only to make my life a living nightmare”, she replied as the tears fell freely. Her shoulders trembled as the life she once thought was hers came crumbling in
It has been two weeks since her fa- uncle’s confession and it still haunted her. Amelia and Alberto had returned from their trip and she could not be more grateful for the timing. They agreed to take care of their grandchildren while the parents work out the situation on ground. Her twins were perfect. They caused little to no trouble at all and they had good appetites. Bianca had to fly back to America for the law firm she was trying to get in. Leonardo had volunteered to talk to the CEO but Bianca would like to get the job on her merit. Arya sighed. She turned to her babies, Aurora and Gabriele, sleeping peacefully in their cradle and her heart melted. Her love for them grew by the second. The door opened but she didn’t need to turn around to know it was Leonardo. “How was work?”, she asked. “It was okay. How are you?”, Leonardo asked, sitting next to her and kissing her forehead. “Better”, she responded. Her hand trembled and she quickly tried to hide it. Fortu
ONE YEAR LATER Leonardo watched her from the doorway, his arms folded as a soft smile played on his lips. Arya stood by the crib, gently stroking the twins’ hair until their breathing grew soft and even. A new mother in her element — flourishing. But he knew it wasn’t just because they were finally reunited with their babies. No, there was another weight lifted off her shoulders. Andrea’s body had washed ashore the morning after they returned to Italy. Whoever killed him had clearly found no more use for him. But Leonardo still wondered — was it Vito? He stepped forward, his voice low. “It’s been a year since we got back. The kids are happy, safe, and drowning in all the love we could give them. Are you finally ready for us?” Arya turned, eyes locking with his in that way that always made him feel like the only man in the world. “More than anything, Leo. I love our family — but throwing parties, decorating, smiling at guests — that’s not what I want to do with my life.” His smile
Arya placed her thumb against the sharp metal protruding from the mirror’s hidden safe. The prick was sharp and quick, a bead of blood welling up instantly. The metal retracted with a soft mechanical hiss, followed by a deep click as ancient locks gave way. The door of the safe creaked open, revealing what lay inside.Her breath caught.An old, thick book, its leather cover worn but unnaturally strong, sat beside a small, sleek device. The contrast between them — one ancient, the other unnervingly advanced — sent a chill through Arya’s spine.Isabel’s breath hitched. “I thought that was destroyed during the final battle between the Order and the Sisterhood — over fifty years ago.”Arya’s fingers hovered over the objects. “What exactly is it?”Dolores stepped forward, her face grim. “It’s a weapon. That device can override every military system on earth. Nukes, missiles, satellites — you name it. With the right codes, you could trigger wars from this room. The book holds those codes, a
The silence after Henry’s death was suffocating. Leonardo and Arya stood over his body, blood painting their hands and faces, their breath ragged and uneven. The room was littered with corpses, a battlefield stained with loyalty and betrayal.Ricardo and Roberto had finished off the remaining men, but Isabel barely had a moment to breathe before a rough hand seized her arm.“Let go of me!” Isabel struggled, but the man twisted her arm behind her back, dragging her toward the far end of the room. Leonardo’s gun snapped up, finger curling around the trigger — but before anyone could react, a single, sharp gunshot rang out.The man crumpled at Isabel’s feet, blood pouring from a hole between his eyes.Dolores stood a few feet away, smoke curling from her pistol. Her expression was calm, but her eyes betrayed years of unresolved rage. “No one touches another woman in front of me again.”Isabel stumbled into Arya’s arms, trembling. “It’s over,” Arya whispered. “You’re safe now.”But then A
“You remind me of him…” Andreas’ voice slithered through the tension like a blade through silk. Leonardo didn’t move, didn’t lower his gun. His heart was a hammer against his ribs, but his hand was steady, aimed straight at Andreas’ head. And yet, the Pope only smiled. “Vito. Your grandfather. You have his temper… his instincts.” A pause, measured, deliberate. Then, softer—“His arrogance.” “You were close to him,” Leonardo said. His voice was steady, but inside, something twisted. Andreas smiled. “Closer than you think. He would have been proud of you, Leonardo. If only he were still alive.” Leonardo’s jaw tensed. Andreas had been a ghost from his past, a man he had once admired, a mentor in a strange way. And now, he was standing against him, speaking about his grandfather as if— He didn’t have time to unpack it. Because in the next second, Ricardo’s gun cracked, the shot echoing through the chamber. Leonardo had silently given the signal, and Ricardo took the sh
Arya could barely believe her ears. None of this made sense. Isabel coming to this town had been a coincidence.Hadn’t it?Her pulse hammered in her ears, drowning out the distant creaks of the ancient walls.“Isabel having Adriana? Her coming here? You’re spewing nonsense,” Arya said, her voice sharper than she intended.Henry smirked. “I am here to ensure my predecessors’ wishes are met. Of course, her coming here wasn’t a coincidence. Neither was Stanley getting her pregnant. We ruined your life in ways that would bring you here. Not that we had to try too hard—Stanley was more than happy to do it and didn’t even come back for his pay.”Isabel gasped, her breath hitching. “Wha—”“I beg you, Isabel.” Henry’s voice turned colder, almost bored. “Don’t speak until you’re spoken to. Now that I’m no longer pretending, I can admit—I never could tolerate you. Always rushing to do the right thing for the church, as if doing good has ever brought you good luck.”Leonardo stepped forward, his
A second of stunned silence stretched between them. Then, as if a trigger had been pulled, everyone moved at once. Ricardo’s hand flew to his gun. Leonardo stepped protectively in front of Arya. Dolores unsheathed a hidden dagger from her belt, while Isabel squared her stance, ready for a fight. Roberto cocked his pistol, finger already on the trigger. But Henry didn’t flinch. Instead, he smiled. And then—the ground shook. A deep, guttural rumble echoed through the underground chamber, vibrating up their legs. Dust rained from the ceiling. The ancient stone beneath their feet groaned, as if something massive had just shifted deep within the earth. For a fraction of a second, everyone hesitated. And that was all Henry needed. A single, sharp whistle left his lips. A sniper’s laser appeared—red and deadly—right over Arya’s forehead. Leonardo’s stomach dropped. “Ah-ah,” Henry tutted, raising a single finger. “You know, I’d really rather not get blood all over these nic
Arya, Leonardo, Ricardo, Roberto, Isabel, Dolores, and Penelope, along with several others, entered the underground hideout and saw that Henry had already opened a secret door.“He left the door open for us to follow him? He’s either an egotistical moron or just plain stupid,” Leonardo said.Isabel was horrified. “I never even knew about this secret door—right here, in the very room where I trained my girls.”“Henry comes from a line of corrupt priests, each one worse than the last. They’ve been pitting you all against each other for years. Of course, he knew more than he let on,” Ricardo said.Penelope placed a comforting hand on Isabel’s shoulder.Dolores didn’t pause—she kept moving through the secret passage, and the others followed. The walkway was dimly lit by old, slow-burning lanterns, their glass clouded with dust. Cobwebs hung in thick strands, untouched for what must have been decades. The walls were covered in strange symbols, a forgotten language carved into the stone.“I
Smoke and dust hung thick in the air, swirling through the ruined convent like ghosts mourning the dead. The scent of burning wood mixed with the coppery tang of blood. The once-pristine courtyard was unrecognizable—bodies lay strewn across the stone floor, habits stained red, fingers still curled around the weapons they had fought with. Bullet holes riddled the chapel walls, and shattered stained-glass windows cast fragmented colors onto the carnage below. Flames crackled in the distance, devouring part of the east wing, their light flickering like dying prayers. Arya stepped over a body, careful not to let her boots slip on the slickness of fresh blood. She felt Leonardo’s presence beside her, solid and tense. Roberto and Ricardo moved with weapons drawn, scanning for any remaining threats. But the battle, for now, had paused. The dead had no more fight left in them. And in the heart of it all stood Isabel. She was drenched in blood, her gray-streaked hair matted with sweat. A
The doctor finished his examination, checking Leonardo’s pulse, pupils, and responsiveness. He pressed against his wrist, watching the steady beat, then moved a small flashlight across his eyes. Leonardo tolerated the prodding in silence, though his body ached from days of inactivity. Finally, the doctor stepped back and exhaled. “He seems clean. The drug is out of his system.” Arya sagged, as if the weight she had carried for days had been lifted just enough for her to breathe again. Her hands, which had been gripping the sheets so tightly her knuckles turned white, finally loosened. “Thank you, Doctor,” she said, her voice raw. The doctor gave her a small nod. “He may still experience some lingering effects—fatigue, confusion, maybe even nightmares—but the worst of it is over. His body will adjust in time.” Leonardo listened, barely absorbing the words. His mind was already moving forward, pushing past the haze of the last few days. He had woken up and gone back under so