All Chapters of Mafia Last Surrender: A Heart Change By Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

From the shadows, Dante saw Elena enter the poorly lighted alley with a stiff posture but clear defiance. She was a sharp contrast to the surroundings—clean lines and quiet determination amid a landscape of urban ruin. Her presence seemed out of place in his environment, yet here she was, risking all to confront the same dangers he battled to underwrite.Dante's instincts screamed for him to act, to seize control, to guarantee no damage came her way. He held back, though, observing her and wondering how someone so inexperienced and obstinate could be so brave in front of actual peril. And why couldn he look away from every rule he had ever set for himself?The first footfall announced the entrance of the DiGregorio enforcers echoing down the small hallway. Three men appeared, their motions methodical, the arrogance of invaders believing they were unbeatable. Dante identified the commander right away—a tough man with a perpetual scowl and enough muscle to make most men uncomfortable."

Dante's night had been long, tense, far from ended. One thing the meeting at the docks had shown: the DiGregorios were committed to undercutting him. But another weight, far more distracting—Elena—was on him. She was an aberration he hadn't expected; her reckless defiance, boldness, frustrating insistence on standing her position were dragging him into territory he had long avoided.Dante's head whirled with unresolved thoughts as he made his way back to his office in the early hours of morning. Why was she driven to endanger herself? Why could he not overcome the unusual need to keep her safe? He was not a guy readily influenced by sentiment. But with Elena, he was violating his own rules and jeopardizing the stability of his kingdom over a woman he hardly knew.He was startled out of contemplation by a faint knock at the door.His voice harsh, he said, "Come in."Enzo came in, his demeanor wary, as though he were bracing for Dante's irritation. His typically calm attitude wavered wi

Dante's heartbeat thundered as they slid down the tiny passageways like veins cutting through the city. Now far behind, the safehouse was covered in anarchy inside its walls. Enzo and his men were managing the last of the dangers, but Dante's attention had shifted to only ensuring Elena's survival.Elena walked next him, her breathing erratic yet consistent. He could sense her tension, her body held like a wire ready to break. It was a mirror of the will that had propelled her into his life, a persistence against reason and caution.They arrived at an old structure with a modest façade buried between rows of vacant warehouses. Dante opened the large door and guided her inside. One of his less-used boltholes, known only to a few, the place was dark, the air heavy with the aroma of dust and oil, but it was safe.Elena caught her breath leaning against the wall with closed eyelids. Her face was shadowed by one dull light that accentuated the dirt smear on her cheek and the anxiety shown

Dante walked the entire safehouse, his strain causing the floor to creak. Enzo's words had hardly settled when ideas started to shape his mind, calculations and backups entwined like threads in a complex network. The gnawing sensation that this fight would cost him more than he was ready to admit would not be eliminated even with the most exact arrangements, though.Elena watched him with the intensity that caused the space between them to crackle from her seated at the old wooden table. Unspoken worries permeated the air, each second marking the approaching storm like a drumbeat. Though the words caught in her throat, she wanted to say anything, anything, to shatter the stillness.Enzo came back, his face a mask of tiredness and will. "The men are positioned correctly. Although we strengthened the exits, we still need more eyes around the periphery.Dante nodded, peering at the map laid across the table. It was a patchwork of defended areas, defined paths, and escape routes. There we

The shot was fast and final, echoing across the room. The anarchy seemed to stop for a minute, every heartbeat stretching into eternity. Dante's vision grew narrower as he saw the scene: the intruder's gun remained elevated, and the man's expression changed with realization he had missed his target. Dante's body jerked on instinct, diving sideways as the man lifted his rifle once again and wrath twisted his features.Dante snarled and squeezed the trigger on his own weapon, not today. The invader slumped, the sound of his fall lost in the rebuilt chorus of gunshots.Dante turned to face his left with a piercing gasp. Elena was crushed against the wall, her eyes wide, a smear of blood marring her cheek from where a shard of broken glass had cut her? His heart faltered at the sight, but Enzo was there, positioned between her and the tumult before he could act.The battle raged all around them, Marco yelling commands as Dante's men drove the assailants back; the little safehouse became a