In "Family Ties," the Moretti family is everything, or so they thought. But beneath the surface of loyalty lies a web of betrayal and lies. In the heart of this tangled mess, the Morettis struggle to find their footing, torn apart by secrets and dec...
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The sky was overcast, a dull gray that matched my mood as I sat in the passenger seat, fingers loosely gripping the gun on my lap. The hum of the car engine was the only sound between me and Adryan, cutting through the thick silence that had settled over us. We had been driving for what felt like hours, putting distance between us and the chaos, but heading toward an uncertain destination.
My eyes stayed glued to the road ahead, but my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Lelani had just left to say her final goodbyes to Caesar, and now here I was, speeding away from everything familiar with a man I barely trusted. The weight of the gun on my lap was a cold, comforting reminder that I needed to stay alert. Danger still lurked, even here.
Adryan glanced over at me, his expression unreadable. "You don't have to keep your hand on that," he said, nodding toward the gun.
I didn't look at him. "Maybe I do."
He let out a slow breath, returning his attention to the road. "I get it. But if I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn't have waited this long."
"That's supposed to make me feel better?" I asked, my voice thick with skepticism.
"No," he admitted. "But it's the truth."
The car began to slow as we approached a random bridge, the river beneath it reflecting the gloomy sky. Adryan pulled into a small, empty car park and cut the engine. The sudden silence was almost suffocating, tension hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break.
I finally turned to look at him, my grip on the gun tightening slightly. "Why here?"
Adryan didn't answer right away. Instead, he stared out at the bridge, his gaze distant, as if he were seeing something far beyond the here and now. "I had a little sister," he began, his voice softer than I'd ever heard it. "She was two years younger than me. We were close—closer than I ever was with my twin brother, even though you'd think it would be the opposite."
I stayed silent, letting him talk, even as my mind raced to understand where he was going with this.
"Growing up, she was my best friend. We did everything together. My brother and I... well, we never really saw eye to eye. But with her, it was different. She understood me in a way no one else did."
He paused, his eyes clouded with memories. I could see the pain etched on his face, though he was trying to hide it. "Twelve years ago, she died. Right here, on this bridge. Her car went off the edge... they said it was an accident, but I never believed that."
The weight of his words settled between us, heavy and cold like the metal of the gun in my lap. I blinked, caught off guard by the raw emotion in his voice. "Why are you telling me this?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. He took a deep breath before exiting the car and I followed him. The cool air around us seemed to thicken, pressing in as my mind raced. My thoughts were chaotic, trying to piece together the implications of what he just said.
