HIS

Chapter 40

We stepped into a spacious room where around fifteen people—guys and girls—were scattered throughout, some chatting, others focused on their screens. I'd never been to this part of the building before, and it was truly impressive. One side featured a cozy coffee station stocked with snacks, a variety of coffee pods, bean bags, couches, and a massive fridge filled with all kinds of drinks. The rest of the room was lined with desks, each equipped with multiple monitors, where people sat typing away, immersed in their work.

Naturally, all eyes turned to us the moment we stepped into the fortress-like room. Among the sea of unfamiliar faces, Max was the only one I recognized. He spotted us instantly and came over to greet me with a hug. Lately, Max has become noticeably more open and friendly toward me. It seems he prefers to take his time getting to know and trust people before initiating conversation—once that trust is built, he's much more willing to engage.

Once the greetings were exchanged, everyone returned to whatever they had been doing before we arrived.

"Any news?" Domenico asked Max, cutting straight to the chase as he gestured for me to take an open seat. I didn't hesitate—I sat down, eager to find out who the people were that had chased us.

"Whoever they were, they used fake plates, so there's no way to trace them," Max said. "But the team managed to get to the crash site before the police and collected some evidence. They're on their way back now."

"I just got word—there were three men in one car and two in the other," Luca explained, his fingers flying across his phone screen. "The two from the second vehicle survived and have been captured. But the three in the first car didn't make it—the crash impact was fatal."

A pounding echoed in my ears, my heart racing like it was trying to outrun the moment. Cold sweat clung to my forehead as the weight of what I'd done began to sink in. I had taken lives—real people, not just shadows in the night. Did they have families? Children waiting for them at home?

It was painfully clear—I was the reason they'd never return to their families. I'd acted too impulsively, too quick to pull the trigger, without thinking through the consequences. Domenico warned me to stay put, and I should've listened.

I drifted out of the conversation for a moment, lost in my own thoughts. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice—everyone's attention was locked on the situation unfolding, trying to piece together who wanted us dead. My focus snapped back when I heard Luca ask Max to check the footage from the car we'd been driving.

"Max, can you access the car's cameras? Maybe someone will spot something or recognize one of them," Luca said, as he and Domenico settled into empty seats, their attention shifting to the large screen dominating the room.

Max made his way to his desk, tapped a few keys, and within moments, the video footage from the chase flickered onto the large screen.

I watched the footage play out, and just as I'd said, they had been tailing us long before we even noticed. Every detail was captured—each turn, each moment—confirming the version of events Domenico likely shared while I had zoned out.

"Wait—did you actually fire back at them?" Luca asked, clearly impressed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he looked my way.

I gave a silent nod, eyes dropping to the floor as a wave of nausea surged through me. Without a word, I stood and headed for the bathroom, the weight of everything pressing down hard. I could hear footsteps behind me—someone was following—but I didn't have the energy to look back. I walked down the hallway and reached the bathroom door, but just as I was about to enter, a hand landed gently on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks.