As we race away in the car, a storm of anger and fear swells inside me. How could she be so reckless? How could she risk everything like that?
When the empty road stretches before us, I slam on the brakes, my heart pounding in my chest. I throw the...
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I entered the cozy café where Gabriel and I had agreed to meet, my thoughts racing. Spotting him at a corner table, I made my way over, my heart inexplicably pounding.
“Good afternoon, Chiara,” Gabriel greeted me, his blue eyes twinkling with that familiar intensity. “Please, sit.”
I slid into the chair across from him, my laptop ready. “I sent you the photos this morning. Did you get a chance to look at them?”
“I did,” he said, his voice smooth as silk. “They’re impressive. Peter did an excellent job.”
As we discussed the photos and the direction of the article, he suddenly called me “tuono.”
“Tuono?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is that a nickname?”
His lips curled into a flirtatious smile. “It means ‘thunder.’ You have a certain intensity about you, Chiara.”
I felt a tingle run down my spine but forced myself to focus. “Well, thank you. I think.”
I laid out my plans for the article, emphasizing the human side of Romano Secure Tech and the community initiatives. Gabriel listened intently, nodding thoughtfully.
“That sounds promising,” he said. “I trust you’ll handle it with the care it deserves.”
I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this meeting than just the article. “You mentioned you have business after this,” I said casually. “What kind of business?”
His demeanor shifted, the playfulness vanishing. “Just personal matters,” he said coldly, his eyes narrowing.
“Must be important if you can’t go to the office,” I pressed, curious.
Gabriel’s face darkened with anger. “Drop it, Chiara. It’s none of your concern.”
Before I could respond, I noticed a man approaching us, his eyes fixed on Gabriel. As he got closer, I saw the glint of a gun in his hand. My breath caught in my throat.
“Gabriel!” I shouted, but Antonio was already moving. The gunman’s shot misfired into the air, and chaos erupted. Gabriel grabbed my arm, pulling me outside.
I was shaking, my mind reeling from the shock. “Look at me, Chiara,” Gabriel said, his voice firm yet gentle. “Take deep breaths. Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“I’m... I’m okay,” I managed, still trembling. “Who was that?”
Gabriel shrugged, his demeanor casual. “I’m a successful guy. People try to take me down. It happens.”
I didn’t believe him for a second, but before I could press further, his phone rang. “Excuse me,” he said, stepping away. I overheard him mention something important happening at the dockyard.
When he returned, he looked at me with concern. “Go back safely, Chiara. We’ll continue this later.”
I nodded, pretending to leave, but as soon as he and his entourage departed, I hailed a cab and decided to follow them. Calling Amelia, I filled her in.
“Go for it, Chiara,” she encouraged. “This could be big.”
Next, I called Fiona. “Don’t do anything stupid,” she warned, her voice filled with concern.
“This is my only opportunity,” I insisted, sharing my live location with her. “I’ll be safe, I promise.”
Fiona sighed. “Be careful, Chiara.”
The cab dropped me near the dockyard around 5 PM. I waited, my nerves on edge, until finally, around 8 PM, I saw Gabriel and Matteo arrive with a group of armed men. I found a close spot to hide, my heart pounding with anticipation.
Suddenly, a rough hand grabbed me, and I felt the cold barrel of a gun against my head. “What have I gotten myself into?” I whispered, fear gripping my heart as I realized just how deep I was in.
As the man shoved me toward where Gabriel and his entourage stood, I felt a surge of panic rise in my chest. Gabriel's eyes bore into mine with an anger I'd never seen before, while Matteo and Antonio's expressions were downright hostile.
My heart pounded as the gang leader, John, demanded to know who I was. Before I could answer, the man holding me roughly pushed me to the ground, and I landed with a painful thud.
"Hey!" I exclaimed, more out of shock than anything else. John yanked me up by my hair, and I winced in pain. I turned to Gabriel, hoping for some sign of recognition or help, but he stood there, impassive, as if we were nothing more than strangers. It hurt more than I cared to admit.
"Who the hell is she?" John growled, pulling my ID card from my pocket and examining it. "Insight City, huh?" He shot a dark look at Gabriel. "You got something to do with this?" Gabriel's response was cold and calculated. "I don't even know her." But John wasn't buying it.
"You recently bought Insight City," he accused. "You're telling me you don't know what's going on in your own damn office?" "I'm just the owner," Gabriel replied dismissively. "I don't meddle in the day-to-day operations." John's gaze flickered to Matteo and Antonio, searching for confirmation. "Can I kill her"? Gabriel's answer came without hesitation. "Go ahead."
I felt a surge of disbelief and betrayal. How could Gabriel be so heartless, so cruel? The hatred I felt for him burned in my eyes as I glared at him, silently conveying my disgust and loathing. In that moment, surrounded by danger and facing the cold indifference of the man I once thought I knew, I realized just how deep the deception ran. And as John prepared to carry out Gabriel's orders, I knew I had to find a way to escape.
