Underworld ties

Her absence his Pain

Luca's mind was in turmoil as he waited for Elena to return.

"Elena!" he shouted, panic rising in his chest.

His phone buzzed, and he answered it with trembling hands. "Vince, Elena's gone. Someone took her."

"We'll find her, Luca," Vince replied, his voice steady. "I promise."

For the first time Luca felt helpless, he felt like that 13 year old boy who couldn't save himself form the red nailed monster. His love, his wife ..his everything is gone. He let her go.

 

The Confrontation

Elena woke up in a dark, unfamiliar place, her head pounding. She was tied to a chair, and her vision was still blurry from the drugs. As she struggled to focus, she heard footsteps approaching.

"Good, you're awake," a voice said. It was her father, Antonio.

"Father?" she croaked, her throat dry and sore.

"I had to do this, Elena," he said coldly. "You've become a liability."

Tears welled up in Elena's eyes. "Why? Why can't you see that this war is pointless?"

Antonio's expression remained hard. "You've betrayed our family, Elena. There's no turning back now."

Elena felt a surge of defiance. "Father, this war started because of lies and manipulation. Luca didn't kill Mom."

Antonio's eyes narrowed. "And you believe him?"

Elena nodded, her voice firm. "Yes. Because Mom was killed by you."

Antonio's face twisted in anger. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" Elena retorted, her voice shaking. "Luca only killed her to save the kids. He thought she was hurting us, but the truth is worse, isn't it? She was manipulated by Luca's father. Our families were destroyed by lies and betrayal."

Antonio's eyes flashed with rage. "Your mother was weak. She was seduced by that DeLuca bastard and used against us."

"She was your wife," Elena shot back. "And you let her become a pawn in this war. You've been blinded by your hatred for so long that you can't see the truth."

"The truth?" Antonio sneered. "The truth is that the DeLucas are responsible for everything. They manipulated your brother Dante, turned him against us. Vince's father orchestrated all of it, and he died early in the war, leaving us to pick up the pieces."

Elena's heart ached with the weight of the revelations. "Father, the children have no fault in this. Luca and I... we can end this feud. We can stop the cycle of violence."

Antonio's face softened for a moment, but then his eyes hardened again. "No, Elena. This ends only when the DeLucas are gone."

"Please, Father," Elena begged, tears streaming down her face. "We can be a family again. We can have peace."

Antonio looked at her with a mixture of sadness and resolve. "You're a fool, Elena. A poor, misguided girl."

He raised a gun, pointing it at her. Elena's heart pounded, but she held her ground. "Do it then," she whispered. "Kill your own daughter."

Antonio's hand shook, his face contorted with inner turmoil. Just as he seemed to make a decision, the door burst open.

Luca and Vince stormed in, guns drawn. "Let her go, Antonio," Luca growled, his eyes blazing with fury.

Antonio sneered. "You think you can just take her back? Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged," Vince said, his voice deadly calm.

Elena's heart pounded as she watched the standoff. She knew she had to act fast. Summoning all her strength, she kicked her chair backwards, breaking it apart and freeing herself. She grabbed a piece of the broken chair and lunged at her father, knocking the gun from his hand.

In the chaos that followed, Luca and Vince subdued Antonio's men. Elena felt a mixture of relief and sadness as she looked at her father, but it was soon replaced by downright fer when she saw him pointing the gun at Luca...she rushed before it was too late...
Luca was ready to face the searing pain of the bullet but he didn't.

 He crumbled down when he noticed Elena took that bullet for him.
Antonio shot himself at the guilt of hurting his daughter and only family

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Hey cuties<3

Talk about family drama! Elena's got some serious courage standing up to her dad like that. Looks like someone's trying to rack up those brownie points (or should we say pancake points?). Stay tuned for more twists, turns, and... well, probably more shirtless Luca. 😏