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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The last thing I remembered before everything went dark was the sharp sting in my neck—Gio’s hands cold and unrelenting as he injected something into me. My vision blurred, my legs went weak, and then there was nothing but silence. Darkness swallowed me whole.
When I opened my eyes again, I wasn’t in the cabin anymore. The air around me was different, too clean, too sterile. The room was unfamiliar, and panic immediately washed over me. I sat up, wincing at the soreness in my body, and looked around. The walls were plain, a soft beige, the kind you find in a hotel suite. A large window covered with sheer curtains let in soft sunlight, and beside the bed, a small vase of fresh flowers sat, their bright colors contrasting sharply with the emptiness I felt inside.
I looked down and realized my clothes had been changed. Gone were the ones I had worn the night everything went to hell. Instead, I was in soft, loose clothing, something I didn’t recognize. My heart started racing, and I gripped the sheets tightly, trying to control the rising tide of fear.
Where was I? What happened to Gabriel? Antonio?
Gabriel… My chest clenched at the thought of him lying on the floor, bleeding, as I was dragged away. Was he okay? Was he even alive? The last image of him, struggling for breath, haunted me. I couldn’t get the sound of his name leaving my lips out of my head—the way I’d cried for him. The way I had failed to protect him when he needed me most.
The door creaked open, and I snapped my head in that direction, bracing myself for whoever would walk in. To my shock, it wasn’t Gio or some faceless enemy. It was my mother.
“Mom?” My voice cracked as I looked at her, disbelief clouding my mind. She stepped into the room, her expression soft and calm, like she hadn’t been missing for months. She looked almost the same, maybe a little older, but the warmth in her eyes… it was like nothing had changed. But everything had changed.
“Chiara, baby,” she said softly, coming toward me. She opened her arms like she wanted to comfort me, and I lost it. I broke down, the weight of everything hitting me all at once. “I saw Dad,” I sobbed, the words tumbling out of me in disbelief and pain. “I saw him… how is this even real?”
My mother wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into her embrace, trying to soothe me like she used to when I was a child. But this wasn’t a scraped knee or a bad dream. This was something far worse. “I know, I know,” she murmured, stroking my hair. “It’s complicated, Chiara. I’m sorry you had to see all of that. I’m so sorry for everything.”
I pulled back from her, wiping at my tear-streaked face. “Everything?” I repeated bitterly. “Mom, you knew. You knew he was alive this whole time. You knew everything and you didn’t tell me.” The betrayal was raw, sharp like a knife in my chest. “Everyone I ever loved has lied to me. Gabriel—” I stopped, my voice catching at the mention of his name. “Where is he? How is he? Is he…?”
My mother’s face fell, and she avoided my gaze for a moment. That was all I needed to see. The world around me collapsed in an instant.
“He’s dead, Chiara,” she said softly, her words careful and deliberate, like she was trying not to shatter me. But I was already shattered. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. I couldn’t believe it. I refused to believe it. The sob that tore from my throat was unrecognizable, raw and filled with anguish. “No! He can’t be dead! He can’t… I need to see him, I need to—” My words tumbled into sobs, my body trembling uncontrollably. I pushed my mother away, not caring about the hurt in her eyes. None of it mattered. Nothing mattered if Gabriel was gone.
My mother tried to reach out again, but I backed away, my heart splitting in two. “Why?” I screamed, my voice hoarse. “Why are you doing this to me? Who gave you the right to decide what’s best for me? Gabriel was everything… he was worth everything. Who are you to say he wasn’t worthy of me?” My voice rose, full of anger and despair.
My mother blinked, caught off guard by my outburst. “Chiara,” she started, her voice soft, “you don’t understand. There’s so much you don’t know.”
I scoffed through my tears, my anger burning hotter. “Then explain it to me!” I demanded, my voice trembling with rage. “Try me. Tell me what you’ve been hiding, because right now, all I feel is betrayed by everyone I thought I could trust.”
She didn’t answer me. Instead, she sighed, her expression softening, and she reached out to touch my face, but I jerked away. “You need rest,” she said quietly. “We’ll talk later.”
I didn’t want to rest. I didn’t want to talk later. I wanted answers now. But she left before I could press her further, leaving me alone in the cold, empty room. I collapsed onto the bed, curling into a ball, and sobbed into the sheets. I cried until there was nothing left inside of me. The pain was unbearable. It was as if my heart had been torn out and there was nothing left but a hollow ache that wouldn’t go away.
Two days passed. The sun rose and set, but inside, I was numb. I barely ate, barely moved. I just sat in that room, staring blankly at the walls, feeling my heart slowly bleed out. I regretted everything—the way I had doubted Gabriel, the way I had been angry with him. I hadn’t given him a chance to explain. And now I never would. I would never hear his side of the story. He was gone, and all I had left were regrets and the sound of his voice echoing in my mind.
There was a knock at the door. I didn’t respond. After a moment, the door opened, and a maid entered. “Your parents are calling you,” she said softly.
I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to see them, but I forced myself to stand. I walked down the stairs, each step heavy, until I found my parents waiting for me in the living room. The sight of them filled me with hatred.
“Chiara,” my father said, his voice calm, “you don’t need to look at us like that.”
“Like what?” I snapped, crossing my arms. “Like the people who have ruined my life? Who’ve lied to me my entire life?”
He sighed and began to speak, telling me about his fake death when I was five. How he had done it to protect us. He spoke of my mother, how she was a mafia princess, and how he had joined the mafia to keep her safe. He told me how he had become consigliere to the Romano mafia, and how he had killed Vincent Romano to carry the Vittore legacy forward.
I felt sick as he spoke, each word making me hate him more. He had used me. He had used Gabriel. “You sent him to follow me,” I said, my voice trembling with anger. “You used him.”
My father nodded, unashamed. “Yes, I knew he would fall in love with you. He was desperate for love, and I used that to my advantage.”
“And now, there’s no stopping the Vittore family,” my mother added coldly.
I glared at both of them, disgusted by their callousness. “I hate you,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “You put me through all of this, used me as a pawn, and didn’t care about the trauma you caused me. I hate you for everything.”
My mother’s face softened, but I wasn’t having any of it. “We helped you grow into a strong woman,” she said, as if that justified all the lies and manipulation.
I laughed bitterly. “You’re both ridiculous.” I turned on my heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind me.
