Twisted Loyalty

Chapter 27: The Confrontation

Sienna

The noise of the crowd fades as Dante and I step off the stage, but the clamor inside me only grows louder. Cheers, congratulations, the clinks of champagne glasses—it all feels distant, like background noise to the thoughts racing through my head. People are coming up to us, smiling, gushing over the announcement, but I can barely focus. I'm still thinking about him.

My father.

The image of his cold, furious gaze at the back of the room lingers in my mind, gnawing at me with each passing second. I knew he'd be angry, but there was something different in his eyes tonight—something darker, something I've never seen before. It unsettles me in a way I can't shake, and even as I smile at the guests, my stomach twists with unease.

Dante leans down, his breath warm against my ear as he whispers, "I need to handle something quickly. Stick with Nico, alright?"

His voice is calm, reassuring, but my pulse quickens at the thought of him leaving. I nod, trying to keep the nerves from showing on my face. Dante squeezes my hand briefly before disappearing into the crowd, leaving me with Nico standing watchfully by my side.

Nico's phone rings, and I glance at him as he turns his back to answer it, speaking quickly in Italian. For a moment, I think nothing of it—it's business, as usual—but then, before I can process what's happening, a rough hand clamps down on my arm.

I gasp, barely getting a chance to react as I'm yanked backward, dragged through the crowd with brutal force. My heart leaps into my throat, panic clawing at me as I'm pulled down a narrow hallway, the distant sounds of the party fading behind us. The grip on my arm is crushing, and when I'm shoved into a small, dimly lit room, the door slamming shut behind me, I spin around—my breath caught in my chest.

It's him.

My father.

The air in the room feels heavy, thick with tension, as my father's looming figure casts a dark shadow over me. His face is twisted in fury, his eyes flashing with something cold and violent, and I can feel the weight of his rage pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket. I've never seen him like this—his calm, composed demeanor shattered, replaced by something far more dangerous.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he roars, his voice reverberating through the small room. The venom in his words sends a shockwave through my system, and instinctively, my body tenses. I've seen my father angry before, but this is different. This is unhinged.

"I—what are you talking about?" I stammer, trying to sound stronger than I feel. But the tremble in my voice betrays me. I know exactly what he's talking about.

He takes a menacing step toward me, his shoulders broad, his eyes wild with fury. "This little engagement stunt!" he spits, his voice laced with disbelief. "Do you have any idea what you've done? What you're playing at?"

I stand my ground, my heart hammering in my chest, trying to fight off the panic rising inside me. "I'm protecting myself!" I snap back, my voice louder than I intended. "From you! From Enzo! From all of this!"

"Protecting yourself?" His laugh is cruel, dark, and sharp. He steps closer, and the heat of his rage feels palpable, suffocating. "You think Dante can protect you? You think that man is going to save you from this world? He's using you, Sienna, and you're too blind to see it."

His words cut deep, but I refuse to let him see how much they affect me. "I trust him more than I've ever trusted you," I hiss, my anger flaring despite the fear curling in my gut.

The second the words leave my mouth, I see it—the moment they land like a punch to his ego. His face hardens, his eyes narrowing, and then he moves so fast I don't have time to react. His hand snaps out, grabbing my wrist with bruising force, yanking me closer. I gasp, wincing as his fingers dig into my skin, his strength overwhelming.