The lights went out.
Elena’s heart slammed against her chest.
“Damien!”
“Stay behind me!”
His hand reached backward until he found hers.
A gunshot exploded through the darkness.
BANG!
Damien pulled Elena to the ground.
Another shot followed.
Then silence.
“Luca!” Damien shouted.
“I’m here!”
“Get Elena out!”
“I can handle myself!” Elena protested.
“Not tonight.”
Damien pushed her toward Luca.
Suddenly, the emergency lights flickered back on.
Isabella was gone.
Damien looked toward the hallway.
“Find her!”
Luca and two men immediately rushed after her.
Elena turned toward Damien.
“She escaped.”
“For now.”
He looked at her wrists.
His expression softened when he saw the marks left by the ropes.
“Did she hurt you?”
“Not badly.”
Damien gently touched her wrist.
His eyes darkened.
“I should have protected you.”
Elena looked into his eyes.
“You came for me.”
“I should have come sooner.”
“You came.”
For a moment, they stood silently.
Then Elena noticed something on the floor.
A small silver pendant.
She picked it up.
“Damien.”
His face changed instantly.
“Where did you get that?”
“It was on the floor.”
Damien took the pendant from her.
His fingers tightened around it.
“You know it?”
“Yes.”
His voice was barely above a whisper.
“It belonged to Marco.”
Elena’s eyes widened.
“Your brother?”
Damien nodded.
“This was buried with him.”
Elena stared at the pendant.
“Then how did Isabella get it?”
Damien didn’t answer.
A cold realization crossed his face.
“She didn’t.”
Elena looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
Damien slowly turned toward the dark hallway.
“Someone else is involved.”
Before Elena could respond, Luca returned.
“Boss!”
Damien turned.
“We found Isabella’s car.”
“Where?”
“About half a mile from the estate.”
“Was she inside?”
“No.”
Luca handed Damien a phone.
“We found this in the car.”
Damien looked at the screen.
There was a video.
He pressed play.
A man appeared on the screen.
Same eyes.
Same dark hair.
Same sharp jawline.
She looked at Damien.
“Who is that?”
Damien couldn’t speak.
The man on the screen smiled.
“Hello, little brother.”
Elena’s eyes widened.
Damien stepped backward.
“Marco…”
The video continued.
“If you’re watching this, it means Isabella has already found Elena.”
Damien stared at the screen in disbelief.
“But I died that night.”
Marco smiled.
“No, Damien.”
The video ended.
Elena looked at Damien.
“Your brother is alive.”
Damien’s face had gone completely pale.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Silence.
Then a familiar voice whispered:
“Hello, Damien.”
Damien’s grip tightened around the phone.
“Marco?”
A low laugh came through the speaker.
“I knew you’d recognize my voice.”
The call ended.
Elena stared at Damien.
“What are we going to do?”
Damien looked at her.
For the first time, the Mafia King looked genuinely shaken.
“We find my brother.”
He looked toward the darkness outside.
“And this time, we find out who really betrayed my family.”
TO BE CONTINUED…