Chapter 224
POV: Aria
The moment felt heavy when Dante came down the stairs. He looked tired, like he had carried too much on his shoulders for too long. He loosened his sleeves as he walked toward us, his eyes sharp and alert even if his body looked worn. Enzo and Matteo were already there with me, and I could feel the quiet tension in the room. Dante stopped near us, and Enzo spoke first. “She wants to see Valentina,” he said simply.
Dante’s eyes narrowed instantly. His voice was firm when he said, “No.” The word felt like a wall between us. “It is not safe. She does not need to see what is down there.” He looked at me like he was trying to protect me from something I might not understand.
I didn’t argue. I just held his gaze. That quiet stubbornness inside me made him sigh, a long breath of frustration. He muttered something about me being impossible. Then, finally, he said, “Fine. But we stay close.” I nodded, relief and something else swelling in my chest. I was ready.
We moved toward the heavy door that led to the basement. The metal handle was cold under my fingers when Dante pushed it open. Two guards stood waiting. They were tall and serious, their eyes sharp behind their weapons. When the triplets walked past, the guards stepped aside and bowed their heads slightly. I saw it clearly then. My men were feared. It made my heart tighten and my stomach twist in a strange way.
As we started down the stairs, the triplets helped me like I was fragile. Dante held my arm steady, Matteo’s hand was warm and firm on my back, and Enzo walked just behind me, ready to catch me if I fell. I told them I could walk on my own, but none of them loosened their hold. The air grew cooler as we descended, heavy and smelling faintly like metal and dust.
At the bottom, I saw her. Valentina. Sitting in a chair that was bolted to the floor. Her wrists were tied. Her hair was wild, strands falling in her face. The dark circles under her eyes made her look hollow and tired beyond words. Cuts and bruises marked her skin, some fresh and angry, others fading but still raw. When she looked up at us, her face was full of defiance and hatred. She did not want us there.
My chest felt tight, cold. I hated seeing her like this, I turned quickly to the triplets. “I never wanted her to be tortured,” I said. My voice was sharp. They said nothing. Their faces were hard and unreadable.
I stepped closer to Valentina. She did not meet my eyes. Her gaze was fixed somewhere far away, or maybe she just refused to look at me. “Why?” I asked softly. No answer. I took another step forward, my voice sharper this time. “Why?”
She still would not look at me. The silence stretched between us until I yelled, “Why?” The sound surprised her. The triplets moved forward quickly, but I raised my hand, telling them to stay back. I needed to hear this.
Her eyes flashed with anger. But tears were there too, shining like fragile jewels. She spat the words at me. “You wouldn’t understand. You’re stuck in here with men who would die for you, who give you anything you want, with all the fucking money in the world.”
I laughed bitterly. “It was not always like this,” I said. “Even then, I would never endanger someone’s life, especially someone close to me, just for money.” My voice was cold, steady. She said nothing. Her silence was its own answer
The air felt thick and heavy around us as I stood there, watching Valentina with a mixture of sadness and something like anger curling in my chest. I wanted to reach out to her, to brush the tangled hair away from her face, to tell her that she was not alone anymore, that she didn’t have to carry all of it by herself. But the space between us felt so wide, filled with
Chapter 224
so many words left unsaid, so many mistakes made that couldn’t be taken back. My heart ached seeing how the fight in her eyes was still alive even though her body looked broken and exhausted. I thought about everything that had happened, the secrets, the betrayals, the losses that had shaped us all in different ways. I thought about the nights when I had cried quietly alone, the pain of not knowing if anyone would ever really see the real me beneath all the chaos. And somehow in that moment I understood a little more of what she must be feeling, trapped in her own darkness and regret. The silence stretched long between us, but it was not empty–it held all the weight of what could have been and what still might be. I wanted to believe that despite everything, there was still a chance for something softer, something real to grow between us. But the coldness in her eyes warned me otherwise, and I felt my own defenses rising. It was like standing at the edge of a deep and wild river, knowing I might fall in if I took one wrong step. I breathed in slow, steady breaths to keep myself grounded, trying to hold onto the pieces of strength left inside me. And as I looked at her, I whispered to myself that no matter what happened next, I would not turn away from the truth–even if it hurt.
I turned toward the stairs, feeling the weight of everything between us. “Chiara loved you,” I said quietly. “I wanted to hear a different excuse than money, but I guess not.” My words hung in the air.
Behind me, I heard quiet crying. She was crying now, tears running down her cheeks. I did not look back. The triplets followed me silently. They called my name, but I kept walking until I stopped suddenly.
Then, without thinking, I turned and kissed Enzo. It was sudden and fierce. For a moment, he froze, surprised, but then he kissed me back with a hunger that made my heart race. I pulled away,-breathless.
without Matteo smirked. He made a joke about what had just happened, his voice low and teasing. I stepped into his a word. His hands went to my waist, lifting me easily. I kissed him. His lips were warm and sure. I motioned for the others to come closer.
space
Dante and Enzo leaned in, pressing soft kisses along my neck. I let out a small moan, my body melting into theirs. The cold weight of the basement faded away, replaced by the heat and fierce comfort of the men who held me.
I was home.
Chapter Comments
POST COMMENT NOW
LIKE
<SHARE
