Page 15 of Sweet Revenge

With a deep breath, I started walking, each step taking me further away from the man I loved and closer to the one I hated.

As I walked, the memories of the night played through my mind. The way Luca had looked at me, the feel of his arms around me, the passion we had shared. It was a night that would stay with me in the hours I had left, a reminder of what could have been. But now, it was time to let go and face what lay ahead. I had chosen my path, aware that it would lead to my death, but there was no other option. How could my father ever forgive me for falling in love with the son of the man who had murdered him?

The streets were quiet, and the city seemed almost peaceful in the early morning light. I knew where I needed to go, the place where it had all started. I made my way to the small apartment building where my father and I had lived, the place where he had been taken from me so cruelly.

As I approached the rundown red brick building, I paused on the sidewalk, looking up at the windows that had once framed my world. Memories flooded back: my mother laughing as she cooked dinner, my father spinning me around in the living room, the three of us huddled together on the couch watching movies. It was a time of happiness before everything had fallen apart.

I stood there for a moment, letting the memories wash over me, grounding myself in the warmth of the family cocoon we had shared. It gave me strength, reminding me of why I had to see this through. My father deserved justice, and I was the only one who could deliver it.

With my resolve strengthened, I turned away from the apartment building and back into the heart of the city. The streets were beginning to fill with people, the hustle and bustle of daily life resuming. But I moved through the crowds with a singular focus, my mind set on my goal, the steel of the pistol cold against the skin of my back.

I knew where I needed to go, the place where I could gather information about the whereabouts of my target. The place where I’d met Luca, accidentally taking him for his father. The Velvet Room. It was a risky move, but I had no other choice.

As I approached the block where the club was located, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. It was still early, so the place would be closed, and the entrances locked. But I knew the passcode for the back door used only by employees. Hoping that Ignacio hadn’t remembered to change it, I darted into the empty alleyway that ran behind the building and jogged up the block, weaving my way past the dumpsters. The stench of alcohol and human waste filled my nostrils, and I held my breath while I quickly punched in the code on the small panel by the door. Hearing the click of the lock unlatching, I pushed open the door and stepped inside, my heart pounding in my chest. I paused to take a few deep breaths, listening intently for the sound of any human activity. Hearing none, I crept slowly through the building toward Ignacio’s office, my steps deliberate and measured

When I reached it, I paused for a moment, my hand resting on the doorknob. I took a deep breath, the gravity of the situation settling heavily on my shoulders. Would I find something inside – a file, a receipt, anything – that would lead me to Carmine Capuzzo? It was a chance I was willing to take.

Just as I was about to push the door open, rough hands grabbed me from behind. I struggled, but the grip was too strong. Panic surged through me as I felt a crushing blow to the back of my head. Pain exploded in my skull like a bolt of lightning, and the world around me went dark.

Chapter Eight

Luca

I woke up, rolling over to pull Adriana closer. The memories of the previous night flooded my mind, vivid and intoxicating. Our night together had been unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Her touch, her scent, her laughter—all of it lingered in the air, making my heart ache with a mix of longing for more and utter contentment.

When my arm reached out and found only empty sheets, I sat up, confusion muddling my thoughts. Maybe she was in the bathroom. "Adriana?" I called out, my voice still thick with sleep. There was nothing but silence in response.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The room was quiet, the only sound the soft rustling of the curtains in the morning breeze. As I moved toward the bathroom, my gaze fell on a folded piece of paper on the pillow where she had been.

My heart sank as I picked it up and unfolded it and read Adriana’s hurried scrawl, the words sinking into my brain like lead.

So. She had chosen revenge over me. It hurt, but even so, I understood her choice. Her father’s death was a wound that hadn't healed, and she was determined to see it through to the end, even if it meant sacrificing her own life. Instead of anger, a new resolve settled in me. I made my own decision in that moment. I would stop her from enacting her death wish at all costs, even if it meant ending my father's life myself, so I could make her mine once and for all.

I pulled on my clothes quickly, my mind racing. As I reached for my jacket, I realized my gun was missing. Adriana must have taken it. I couldn't blame her; she needed protection. I headed to my office and opened the safe, retrieving another gun and tucking it into my waistband.

Just as I was about to leave the mansion, my phone rang. It was my father.

"Luca, come to the Velvet Room immediately. There's something here you’ll want to see," Carmine's voice was clipped, taunting.

My heart pounded in my chest as I sped to the club. Adriana’s note replayed in my mind, mingling with my father’s ominous tone. When I arrived, I found Carmine standing in the center of the manager’s office, Adriana tied to a chair with the barrel of my father’s gun to her head. One of his enforcers, TJ, stood to the side, a smile playing about his lips as he watched her struggle against her bindings.

In that moment, all I could think about was saving her. She was the only light I had ever had in my life, the only softness in a world full of hard edges.

"What’s going on?" I asked, stepping forward cautiously, my mind racing to come up with some sort of plan.

My father’s eyes glittered with amusement. "Adriana has been a test for you, Luca. One that you have disappointed me greatly by failing. You misjudged me and the scope of my power. I have many eyes on my business endeavors, son, ones that even you don’t know about. I knew who this woman was before she even walked into the Velvet Room. I had high hopes you would come forward and tell me about her after she made her presence known to you. And to eliminate her as our family oath requires."

I forced a smirk. "I was handling it, Father. You didn’t need to get involved."

Carmine’s smile faded, replaced with a sneer. "Oh, really? Or have you gone soft for some pussy?”

I took a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure. "Are you feeling okay, Father?” I asked, determined to outsmart him at his own game. “You’re not making any sense. Why would I want to save this girl? I was only having a bit of fun before getting rid of her. Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me? Perhaps you’re going senile, and you’re losing control of your faculties. In fact, are you even competent enough to continue running the organization with this kind of paranoia?”

Carmine laughed, a cold, harsh sound that sent chills down my spine. "Nice try, Luca. But I know what you're doing. You’re planning to use Adriana to get rid of me so you can take over. But I have news for you, son. It won’t work, because your life will end in this room."

My breath caught in my throat. "Are you saying you’re going to kill your own son because you’re afraid of losing power?"

TJ suddenly grabbed me from behind, pinning my arms behind me in a vice-like grip.

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