Page 4 of And Back

“No!” The word escapes my lips before I can stop it. “You can’t?—”

“Zoe,” Dante cuts me off sharply, his voice firm and ruthless.

“What is wrong with you?” I shake my head, disbelief surging through me. “You’re going to kill your own brother!”

Benedetto laughs, a harsh, grating sound that makes my skin crawl. “Oh, this is rich! The damsel in distress pleading for her knight in tarnished armor.”

I shoot Benedetto with a glare that could cut glass. “This isn’t a game!”

“I know, my dear” Benedetto retorts with a cruel smirk. “To us? It’s life."

Benedetto signals his men, and they move towards me with cold efficiency, untying the ropes that bind me. "Take her away," Benedetto orders, his voice icy and final. "Make sure she doesn't come back."

"Don't do this, Dante!" I struggle against the guards' iron grips, my eyes locked on Dante’s face. "There has to be another way!"

Dante doesn't respond, his expression icy and detached. He doesn't even look at me as I struggle with the guards dragging me.

"Enough of this sentimental nonsense," Benedetto snaps impatiently. "Get her the fuck out of here!"

The guards start pulling me towards the door, and I feel panic rising in my chest. "Dante!" I scream, desperately trying to break free from their grip.

The last thing I see before I'm forced out of the warehouse is Dante, standing tall and resolute with an unwavering gaze. Who was that?

Outside, the cold air slaps me awake, clearing the fog in my mind just enough for me to look down at my hand. It's a USB drive. My breath catches in my throat as soon as I recognize the cartoon keychain attached to it. I remember this.

"Wait," I murmur to myself, trying to make sense of it all. The guards don't seem to notice my whisper as they shove me towards a waiting car. "Stop pushing," I snap at them, attempting to buy some time to process everything.

One of them glares at me but loosens his grip slightly. "Just get in," he grunts.

I clamber into the backseat, and the car door slams shut behind me. I can hear the engine roar to life as we pull away from the warehouse.

I turn the drive over in my hand. The cartoon figure stares back at me. It brings back a flood of memories and a pang of longing for simpler times.

I clutch the USB tightly. I can’t believe he kept it all this time.

CHAPTER FOUR

VIRGILIO

Isit at my desk, the drone of the teacher's voice blends into a monotonous background noise. My eyes are fixed on the blackboard, but my mind is miles away. I can’t focus on anything but Zoe. Her eyes, usually so full of life, had been empty when I last saw her. The memory hits me like a punch to the gut.

She had handed me the vault of broken dreams that used to be the SD card of her now shattered photo camera. Her hands trembled as she let it go. "I don't think I'll ever be able to do this," she whispered. Her father’s cruelty had shattered more than just a photo camera; it had shattered her spirit. I had never seen her so defeated, and it twisted something deep inside me.

I wanted to help. Zoe’s designs were incredible—better than any I'd ever seen—and they deserved a chance to shine, even if she couldn’t see it right now. I couldn’t stand by and let her dream die.

A few days earlier, after school had ended and the halls were empty, I made my way to the computer lab. The door creaked slightly as I pushed it open, and the quiet hum of computers greeted me. It was almost calming in a way, as if the machines were urging me on.

I slipped into one of the chairs and plugged in Zoe’s USB drive. The screen flickered to life with a soft glow. Navigating to the contest website was easy; I’d been there before, back when Zoe first asked me to model for her.

When I reached the upload page, my heart pounded in my chest. This was it. I selected all the photos we took from the USB and clicked 'submit.' The screen took a moment to process before confirming the submission with a simple message: "Thank you for your entry."

This was a gamble—a shot in the dark—but I believed in Zoe's talent more than anything else. She deserved this chance to shine, even if she didn’t know it yet.

I leaned back in the chair for a moment, letting out a breath of relief. The hum of computers filled the silence again, steady and constant, almost like a promise that things could still turn out alright.

I logged off and pulled out the USB drive, slipping it back into my pocket. As I left the lab and walked down the now-deserted halls, my steps felt lighter than they had in days.

Now, my phone suddenly buzzes in my pocket. I discreetly pull it out and see an unknown number flashing on the screen.

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