Page 47 of And Back

I hear a weak "Please..." escape his lips, but it only fuels my anger further.

I growl, punching him again. "I begged you to stop! We all begged!"

His face is a mess of blood and bruises now, barely recognizable. But it's not enough. It's never enough.

"This is pointless," I mutter to myself, realizing that no amount of punches will erase the pain he's caused.

I pull out my gun again and press it against his forehead. His eyes widen in fear, but there's no sympathy left in me.

"Rot in hell, mother fucker" I whisper before pulling the trigger.

The shot echoes in the room, and Benedetto's body goes limp.

I step back, the brutality of what I've done sinking in. My heart pounds in my chest and the adrenaline makes the blood feel like a drum in my ears, but there's no time to dwell on it now.

I need to see Zoe. I need to find Zoe. My legs feel heavy, and my breaths come in ragged gasps, but the thought of her keeps me moving.

The taste of victory over Benedetto is bitter and irony from the blood, but it’s not enough to quiet me. Not until I see Zoe safe.

I push through the chaos, my clothes soaked with Benedetto's blood. People scream and run in every direction, but I don’t stop. I can't.

I hear sirens in the distance, and I know this place will be crawling with police and medics very shortly.

As I near the backstage entrance, a security guard tries to stop me. "Sir, you can't go in there!" he shouts, but I don't even slow down. My fist connects with his jaw before he can react, and he crumples to the ground.

"Sorry," I mutter under my breath as I step over him and continue on my path.

The backstage area is just as chaotic as the main floor. Models in various stages of undress huddle together, their faces pale with fear. Assistants and designers rush around, trying to make sense of the madness.

"Zoe!" I shout, but my voice gets lost in the noise. My heart pounds, not just from the fight but from the need to see her, to make sure she’s okay.

Every step feels like a lifetime. Relief and exhaustion battle within me, but the thought of Zoe drives me forward.

"Move!" I yell at a group blocking my path. They scatter, and I continue my desperate search.

The night air feels cool against my skin as I step outside the venue. The sounds of sirens and chaos still echo in the distance, but out here, it's almost peaceful. Streetlights cast long shadows, making everything look like a scene from a dream.

I spot Zoe standing with Dante and Sabine. Relief floods through me, making my legs weak. My heart leaps with joy as I see her, safe and sound.

"Zoe!" I call out, my voice filled with desperate raw emotion.

Her eyes widen as she sees me approaching. For a moment, we just stare at each other, frozen in time.

Then she runs to me. I open my arms wide, and we embrace tightly. Her body trembles in my arms, and I hold her even closer, never wanting to let go.

"Virgilio, you're alive," she whispers, her voice breaking. Tears stream down her face, soaking into my shirt.

I murmur into her hair, "It's over. It's over," trying to convince both of us that it's true.

But there's no time to linger. I pull back slightly, looking into her eyes. "We need to go now," I say urgently.

She nods, understanding the gravity of the situation.

I turn to Dante. "Take the other car and get Sabine to safety," I instruct him.

Dante nods and places a hand on my shoulder. "You did good," he says quietly.

I grunt in acknowledgment but quickly refocus. "Also, coordinate with the Russo clan hacker. We need to get any footage of the CCTV cameras and any videos of this off the internet."

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