Page 85 of Malevolent Secrets

“I have to go meet with our supplier,” I say, standing up. “Make sure everything is in place while I’m gone.”

Vincent and Victor nod, understanding the importance of the meeting. I leave the study, my thoughts still lingering on Daniella. I need to focus on business, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate my personal feelings from my professional responsibilities.

The drive to the meeting is uneventful, but my mind is a whirlwind of thoughts. I keep replaying the conversation with Daniella, the hurt in her eyes, the coldness in her voice. It’s a constant ache that I can’t shake.

As I pull into the meeting location, a secluded warehouse on the outskirts of the city, I’m on high alert. Massimo’s recent actions have made me wary and I don’t trust anything to chance. My men are with me, scanning the area for any signs of trouble.

We step inside, and the supplier greets me with a nod. “Lorenzo, good to see you.”

“Likewise,” I say, extending my hand. “Let’s get down to business.”

We discuss the terms of our agreement, the supply chain and the logistics of our operations. It’s a routine meeting, but my mind is only half-present. The other half is back at the compound, with Daniella.

As we wrap up the meeting, my phone buzzes again. It’s a message from Carla, updating me on the situation at the club. Everything seems under control, but there’s a sense of unease that I can’t shake.

We step outside and that’s when it happens. A car screeches to a halt in front of the warehouse, and before I can react, gunfire erupts. My men and I dive for cover, returning fire as bullets whiz past us.

Massimo’s men are everywhere, their ambush meticulously planned. I fire back, the adrenaline pumping through my veins. The fight is intense, each shot fired with precision and purpose.

And then I feel it—a searing pain in my side. I stagger, my vision blurring as I try to stay on my feet. I press a hand to my side, feeling the warm, sticky blood seep through my fingers.

“Lorenzo!” Vincent’s voice is distant, panicked. He rushes to my side, trying to support me as I collapse to the ground.

The pain is excruciating, but it’s nothing compared to the fear that grips my heart. All I can think about is Daniella. I can’t leave her, can’t leave our child. The thought of her alone, vulnerable, is unbearable.

“Stay with me, Lorenzo,” Vincent says, his voice urgent. “We’ll get you out of here.”

My vision darkens, and the sounds of the battle fades into a distant echo. The last thing I see is Vincent’s determined face, his hands pressing against the wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

As everything goes black, one thought consumes me: I have to survive. For Daniella. For our child. I can’t leave them. I won’t.

And then there’s nothing.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Daniella

It’s been hours since the last time Lorenzo came to my room and I am still as confused as I was the first time he was there.

Everything that has happened has just been swirling in my brain, a part of me is hoping or wishing or praying that I can close my eyes and then open them and this whole thing will have just been a dream.

I cannot imagine that the person I had considered my friend, my best friend, my confidant, has actually been a whole other person, different from what I had thought.

She has lied to me, deceived me and manipulated me in so many ways. I’m not even willing to consider or think about it too hard.

I have been asking myself all this time, has everything been a lie? Did she approach me on purpose, which now that I think about it, it’s probably a dumb question because, of course she approached me on purpose.

How did she get into my workplace? How did she get a job at my company? How long has she been waiting to get close to me? How is she connected to Jeremy?

Okay, I mean, I know how she is connected to Jeremy now, but why? Why did Jeremy lie to me? It kind of feels like I don't know who he is.

It feels like everything I have known about Jeremy has completely changed as well. I mean, I knew that he was hiding something. I knew about the finances. I knew about the money laundering. It is one thing that he worked for the mafia. It's another thing to be a fucking double agent for the mafia, lying and betraying and cheating everyone around you, including me.

I am starting to wonder if he ever even loved me or if I was just another pawn, a decoy in the long scheme of his. And then there is the issue of Massimo.

Massimo sending me here, Massimo telling me about Jeremy’s last days. It was way too convenient to be a coincidence. Was it intentional?

Did he send me there knowing this was all going to happen? What was his intention behind sending me to Lorenzo? How did he know how this entire thing would play out?

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