Page 176 of My Sweetest Temptation

“Cut the power!” I ordered Miguel. He spoke into his earpiece, and seconds later, the house plunged into darkness, the safety lights flickering on.

“Where’s my mother?” I asked, turning back to Miguel.

“I thought she was with you, boss,” he replied.

“Fuck!” I hissed. She knew all the secret hiding spots; I just hoped she’d gotten to one in time.

With our guns raised, we cautiously approached the front door, then shifted our focus to the windows, peering through the cracks. My heart raced as I spotted a group of armed men in black, their masks obscuring their faces, prowling toward the entrance.

“Nico, I can activate the charges in the ground,” Luca said, his eyes glued to the surveillance monitors, the glow illuminating his tense expression.

“No, not yet. We can't risk any more of our men.” I turned sharply to Miguel. “How many are you in contact with?”

“So far, seven,” he replied. “But I haven’t heard from at least four of them.”

“Are any of them the snipers?”

“Yes, boss,” he confirmed, and I nodded, a surge of relief washing over me. At least we had two of them positioned on the roof, but with the way those men were approaching, they wouldn’t have a clear shot.

“Luca, tell them to take the shots when they can,” I ordered.

“Got it,” he responded, fingers flying over the keyboard as he communicated with the snipers.

I held my breath, and then bang! Three of the attackers dropped to the ground.

“What the hell?” Matteo muttered, leaning closer to the window. “Watch out!” he screamed just as a black SUV barreled toward the house.

“Take out the tires!” I bellowed into the comms. “Don’t let it get to the house!”

But it was too late. The SUV crashed into the front door. Miguel shoved Luca aside.

“GET DOWN!” I roared as I dived out of the way, feeling the rush of air as I hit the marble floor, landing on my side. The impact reverberated through me, and I gritted my teeth against the pain.

GIGI

After the explosion went off, I was thrown onto the ground on my back, taking the chair with me. Pain shot through my wrists as they collided with the hard surface, my bindings biting into my skin. A guttural cry escaped my lips. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I bit down on my lip, desperate to keep from crying like a baby.

The guys scrambled like ants and ran upstairs.

“Enzo, stay here!” Matteo barked, his voice slicing through the mayhem as he and Luca bolted up the stairs.

Enzo pivoted to face me, his expression somber, but the hurt in his eyes felt like a dagger twisting in my gut. He pulled me up to a sitting position. “I’m so sorry, Winter,” he murmured sincerely.

I turned my gaze away, the bitter taste of betrayal choking me.

How could Nico do this to me? How could he think I’d ever betray him? It was clear now he had never truly loved me.

“I didn’t do it, Enzo,” I insisted, my voice trembling.

Before he could respond, the door swung open. Enzo stepped in front of me, his gun drawn, but he lowered it when the figure in the doorway stepped into the light.

“Enzo, please untie her,” Serafina demanded.

With a reluctant nod, Enzo holstered his weapon and moved to free me. The ropes fell away, and I slowly placed my hands in my lap, rubbing the painful marks left behind. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“I believe you are innocent,” she declared. “And I know you have your reasons why you didn’t disclose your true identity to Nico.”

A flicker of hope sparked in my chest, but it rapidly disappeared. “Thank you, but it doesn’t matter if Nico doesn’t believe me.”

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