Page 100 of Ruined By Capture

"When I saw what was on the drive—" Leonardo's voice catches, the only crack in his perfect composure. "Children, Mel. There were children."

Damiano leans forward. "You're certain Antonio is dead?"

Leonardo nods once. "Santiago will ensure there's nothing left to find."

I keep my eyes on him, assessing. This wasn't a panicked decision or a moment of rage. Leonardo Lombardi executed hisfather with the cold precision of someone who's been preparing for this possibility.

"How?" I ask, needing to know exactly what kind of man I'm dealing with.

"Does it matter?" Leonardo's eyes meet mine. "He's gone. That's what matters."

Melania's face has gone white, her fingers digging into her brother's arm. "Leo, what have you done?" she whispers, her voice breaking.

CHAPTER 34

My head feels like it's stuffed with cotton when I open my eyes. The ceiling above me spins slightly and I blink several times, trying to orient myself. The last thing I remember is Leo's face, his cold voice saying, "I killed our father."

"Melania."

Alessio's voice comes from off to my right. The mattress dips as he sits beside me, his weight familiar and grounding. When I turn my head the room tilts sickeningly, and I close my eyes again.

"What happened?" I whisper, my throat dry and scratchy.

His calloused fingers brush hair from my forehead, the touch gentle despite his lethal hands. "You collapsed after Leonardo told you about Antonio."

Fragments of memory flash through my mind—Leo holding the USB drive, his cold eyes, his confession, my knees giving way. I force my eyes open again, finding Alessio's face hovering above mine, brows drawn together in concern.

"How did I get here?" I ask, trying to sit up. My limbs feel impossibly heavy.

Alessio's hand presses lightly on my shoulder, keeping me down. "Easy,piccola. I carried you. Damiano's doctor gave you something to help you sleep."

"You drugged me?" The words come out slurred, confirming his statement.

"You were trembling so badly we couldn't calm you down." His thumb draws circles on my shoulder. "You went into shock. The doctor said it was essential that you rest."

I twist my mother's ring around my finger, the familiar motion anchoring me as the room continues to swim. "Leo killed him," I whisper, the reality of it hitting me again. "My father is dead."

Alessio nods, his expression unreadable. "Yes."

"I should feel something," I say, searching my heart for grief, for relief, for anything. "Why don't I feel anything?"

"The medication," he says, but we both know that's not the reality.

I reach for Alessio's hand, needing something solid to hold onto as my world continues to crumble. His fingers intertwine with mine immediately, his grip firm and steady.

"Where's Leo now?" I ask.

"Downstairs with Damiano. They're going through the drive."

I nod, trying to process everything through the fog in my mind. "The evidence... will it be enough?"

"More than enough," Alessio says. "Your brother was thorough."

I close my eyes again, feeling tears leak from the corners. Not for Antonio—I can't summon grief for the man he was—but for Leo, for what he must have felt when he discovered the truth, for what he was forced to become.

"Stay with me," I whisper, tightening my grip on Alessio's hand.

He leans down, pressing his lips to my forehead. "I'm not going anywhere, bella. Rest."

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