Page 53 of Mafia Don's Secret Heir
“Escaping, are we?” she asks, cocking her head. “Interesting choice.”
21
VALENTINA
The faint creak of the door behind me as it swings shut, snaps me into focus. Aria stands there, her silhouette sharp under the dim security lights, her expression unreadable.
“You don’t have much time,” she says simply, her voice cutting through the tense air.
I glance toward the exit, the promise of freedom just feet away. My instincts scream at me to bolt, but there’s something in Aria’s tone that makes me pause. “Why are you helping me?” I ask, my voice tight, my eyes darting to the faint glow of guards’ flashlights in the distance.
“I didn’t say I was,” she replies, stepping closer. “But if you keep stumbling around like this, you’ll get caught. And believe me, if that happens, it won’t be Luca who finds you first—it’ll be his men. They won’t be gentle.”
Her words send a cold rush through me.
“Fine,” I snap. “Then what do you suggest?”
Aria tilts her head, calculating, before gesturing toward the door. “Follow me. Quickly. We’ll take the long way around.”
The cold air bites against my skin as we step out into the night. Aria moves with the ease of someone who knows exactly where every guard is stationed. She gestures for me to stay low as we creep along the side of the estate, the gravel crunching faintly beneath our feet.
A light sweeps across the yard ahead, and Aria pulls me sharply against the wall. My breath catches, the beam passing just inches away from us.
“Stay close,” she mutters.
We dart across the open stretch of lawn, heading toward a service gate partially hidden by overgrown hedges. The gate is locked, but Aria pulls a key from her pocket, her movements quick and efficient.
“How do you have that?” I hiss, watching her.
She doesn’t answer, shoving the gate open just enough for us to slip through.
We’re on the street now, the estate looming behind us like a shadowed fortress. Aria doesn’t slow, her heels clicking softly against the pavement.
“This way,” she says, leading me down a side street lined with darkened storefronts.
The back gate clicks softly behind us as we step onto the quiet street. Aria casts one sharp look over her shoulder before pulling her coat tighter and gesturing for me to follow.
“Move. Quickly.”
I don’t ask questions. My heart pounds as I fall into step beside her. The estate looms in the distance, dark and foreboding, but with every step we take away from it, a small thread of tension unwinds in my chest.
We walk in silence for a block before a car pulls up smoothly to the curb, its dark windows reflecting the streetlights above. Aria opens the back door, her expression unreadable.
“Get in,” she says.
“Where are we going?” I ask, hesitation making my feet stall.
Aria’s eyes narrow slightly. “To the only place you’ll be safe right now. The Lombardi estate.”
Her words catch me off guard. The Lombardis? My pulse races, but there’s no time to question her. Another look over her shoulder, a flicker of tension in her jaw, and I know I have no choice.
I climb into the car, the scent of leather and faint cologne enveloping me. Aria slides in beside me, shutting the door firmly.
“Drive,” she tells the man in the driver’s seat, who nods without a word.
The car glides through the city with smooth efficiency, the quiet hum of the engine the only sound. I glance out the window at the streets I’ve walked so many times before, now unfamiliar under the cloak of night.
“Why are you helping me?” I finally ask, turning to Aria.
