Page 11 of Until It Ends

Enzo shifts in his seat. "You will learn everything we know. It is important that my father explain it."

His words strike a chord within me, stirring a flicker of hope amidst the chaos of my thoughts about knowing why my family had to die. But skepticism lingers, and I can't help but question his motives.

"Why did you take me after all this time? Why did you try so hard to separate me from Dante? You shot him; you could've killed him," I inquire, my voice filled with uncertainty.

Enzo's gaze meets mine. "We've been trying to free you from Dante's clutches for a while now," he confesses. "We wanted to keep you safe, but deadly force became necessary when Dante started eliminating our business associates. And then, when daddy Argentieri limped out of the institute where he was kept—."

"Wait a minute. You know about that?"

Enzo turns to face me. "Of course we know. News in this world travels fast, especially when you're not careful about it. Leonardo Argentieri wasn't careful when he got well. Something...someone...must've provoked him off of his sick bed. Dante had us all believing that Leonardo had been dead for years while he operated in his territories and the territory of others like a madman."

"I didn't know his father was alive until that happened."

Enzo shrugged. "So you see? Your lover boy has been keeping secrets from you. How can you trust him?"

I turn away and look out the window at the long row of trees. "I just do," I whispered.

"We also know that you were the one who shot Leonardo. We knew that's why you went into hiding. Lost without much of trace. Now you're found...partly thanks to the man who would gain something from keeping you as his prisoner. We knew it was time...we were running out of time...to get you back. Nothing is ever final though...as it appears." His eyes linger on me.

I shake my head. I'm still confused but things are starting to come together. Before I can say a word, Enzo continues.

"And don't be fooled...Dante Argentieri and his father are, both of them, monsters. In the end, he'll never make you happy."

His words jolt me, the weight of the truth crashing down upon me. I struggle to process the revelation that Dante's actions have escalated to such levels of violence. The world I thought I knew is crumbling before my eyes, replaced by a sinister reality.

"Just tell me now. What do you want from me?" I ask, my voice filled with both apprehension and curiosity.

"We don't want anything from you, Valeria," he reassures me. "But isn't it time you reunited withour father—yourreal father?"

The mention of my father sends shockwaves through me. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"You've been living a lie, Valeria. You heard me correctly. Marco Cipriano, the man who raised you as his daughter, wasn't your biological father. My dad, Polo, is. And I'm taking you to see him."

Ten

Dante

Present Day...

Istep into my father's office, my mind filled with questions and a desire for clarity. I'm determined to confront my father and demand the full and absolute truth about Valeria, about our twisted connection. I want to know it all, beginning with Valeria's father, Marco Cipriano.

The air in the room feels heavy, charged with tension, as my father sits behind the imposing desk, his eyes locked on me. "You have this stupid look on your face, son, and I don't want to talk about this girl anymore. This girl...Valeria. She is gone now. It's going to stay that."

"I don't care what you want and that's exactly what we're going to talk about. I need to know the truth about Valeria. You're holding back. What were your real intentions with her?"

My father's gaze narrows, a mix of resignation and defiance in his eyes. "Before she put me in that coma, I had plans for her, plans that you should have never been a part of."

My heart pounds in my chest, anticipation mingling with trepidation. I lean forward, demanding, "What plans? Tell me everything."

My father's face becomes a mask of seriousness, his voice laced with the weight of our family's legacy. "Valeria's father, as you know, was involved in a petroleum servicing contract gone wrong. He offered me a deal, a way to keep the peace between our families because of all the money he lost the company. He would hand over Valeria, along with a particular trading business that she was set to inherit on her eighteenth birthday."

My breath catches in my throat, my mind racing to comprehend the implications of my father's words. Valeria's father had given her away to protect himself, to maintain the delicate balance of power between our families. The realization hits me like a tidal wave, crashing over my every belief.

My father continues, his voice tinged with calculated detachment. "My plan was to bring her into our world, groom her, and eventually take over that business without her knowledge. She was meant to be a pawn, a means to an end. It was a calculated move to secure our dominance, to solidify our power."

"And then what would you have done after her?" I demand, my voice tinged with accusation. I'm not really sure I want to know the answer, yet I ask anyway.

"Just like our other business associates, she would be indebted to us. There would be no way out. She would've had no choice but to work for us."

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