Page 3 of Until It Ends

The masked man leads me inside, his grip on the weapon unrelenting. My eyes scan the desolate space, searching for any sign of what awaits me. Fear intertwines with determination as I brace myself for whatever lies ahead.

As we step further into the warehouse, a dim light flickers to life, revealing a small, sparsely furnished room. The man motions for me to enter, his gaze cold and unwavering.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the unknown. The journey to this point has been filled with uncertainty and danger, but I refuse to succumb to despair. Whatever awaits me in this room, I will face it head-on. I know I can get through this. All the mistakes I've made will only prepare me for my future.

The door swings open and standing in the room waiting for me is Enzo. Enzo Cipriano. The same man that caused chaos at the dinner gala where Dante ended up getting shot.

"Hello, Valeria." His grin is snarky.

The realization hits me like a blow to the chest. This is no random abduction. There are secrets buried within my past, truths that I have yet to uncover. And now, those secrets have come to claim me.

"What do you want?" I demand.

"Well, that has yet to be determined."

Three

Dante

Restlessness gnaws at my core as the hours stretch into an agonizing wait. The weight of uncertainty bears down on me, fueling a maelstrom of emotions. My father's potential revelation about Valeria lingers in my thoughts, demanding answers and resolution. I know that time is slipping away, and each passing moment deepens the divide between us.

In the morning light, private nurses come and go, attending to our injuries with practiced efficiency. Painkillers numb the physical wounds, but they do little to ease the turmoil brewing within me. It's obvious that he's hired an onslaught of full-time nurses to assist him with his past and present conditions. As I watch them move about, a sense of frustration takes hold. I am tired of being confined to the sidelines, left in the dark while the world spins around me.

It's only a matter of time. I'll need to go to Valeria and make she's okay where I set her up, but I can't risk going now which might give away her location. I can't trust my father now. Or anyone else.

With resolve hardening in my veins, I make my way downstairs to the dining area. Brunch is laid out on time as always. Eating schedules were set by my father even before he fell into a coma and I always kept to them out of habit, but my appetite wanes in the face of unanswered questions.

My father is in the dining hall picking over the food. He has his cane with him, so I figure he's mostly depend on it. Who would've thought he'd come out of this. But he did, even though he came out of it un-whole.

My gaze falls upon my father, his presence a reminder of the conversation that awaits. I approach him with a mix of apprehension and impatience.

"Father," I begin, my voice tinged with urgency. "It's time you share what you know about Valeria. I can't wait any longer."

His eyes meet mine, a mixture of weariness and resignation in their depths. He motions for me to take a seat, and I comply, my focus locked on his face. I brace myself for the revelation that will shape our path forward.

Finally, my father breaks the silence, his voice weighted with the weight of truth. "Valeria is more than she appears, Dante. She is the heir to the Cipriano wealth, a fortune that rivals our own. A fortune that has been in limbo for quite some time following her father's death."

"You know about the ambush on her father's estate?" I ask.

He nods. "I had weeks to be filled in. You weren't there. My second-in-command was."

"Second-in-command?" I know who he's talking about, but things have changed.

"You remember Giorgio. The loyal soldier you forced to step aside to have Vito replace him," he taunts. "Bad decision."

I slam my fist on the table. "I chose men already loyal to me that were willing to serve me."

My father leans back in his chair. "I can't fault you for that. That's what I taught you. But do you want to hear about the Valeria girl or not?"

I wave my hand. "Go on."

"With the contract between us and Marco now null and void, it is likely that the remaining Ciprianos will view her as their ally, possibly, vying for control of a multibillion-dollar trade business currently on the line."

Shock reverberates through me, the ground shifting beneath my feet. The realization dawns on me, an intricate web of power struggles entangling us all. Valeria, the woman I love, is connected to the very forces that seek to tear us apart.

Beneath the storm of mounting suspicions and doubt, a flicker of understanding emerges. Valeria's actions, her secrecy, were not solely driven by malice or deceit. There are forces at play beyond her control, forces that have shaped her path just as they have shaped mine.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. I realize that the battles we face are not solely against each other but against the machinations of power and greed that seek to consume us. My love for Valeria remains unyielding, despite the revelations that threaten to tear us apart.

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