2025-03-31 02:10:13Dino led Elena through a maze of dimly lit backstreets, his movements swift and sure. He had spent years navigating the city’s underbelly, and now, that knowledge was keeping them alive. The night air was thick with tension, every sound amplified as if the city itself was holding its breath.
After what felt like an eternity, they reached a rundown garage on the outskirts of town. The metal shutters were rusted, the paint peeling from years of neglect. To anyone else, it looked abandoned—but for Dino, it was a safehouse he had set up months ago, anticipating a day like this. Once inside, Elena collapsed onto an old, threadbare couch. Her body trembled, her breaths shallow. Dino knelt in front of her, scanning her face. “Did he hurt you?” She shook her head, but tears burned her eyes. “He almost caught me.” Dino exhaled slowly, his hands clenching into fists. The thought of Alejandro touching her, caging her like a possession, made his blood boil. “He won’t get another chance,” he promised, his voice edged with steel. But deep down, he knew better. Alejandro was relentless. He wouldn’t stop until he had Elena back—or until Dino was dead. Alejandro’s Revenge Across the city, at his penthouse, Alejandro paced like a caged predator. The floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the storm brewing inside him. Elena had embarrassed him, humiliated him. Worse—she had run to Dino. Unacceptable. He turned to the men assembled in his living room, his dark eyes narrowing. “Find out where Dino is hiding her. I want her back by morning.” One of his men hesitated. “Sir, Dino is… dangerous.” Alejandro’s gaze turned ice-cold. Dangerous? Dino was nothing but a stray mutt pretending to be a wolf. “I don’t care how dangerous he is,” Alejandro growled. “He’s in my way. And when I find him, I’ll put him down.” He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. After two rings, a gruff voice answered. “I need a favor,” Alejandro said, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Dino needs a lesson in losing.” There was silence on the other end, then a low chuckle. “I’ll handle it.” Alejandro hung up, satisfaction curling through him. Dino thought he could protect Elena? He had no idea what was coming. A Sense of Unease Back at the safehouse, Dino stood near the window, his eyes scanning the empty streets. Something felt off. Too quiet. Too still. Elena sat up, rubbing her arms. “What is it?” “Nothing,” he murmured, though his instincts screamed otherwise. He checked his gun, ensuring it was loaded. Years in security had taught him one thing—when the streets go quiet, danger isn’t far behind. A flicker of movement near the alley caught his attention. A car, slowing as it passed. Not stopping. Not yet. Then—a sound. A subtle click. Dino barely had time to react. Tires screeched outside. A black van skidded to a halt, its side door sliding open. Men in masks jumped out, guns raised. “Elena, down!” Dino barked, yanking her off the couch and shoving her behind an overturned workbench. The front door exploded inward. Gunfire erupted. Fight for Survival Dino rolled to the side, drawing his weapon. He fired two shots, dropping the first man before he cleared the threshold. The second rushed in, squeezing off rounds. Bullets ripped through the garage, shattering glass and splintering wood. Elena covered her head, fear paralyzing her—but then she saw one of the men breaking off, circling around toward the back. No. She wouldn’t be a helpless pawn anymore. Her eyes darted to a rusted wrench on the floor. Heart pounding, she seized it and crept along the shadows. Meanwhile, Dino ducked behind a support beam as another gunman stormed in. He feinted left, then lunged right, grabbing the attacker’s wrist and twisting. A gun clattered to the floor. Dino didn’t hesitate—he drove his knee into the man’s ribs, then sent him crashing into a stack of metal shelves. But there were too many. Another burst of gunfire forced him back. He was running out of space, running out of time. A hand suddenly grabbed Elena from behind. She gasped, twisting wildly, but the masked man yanked her hard against him. “Dino!” she screamed. Dino’s head snapped toward her. And then The attacker yanked off his mask. Capello. Elena’s father. Her breath caught in her throat. “Dad?” Capello’s expression was unreadable, his grip firm. “We don’t have time for questions. Come with me. Now.” Elena was frozen. Confused. Dino took a step forward, gun raised. “Let her go.” Capello’s gaze flickered to Dino. “I’m not your enemy.” Dino didn’t lower his weapon. “Then what the hell is this?” Before Capello could answer, more gunmen swarmed in. “Damn it,” he cursed. “We have to move.” Then, without warning, Capello shoved Elena toward Dino. “Protect her,” he ordered. Before either of them could react, Capello turned and opened fire on Alejandro’s men. Dino didn’t have time to process what was happening. He grabbed Elena’s hand and pulled her toward the back exit. Behind them, Capello’s gun roared. A cry of pain echoed. Elena looked back just in time to see her father take a bullet to the chest. “No!” she screamed, trying to run to him, but Dino held her back. “We can’t—” Gunfire exploded again. The garage was seconds from being overrun. Capello staggered but didn’t fall. He turned, blood trickling from his lips. “Elena, go!” He shouted. Dino dragged her through the back door, sprinting into the night. As they ran, Elena’s mind spun. Her father had saved them. But why? And more importantly… whose side was he really
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Chapter 152
One Year Later—The ArenaLoud cheering sounds in the background like a tidal wave. Inside the brightly lit MMA arena in Rome, the crowd was in a state of euphoria, chanting one name with fervor.“LU-CI-A-NA!!”In the cage, one glove raised in triumph. Luciana stood victorious, sweat gleaming on her brow. Her opponent lay sprawled behind her, the referee already waving off the fight. It had taken just under two minutes.Dino grinned in the front row, clapping with pride, while Elena leaned over the rail, her voice nearly hoarse from cheering. Capello was beside them, grumbling about his knees but with unmistakable pride shining in his eyes.“She’s unstoppable,” Elena said.“She’s her own fire now,” Dino replied. “I just taught her to control it.”Reporters crowded near the cage, cameras flashing. But Luciana only searched the crowd for her brother and sister-in-law. When she spotted them, she gave a wink and raised both fists.She had made it.No longer the girl hidden in shadows. No l
Chapter 151
The sun had long dipped below the Milan skyline, leaving a blanket of twilight stars overhead. A soft breeze carried the distant hum of city life, but up here — on the rooftop where everything had begun — the world was still.Elena stood near the ledge in a simple, elegant ivory gown. Her hair was loosely pinned, strands gently swaying in the wind. There was no crowd. No extravagant display. Just the city, the sky, and the man she had chosen.Dino stepped beside her, dressed in a tailored black suit. His hand found hers.They had decided on a private ceremony, witnessed only by Capello, Luciana, Isabella, and Tomiwa. No altar, no press, no pretenses — just truth and love.A string quartet played softly nearby, while a close family friend — a retired priest who once aided Capello in the darkest times — officiated. His voice trembled as he spoke the final words.“By the power vested in me, and witnessed by the heavens, I pronounce you husband and wife. Dino, you may kiss your bride.”Di
Chapter 150
The clouds over Milan had cleared.It wasn’t just the sky that seemed brighter — it was the city itself. The streets felt calmer. The fear that had long loomed like a silent shadow had lifted. The fall of the Sanchez cartel and Alejandro’s death had created a ripple effect across the continent. Rival cartels went underground. Smaller factions folded. Interpol had turned its attention to cleanup. And the public, after years of silent dread, finally breathed free.Dino stood on the edge of a terrace overlooking the piazza below. Beside him, Capello poured two glasses of wine, handing one to Dino.“Still no appetite for celebration?” Capello asked.Dino gave a half-smile. “Peace doesn’t need fireworks. Just quiet.”Capello nodded. “We’re finally in the clear, son. Elena’s safe. Isabella and Luciana are finally sleeping without one eye open.”Dino turned slightly. “Luciana… she’s been different. Focused. Restless.”Capello smirked. “She’s already started training again. Told me she wants
Chapter 149
The night crackled with tension.From the rooftop of the tactical command center on the edge of Milan, Dino peered through a set of night-vision binoculars. Below him, the city buzzed with the nervous anticipation of an underworld on its last breath. What remained of Alejandro’s faction — loyalists, assassins, and ex-cartel enforcers — had taken up positions in a final, desperate attempt to reclaim what had been lost.Dino’s voice was steady in the comms. “All units, lock targets. No room for mercy. End it here.”Inside the heavily fortified safe house, Elena sat beside Isabella and Luciana. The women watched the live feed through encrypted Interpol channels. Every screen displayed Dino’s men — armored, precise — moving through alleyways and strongholds, flushing out Alejandro’s remnants one by one.“Dino’s got this,” Elena whispered, almost to herself. Her heart pounded.Two blocks away, chaos erupted.Tomiwa, now Dino’s trusted right hand, led the assault on one of the last safehous
Chapter 148
The cold iron gates of the Interpol facility in Milan clanged shut with a finality that echoed through Alejandro's very soul. The once-dreaded heir of the Central Genoa Cartel now found himself flanked by guards, stripped of weapons, status, and the arrogance that used to walk into rooms before him.He bore bruises and blood on his face, but his pride clung to him like a second skin. Even in chains, Alejandro Sanchez walked with the poise of a man who still believed he was untouchable.Inside his high-security glass containment, monitored 24/7, Alejandro sat in silence as they processed his intake. Biometrics. Retinal scans. Voice samples. No loopholes. No escape.But his mind wasn’t on the facility. It was on the betrayal. The collapse. Dino’s rise. And worst of all — Isabella’s silence.He muttered under his breath, “You’ll all regret this.”In a maximum-security prison far from Alejandro’s cage, Sanchez — the deadliest drug lord and patriarch of the Sanchez family — faced a very di
Chapter 147
The Corsican sky bled grey as Dino's jet sliced through the dawn mist, silent like a hunter. Beneath the clouds, Alejandro’s once-proud fortress sat perched on the cliffs above the sea — a sprawling estate surrounded by dense pine forests, private guards, and desperation.Inside the cockpit, Dino sat still, helmet in hand, gaze fixed on the horizon. The mission wasn’t a raid. It was personal.Renata’s voice crackled in his earpiece.> “Teams Alpha and Delta are in position. No sudden moves. If Alejandro so much as breathes on that failsafe drive, we abort.”“Understood,” Dino replied.But he wasn’t planning on aborting. Not this time.In the heart of the Corsican compound, Alejandro paced.His hair was longer now, jaw clenched, veins bulging as he barked orders into a satellite phone.“I don’t care what it costs. Secure the secondary vault. Get the servers packed. We’re moving everything to the Austrian fallback site within the hour.”Adrian entered, his face pale. “Interpol scrambled
