2025-03-31 02:02:48The ballroom felt like a prison for Elena despite the glittering chandelier. Every clink of a champagne glass, every polite smile, just tightened the invisible chains she felt placed on her by Alejandro. She had tried to escape his grip, as his fingers rested boldly and possessively on the small of her back, knowing fully he would never let her go easily.
With a silky and firm voice. “You’re tense. Elena. Relax.” Alejandro spoke. She forced a smile. The feel of his palm against her spine made her skin crawl. She wanted to shove him away and scream that she would never be his. But with his men blended in the crowd, she was surrounded as they were watching her every move. Her eyes darted across the room, searching for an exit. She needs to leave now, because this might be her only chance. At that moment, her gaze met Capello’s, her father. He stood by the bar, watching her with guilt in his eyes and a drink in his hand. He knows. Something twisted inside her. He knows what Alejandro is doing. He knows what kind of man he’s forcing her to marry. And yet, he does nothing. He knows she despises every second of this moment. She clenches her fists at her sides. She would save herself. If her father wouldn't do anything to save her. “Elena.” Alejandro’s fingers firmly tightening on her waist. “You haven’t said a word all night.” She innocently tilts her head towards him. “I’m just overwhelmed by all these; maybe a bit of fresh air might help.” Alejandro studied her for a moment, assessing her with his sharp brown eyes, whether to allow her even that small freedom. Then, he smiled. “Go ahead, princesa,” he murmured. “But don’t wander too far; I’ve got eyes on you.” She nodded and slipped away. She felt the hammering sound of her heart. Hiding the urgency in her steps, she wove through the party guests. Getting near the exit, she spotted two of Alejandro’s men standing near the doors. Damn it. Elena noticed a waiter carrying a tray of champagne walking by. She grabbed a glass, pretending to stumble while knocking the entire tray onto one of the guards. The golden liquid drenched his suit. He growled, “Watch it.” Elena gasped. “I’m so sorry! Let me get a napkin.” There was already enough distraction. As they fumbled with the mess, she swiftly slipped past them, pushing through the doors, into the night. The cool night air felt like a slap to her cheek. She had barely taken a breath before a familiar, icy voice stopped her in her tracks. “Querida, going somewhere?” Alejandro. He stood leaning casually against his sleek black car near the driveway, as if he already knew she would try to escape. Opening the passenger door. ”Get in,” he said. Elena took a step back. “I need to go home.” “Here is your home now.” “No, Alejandro. I can’t do this anymore.” shaking her head. His patience snapped as he sighed. Grabbing her wrist and pulling her forward. ”You don't have a choice, not even getting to decide,” he hissed. Elena's instinct reacted; she drove her knee into his stomach, making him curse in pain. She tore her arm free and ran. Alejandro barked, “Catch her,” as he recovered quickly. She felt her heels making it impossible to run fast enough as she ran into the dimly lit street. A black SUV roared to life behind her, tires screeching. She ducked into an alley, her breath ragged. She needed to reach Dino. Dino was in the middle of breaking into one of Sanchez’s safehouses across town. His second-in-command, Sergio, picked the lock with practiced ease. The door clicked open, and the two men slipped inside. Dino’s eyes narrowed as he flipped through the stacks of documents spread across the desk. Sanchez’s name was everywhere. But he noticed his mother’s name appeared. There were bank records proving that his mother had made regular payments to Sanchez before Dino's blood ran cold. He saw proofs of payments. She was paying for protection. From whom? From Sanchez himself?. He clenched his jaw. Sergio whistled lowly. “Boss… this changes everything.” He had to tell. Elena. Dino's grip tightened on the paper. His phone vibrated. A text. Elena: HELP ME. Headlights blinded Elena as she sprinted onto the main road. Alejandro’s car skidded to a stop inches from her. Stepping out with his lip bleeding from her earlier attack. He growled, “I tried to be nice,” stalking toward her. Elena grabbed the door handle, refused to be taken, yanked it open, and slammed her foot on the gas. The car lurched forward, crashing into a streetlamp. Smoke filled the air. She tumbled out, coughing, but still alive. She ran. Behind her, Alejandro stepped out of the wreckage, grinning through the blood on his face. He licked his lips. “Oh, Elena…” he chuckled darkly. “You just made this more fun.”
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Burn Loot Chapter 9
Wealth and power radiated in every corner of Sanchez’s grand hall, but to Elena, it felt like a gilded prison.Alejandro hosts another extravagant party, a well calculated display of his control over her fate. Her father,Capello,lingered near the bar, silent reminder of his betrayal looms as he avoids her gaze.Alejandro was already behind Elena who tried to disappear into the crowd. “Enjoying the night?”His voice, smooth yet laced with menace, sent a chill through her. She turned away, but his grip tightened around her wrist. “Don’t walk away from me.”“I don’t belong to you.” She yanked free, her pulse pounding.His eyes darkened. “You will. Accept it, or I’ll make you.”Before she could react, she spotted Dino.Dino’s Silent FuryDino stood at the edge of the room, his presence commanding even in the shadows. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned with quiet rage as he locked onto Alejandro.Alejandro hesitated, loosening his grip. Even he feared Dino.Dino’s voice w
Burn Loot Chapter 10
Dino 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 promi
Burn Loot Chapter 11
Dino tightened his fists, his breath steady as he crouched behind an overturned car. The night air smelled of gasoline and sweat.They had been cornered by Alejandro's men in an abandoned warehouse near the port. Five men armed to the teeth. They weren’t leaving anything to chance this time.“Elena, stay low,” Dino whispered.Her pulse pounding in her ears. Elena nodded. The warehouse had become a battlefield.A shot rang out, sparking off the metal near Dino’s head.He moved.He rolled forward in a blur, grabbed a rusted metal pipe, and struck one of the gunmen across the jaw. The man crumpled before he could even react.The others turned.Another shot. Dino twisted.He didn’t stop despite feeling a burning pain across his upper arm as a bullet grazed him. He lunged at the next man, slamming his knee into his gut, then cracking his elbow against his skull.Two down. Three to go.Dino ducked as a thug charged, swinging a crowbar, grabbed the man’s wrist, and yanked. The crowbar clatte
Burn Loot Chapter 12
There was an echo of gunshots through the burning warehouse.Dino’s heart slammed against his ribs.Elena gasped, clutching her side. But no blood.Instead, one of Alejandro’s men had a bullet hole bloomed in his chest, staggered, eyes wide in shock. Then he collapsed.Dino’s gaze snapped to the entrance.A dark silhouette stood there. Sergio.Gun still raised, smoke curling from the barrel.“Elena, run!” Dino shouted.Alejandro snarled, firing twice.Dino lunged, shoving Elena out of the way. He felt the heat of the bullets whip past his ear. Too close.No time to think.The building groaned, about to collapse. As the fire roared louder, licking the ceiling.Alejandro was still blocking the exit; a second was all Dino needed. The timely distraction of Sergio had bought them that.---Dino didn’t hesitate.He launched forward, tackling Alejandro to the ground. Fists flying.Alejandro grunted, twisting beneath him, trying to bring the gun up.Dino slammed his elbow down hard.Alejandro
Burn Loot Chapter 13
Across the dimly lit room, Capello’s expression remained unreadable; he wasn't hurt because he was putting on a bulletproof earlier, but Elena—her face was a storm of emotions.She clenched her fists. “He’s toying with us.”Dino nodded. “But he slipped up. He wants me to stop digging, which means there’s more to uncover.”Capello exhaled heavily and sat down, rubbing a hand down his face. “You’re walking into dangerous waters, Dino.”Dino stepped forward, his voice firm. “I need the truth. No more half-answers.”Capello locked eyes with him. “The truth is, your mother knew too much. She wasn’t just paying Sanchez to keep you alive—she had something on him. Something big enough that he needed her gone.”Elena sucked in a breath. “And you knew?”Capello hesitated before nodding. “I suspected. But by the time I started asking questions, she was already dead.”Dino’s fists clenched. His mother hadn’t just been murdered. She had been silenced.Sergio walked in just then, holding another fo
Burn Loot Chapter 14
Dino sat in the dimly lit safehouse, his fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair. The name Enzo Moretti echoed in his mind. A ghost from the past—one he had never heard of, yet somehow tied to his mother’s fate.Elena paced in front of him, arms crossed. “I ran the name through our databases. No public records, no social security number. It’s like he never existed.”Sergio leaned against the wall, arms folded. “Which means he’s either dead… or very good at hiding.”Dino exhaled sharply. “Then we make him come to us.”Elena frowned. “How?”Dino’s eyes darkened. “By rattling Sanchez’s cage.”A Baited TrapHours later, Dino and Sergio sat inside an unmarked black SUV parked across from one of Sanchez’s lesser-known clubs—a hub for his illegal migration business.Sergio adjusted his earpiece. “Are you sure about this?”Dino’s gaze remained fixed on the club entrance. “We go in, make some noise, and force Sanchez to react. If Moretti is connected, he’ll show up.”Sergio grinned. “
Burn Loot Chapter 15
The night air carried the acrid scent of gunpowder as gunmen closed in from the trees.Bullets ripped through the wooden walls of the cabin, shattering glass and sending splinters flying.Dino pressed Elena against the floor, shielding her as Sergio fired back. “We’re sitting ducks here!” Sergio growled.Enzo Moretti, his face pale, clutched his side where a bullet had grazed him. “Sanchez won’t stop! He knows I know too much.”Dino’s jaw clenched. “We move. Now!”A Fight in the DarkSergio lobbed a smoke grenade through the broken window. As thick gray fog consumed the cabin, Dino pulled Elena up and guided her toward the back door.Enzo struggled to keep up, his breath ragged.A gunman appeared in the clearing—Dino took him down with a swift elbow to the throat, twisting his gun away before knocking him unconscious. Another came from behind. Dino spun, delivering a brutal side kick to his ribs, then a finishing blow to the temple.Elena grabbed a discarded pistol, her hands steady a
Burn Loot Chapter 16
The first gunshot shattered the night.Dino lunged, pulling Elena to the ground as the window exploded in a rain of glass. Sergio flipped the table for cover, gun already in hand.More gunfire. Tires screeched outside. Shadows moved beyond the broken window. Sanchez’s men had found them.Dino grabbed a pistol from the floor, eyes flashing to Sergio. “We hold them off. Get Enzo out!”Enzo, still weak from his wound, tried to move, but Elena was already at his side, gripping his arm. “We need to go now.”Another shot ripped through the air, just missing Sergio’s head. He fired back, hitting one of the gunmen.Dino turned toward Elena. “Go! I’ll cover you!”Elena hesitated, eyes locked onto his. But then she nodded, gripping Enzo tighter as she ducked low and moved toward the back exit.Sergio provided cover fire, taking down another attacker. Dino grabbed a second gun from the fallen man, his mind clear, body moving on instinct.One shot. Two. A swift kick to disarm another enemy.But t
Latest Chapter
Chapter 40
Dino moved through the darkness like a phantom.Alejandro’s compound was a fortress—a sprawling estate lined with motion sensors, armed guards, and surveillance cameras. Breaking in undetected was impossible. But slipping in like a ghost? That was a different game.Dino had studied the blueprints. A hidden maintenance tunnel ran beneath the estate, leading to an old service entrance. It had been abandoned for years.Alejandro thought it was forgotten.He was wrong.Dino crouched behind a cluster of trees, his earpiece crackling with Tomas’s voice.“You’re clear to move. The guards just changed shifts.”Dino didn’t hesitate. Silent. Precise. Deadly.He sprinted across the open ground, reaching a rusted metal hatch embedded in the earth. With a practiced motion, he yanked it open and dropped down into darkness.The tunnel smelled of damp earth and decay. A perfect place for ghosts.And tonight, Dino was one.---Elena’s DesperationElena sat on the cold floor of her room, staring at the
Chapter 39
Dino’s hands were still clenched into fists.The night air was thick with tension, the scent of gunpowder lingering in the alley. Sergio’s betrayal burned deep, but there was no time to process it. Elena was still trapped, and Alejandro was still pulling the strings.Dino reached for his phone, dialing the only person he trusted right now.Tomas.The call connected instantly.“Talk to me.”Dino’s voice was sharp. “Sergio’s flipped. He led me into an ambush.”A pause. Then Tomas exhaled. “Damn. You good?”Dino wiped the blood from his lip. “I’m breathing. But Alejandro has Elena, and now I know one thing for sure.”“What?”Dino’s jaw tightened. “He’s expecting me.”There was a silence before Tomas spoke again, his tone edged with caution. “Then we make him think he’s right.”Dino’s eyes darkened. “I want every resource tracking Alejandro’s movements. I don’t care what it takes.”Tomas hesitated. “Dino, this isn’t just about Elena anymore. If Alejandro has Sergio, who else has he turned
Chapter 38
The gunshot echoed through the night.Dino didn’t flinch. Years of training had sharpened his reflexes, his instincts honed to react before thinking. He dropped low, rolling behind a parked SUV as the bullet smashed into a side mirror, shattering it into glittering shards.He could hear footsteps advancing—confident, measured. His attacker wasn’t afraid.“Come out, Dino.” The voice was smooth, taunting. “Hiding won’t change the inevitable.”Dino’s mind raced. Who was this? He had recognized the face in that fleeting moment, but it didn’t make sense. The betrayal was too close, too personal.Peering from behind the SUV, he caught a glimpse of the figure—a familiar silhouette in the moonlight.Sergio.Dino’s breath tightened. His most trusted man.His closest ally.Betrayal had never burned this deep.“Why?” Dino’s voice was steady, but inside, his blood boiled.Sergio exhaled a humorless chuckle. “Because I was never really yours to begin with.”Dino shifted slightly, his fingers curli
Chapter 37
Dino sat across from Sanchez in the dimly lit study, the air between them charged with unspoken threats. A chessboard sat between them, though neither had touched the pieces.Sanchez studied him with the sharp eyes of a predator. “You understand what’s at stake, don’t you?”Dino didn’t blink. “I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”A slow, approving smile spread across Sanchez’s face. “Good. Then you won’t hesitate when I give you your first task.”Dino’s fingers flexed beneath the table. He had expected this. Now came the real test.Sanchez leaned forward, his voice dropping. “There’s a man in Naples causing problems for me. I want you to get rid of him.”Dino kept his face neutral. “You have plenty of men for that. Why me?”Sanchez chuckled. “Because I want to see if you have the stomach for real power.”A direct hit.Sanchez was testing his willingness to kill in cold blood.Dino’s mind raced. If he refused too quickly, Sanchez would suspect him. If he accepted too easily, he might be forc
Chapter 36
The silence hung like smoke—thick, cloying, poisonous.Sanchez’s offer still echoed in the air, and everyone was waiting for Dino to flinch. To hesitate. To betray that flicker of doubt.He didn’t.His hand moved with purpose, and as he clasped Sanchez’s, time seemed to freeze. The gesture was simple, but the implications rippled like a shockwave.This was no alliance.This was a war declaration—signed in the presence of devils.Their handshake was short. Measured. Calculated.Cold.It wasn’t just Dino accepting a test. It was Sanchez daring him to fail.“You’ll be tested,” Sanchez said, his voice low and smooth. “Every moment. Every room you walk into. Every word you speak.”“I wouldn’t expect less,” Dino replied. The faintest smirk pulled at his lips, but his eyes were ice.Sanchez studied him for a moment longer. The silence was broken only by the soft drip of Alejandro’s blood onto the marble floor.Alejandro’s breath came in ragged bursts; fury coiled beneath his skin like a ratt
Chapter 35
The handshake was a declaration.Dino watched as Capello sealed his deal with Sanchez, his fingers gripping Elena’s wrist like she was nothing more than a bargaining chip.For a split second, the world around Dino faded.He had come here to end this.But Capello had changed the rules.Elena’s eyes met Dino’s, wide with confusion, then betrayal. He was here. Why wasn’t he stopping this?Because if he moved too soon, everyone would die.Dino clenched his jaw. Not yet.Not until he knew exactly what game was being played.---A Son BetrayedAlejandro was still on the ground, panting, clutching his bleeding shoulder.His father—**his own flesh and blood—**had turned on him.The warehouse lights flickered as Sanchez’s men repositioned, their guns lowering now that the hierarchy was restored.Sanchez turned away from Alejandro as if he were nothing more than an afterthought.“You’ve served your purpose,” he murmured.Alejandro’s breathing shook.“Screw you,” he spat, voice hoarse. “I bled f
chapter 34
The night air was thick with tension.Dino crouched behind an abandoned car, his heartbeat steady despite the chaos unfolding before him. His earpiece crackled to life.“We have a problem.”Vincent’s voice was sharp and controlled.Dino had already seen it. Capello had arrived.Not as a hostage. Not as a victim.But as a player. Armed, standing tall, his men flanking him.Dino exhaled slowly.This wasn’t part of the plan.Capello wasn’t a fighter—he was a businessman. Yet here he was, stepping onto a battlefield like a man with nothing left to lose.Dino’s eyes flicked to the warehouse where Sanchez and Alejandro were locked in their silent power struggle.And inside? Elena.Still in danger.Dino couldn’t afford distractions.But Capello’s presence changed everything.---Inside the WarehouseAlejandro’s fingers curled into a fist, his wounded arm throbbing.“You’re making a mistake,” he hissed.Sanchez chuckled, his eyes gleaming. “Am I? Or are you finally realizing you were never me
Chapter 33
The warehouse was silent—except for the faint hum of electricity in the flickering overhead lights.Alejandro stood frozen, his usual smirk wiped clean from his face.Across from him, the one man he never expected to see again stepped forward.Sanchez.His father.A man everyone believed was either dead or permanently exiled from the criminal world.Alejandro’s grip tightened around his gun. His fingers twitched, but he didn’t raise it yet.“You should be rotting in some gutter,” Alejandro spat, his voice sharp.Sanchez chuckled, slow and deliberate, stepping further into the room. His men fanned out behind him, weapons raised, taking control of the space.“I taught you better than this, Alejandro,” Sanchez mused. His deep, gravelly voice sent a shiver down Elena’s spine. “You’re slipping.”Elena watched every movement between the two men, her mind racing.This was new. Unexpected.Alejandro had always been ruthless. But Sanchez? He was the monster who created him.Alejandro took a sl
Chapter 32
The air inside the dimly lit warehouse was thick with tension. The scent of gasoline and burnt wood still clung to Alejandro’s clothes from the docks.He sat on the edge of his desk, slowly rolling a cigar between his fingers, his face unreadable. He wasn’t just angry. He was calculating.Elena knelt on the floor, wrists tied behind her back, her breathing slow but steady. She refused to show weakness.Alejandro took a slow drag of his cigar, exhaling smoke as he studied her.“You know, querida,” he murmured, “Dino thinks he’s winning.”Elena didn’t answer.Alejandro chuckled, pushing off the desk. He crouched in front of her, gripping her chin roughly, forcing her to look at him.“He’s wrong.”Then he gestured toward the shadows near the doorway.Footsteps echoed.Elena’s stomach twisted as a figure stepped forward.A man—tall, lean, wearing a dark suit—his face eerily familiar.Her breath caught.Capello.Her father.Elena’s world tilted.She shook her head, refusing to believe it.