One Hundred & Twenty One

One Hundred & Twenty One
The city was quiet that night... too quiet.
A storm gathered over Florence, thunder rolling in the distance as the lights from the Virello mansion flickered faintly against the dark sky. Inside, Dante stood at his office window, a tumbler of whiskey in hand, his reflection sharp in the glass.

He hadn’t slept. Not since Nico told him Sofia had escaped.

Every inch of the estate had been tightened..reinforced. Cameras, guards, motion sensors, drones on standby... even the outer gates now had biometric locks. Dante didn’t take chances, not anymore.

He turned to Nico, who stood by the desk, scanning the security reports on a tablet.

“Double the men at the perimeter,” Dante said, his tone quiet but commanding.

“Already done, boss,” Nico replied. “No one gets in or out without clearance. I’ve vetted everyone twice.”

“Twice isn’t enough,” Dante said coldly. “Vet them again.”

His jaw clenched. He looked toward the hallway that led to Elena’s wing of the mansion.

“Sofia won’t stop,” Dante said, almost to himself. “She’s desperate now. And desperate people… are dangerous.”


Elena had planned to visit her parents this morning. Isabella had called, eager to see her daughter and check on the baby.

“Be back by lunch,” Dante said, helping her into her coat near the front door. His hand lingered on her belly, protective.

“You’re worrying too much,” she teased softly.
“That’s my job,” he murmured.

He kissed her forehead, a habit he’d never dropped since the night he found her again.

“Nico will drive you,” he said. “And there’ll be two cars following. No stops. No detours.”
“Yes, boss,” she joked, smiling.
He smirked faintly. “Good girl.”

The convoy left the Virello gates under light rain.
Elena sat in the backseat beside Nico, scrolling through her phone, occasionally glancing out the window. Two SUVs followed close behind... all with Dante’s men.

Halfway down the winding road to the Ravanelli estate, traffic slowed. A construction truck blocked the narrow path ahead, flashing hazard lights.

“What’s this?” Nico muttered, lowering his window slightly. “There wasn’t supposed to be any roadwork here.”

A man in a reflective vest walked up to the car. His face was half-covered by a rain hood.

“Road closed, signore,” the man said, his accent thick. “Small landslide ahead. You’ll have to turn around.”

Nico frowned. Something felt wrong.
He glanced at the man’s boots... clean, too clean for someone working a landslide. His eyes flicked to the side mirror… the SUVs behind them weren’t moving.

He reached for his gun 
But it was too late.

The man raised his weapon and fired through the window. Glass shattered, and chaos exploded.

Elena screamed as Nico shoved her down and fired back, hitting one of the attackers. Two more men in guard uniforms rushed from the side of the road, guns drawn.

“Get her out!” one of them shouted. “Now!”

Nico fired again, catching one in the leg.
But then... a flash of black from the truck’s back. A smoke canister rolled toward the car, hissing.

Thick white smoke filled the air. Elena coughed, blinded, reaching for the door handle.
Hands grabbed her...  rough, gloved.

“No! Let go!” she screamed, kicking wildly.
“Get her in the van!” a man barked. “Move!”

Nico stumbled out, gun still raised, coughing hard. He saw the van speeding off...  Elena inside...  He fired, bullets sparking against the metal.

But it was gone.

He fell to his knees, blood running down his arm from a graze.
He pulled his phone with trembling fingers.

“Boss…” his voice cracked. “They’ve got her.”

The glass in Dante’s office shattered when he threw the whiskey glass against the wall.

“HOW?” he roared, slamming his hands on the desk. “How the hell did they get past you! And the men?”

Nico’s voice over the speaker was faint but pained.

“They had uniforms.… our uniforms. Someone on the inside, boss. They knew the route.”

Dante’s eyes burned with fury.

“Track her phone. Every satellite. Every camera in this city. Find her!”

Nico coughed. “We’re on it. They went north  probably the old industrial zone.”

Dante grabbed his gun from the drawer, checking the chamber. His voice was low, dark  blue deadly calm.

“Tell Matthew and Luca to lock down the Ravanelli mansion. No one leaves until I get her back.”

Nico hesitated. “Dante… Sofia’s behind this.”

“I know,” Dante said, his jaw tightening. “And when I find her, I’ll end her... slowly.”

He turned toward the door, his coat swirling behind him like a shadow.

“No one touches my wife and lives.”

Elena’s world was spinning. Her wrists were tied, her head throbbing.
She blinked through the haze and saw figures moving.… men, rough, armed and then… her.

Sofia stepped out from the shadows, her prison uniform replaced with a tailored black coat. Her hair was pinned back, her eyes cold and bright.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Sofia said softly, crouching in front of her. “Did you miss me. I did missed you definitely.”

Elena’s eyes blazed. “Aren't you tired Sofia. Whatever you're up to you won’t win”
Sofia smiled thinly. “Win? Oh, dear… this isn’t about winning. It’s about payback.”

She rose, walking toward the window.

“Dante took everything from me. My name, my life, my empire. So now…”  she turned back.… “I’ll take everything from him. Starting with you and that little life you’re carrying.”

Elena’s heart stopped.

Sofia’s gaze dropped to her stomach.

“You think I had no idea you are pregnant ,” she whispered. “Have been watching you slut. Sad your baby won't get to meet his dad.”