Chapter 183 They Found Us

Chapter 183 They Found Us
The moment Valentina entered back, she felt the sudden shift in the room and their expression.

Luca’s eyes narrowed just a fraction as he turned fully toward her, his gaze was sharp, and calculating, nothing like the playful arrogance he sometimes wore.

“Who were you talking to?” Luca asked her calmly.

Valentina didn’t hesitate. “No one.” she said immediately, feeling very anxious.

De Luca, who was seated nearby, lifted his glass lazily, watching her over the rim with an amused glint in his eyes.

Luca tilted his head. “No one,” he repeated. “Interesting.”

Valentina forced a small laugh, brushing invisible dust from her dress. “I stepped out for air. This place reeks of smoke and—”

“What were you telling Dante?” Luca cut in not wanting to play her games.

The name landed like a slap.

Valentina froze on the spot.

Her lips were parted, but no sound came out at first.

Her heartbeat slammed so loudly in her ears she was sure they could hear it.

“I—I don’t know what you mean,” she stammered, stepping back instinctively.

“Why would I talk to him? After everything—”

De Luca burst out laughing.

While De Luca chuckled loudly. “So are you saying that we are crazy or stupid.”

“That's not what I'm saying, I will never betray Luca.” Valentina 's tone softened as she pleaded.

“Luca, can you see it, he's trying to tear us apart. Don't believe him.” Valentina turned to Luca, screamed hysterically, afraid of what they had in mind to do to her.

A loud, unhinged laugh that echoed.

“Oh, this is rich,” De Luca said between laughs. “I told you, Luca. Women like her don’t know loyalty, only survival.”

Valentina’s breath hitched. “Luca, please,” she rushed to him. “You know me. I would never betray you. Everything I’ve done, everything was for you. For us.”

Luca didn’t respond.

He reached into his jacket almost casually.

The metallic click of the gun being drawn sounded deafening in the silence.

Valentina’s knees weakened instantly.
“Luca… wait,” she whispered, shaking her head violently. “Please. I can explain, I was trying to protect us, Dante is dangerous—”

Luca fitted the silencer onto the gun with slow precision.

Luca’s eyes never left hers.
“Kneel,” he said.

Valentina’s legs gave out. She dropped to her knees hard, the pain barely registering over the terror ripping through her chest.

Her hands came together instinctively, clasped in front of her as if prayer could save her now.

“Please,” she sobbed, tears spilling freely. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I was just trying to secure my position. I swear. I swear I never planned to hurt you.”

Luca raised the gun.

Her cries became frantic. “I love you! I chose you over him, over everyone! Please, Luca, don’t do this—”

He pulled the trigger.

Click.

Nothing.

Valentina gasped sharply, a broken sound tearing from her throat. Her whole body jolted as if the bullet had already passed through her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trembling uncontrollably.

Luca let out a dark laugh that sent chills crawling down her spine.

“Relax,” he said. “Just making sure you were listening.”

She continued to sob, her shoulders were shaking violently. “Please… please… I’ll do anything. Anything you want.”

He pulled the trigger again.

Click.

Still nothing.

Valentina screamed this time.

Her mind fractured under the terror, she couldn’t breathe nor think.

De Luca leaned forward, delighted. “This is my favorite part,” he said cheerfully. “The moment they realize they were never important.”

Luca adjusted his grip, his expression didn’t change.

He pulled the trigger a third time.

This time, the sound was different.

A muffled thud thud was heard.

Valentina’s body jerked violently, then went slack, collapsing sideways onto the cold concrete floor.

“Please… help me.” She cried out as blood gushed out from her stomach.

She kept on trying to put pressure despite the pain she felt.

Luca lowered the gun, staring down at her without emotion.

De Luca exhaled deeply, satisfied. “Shame,” he said. “She was useful, until she wasn’t.”

Luca didn’t reply.

He stepped over Valentina’s body without a second glance.

___________________

The room was thick with tension as the signal finally sharpened.

Matteo leaned closer to the screen, fingers flying over the keyboard. “Come on… come on…” he muttered.

Then the coordinates locked in.

“There,” Matteo said sharply, pointing. “The signal stabilized.”

Dante stepped forward slowly, eyes darkening as he stared at the blinking dot on the map.

An abandoned industrial zone lit up on the screen, there were old warehouses, around isolated roads, no cameras for miles.

Matteo sighed heavily. “That place is off-grid. No civilians. Whoever took them knew exactly what they were doing.”

Dante’s jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

“Send the coordinates to Matteo,” Dante ordered coldly. “We need to mobilize immediately.”

One of the men voiced out. “What if it’s a trap?”

Dante didn’t blink. “It doesn’t matter.”

He turned, already reaching for his jacket. “If Sofia and Isabella are there, we go in fast and we go in hard. Although we need to be careful.”

Matteo grabbed his gun, checking the chamber. “And Valentina?”

A dark, humorless smile touched Dante’s lips.

“She just ran out of time.”

________________________

Later in the night, as Luca and De Luca contemplated the new location to use, they heard gunshots.

It was a repeated sound.

Luca froze mid-sentence, his head snapping toward the door as another burst of gunfire echoed through the warehouse.

De Luca’s face was drained of color.

“They found us,” De Luca whispered.

Chaos erupted outside.

Luca reacted instantly. He crossed the room in long strides, yanking Isabella up by her arm despite her weakness.

The ropes fell away, but before she could stumble back, cold metal pressed against her temple.

“Move and you die,” Luca snarled, cocking the gun.

Isabella gasped, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, but her spine straightened.

De Luca looked around for an escape route. “Luca, think. If Dante is here—”

“That’s exactly why she stays alive,” Luca cut in sharply, tightening his grip on Isabella’s hair to force her head back. “She’s my insurance.”

Another explosion rocked the building.
Many screams followed.

Isabella laughed weakly, “You’ve already lost,” she whispered. “You just don’t know it yet.”

Luca’s eyes burned with fury. “Shut up.”

He dragged her toward the back exit, gun never leaving her head. “If Dante wants her so badly, he’ll kneel for her.”