Chapter 79 Chapter 79

Chapter 79 Chapter 79
\[ SOFIA’S POV \]

"How about we just end it all, father? We don’t really have to take that bastard home with us. I say we end all this once and for all so I can take back what’s mine," I said, my voice cold as I stared at him in the back of the car.

My father turned to me, his eyes sharp. "Are you using your head at all, Sofia? We need her back alive as a bargaining chip. We need her to threaten Salvatore, to take back everything he took from us and more of theirs. This is our moment."

"Your father is right, Sofia. You’re not using your head," Sandy chimed in from beside him. She leaned back, looking smug. "This is the time to think like a true Russo princess and not let your greed and anger fuel you."

This bitch.

I glared at her, my blood boiling. Now that she was fucking my father, she thought she had the right to talk to me that way? She should just wait. Once this was over, she’d realize exactly how much of a princess I could be.

I looked out of the car window, watching the trees blur past. The closer we got to where Iris was hiding, the more I couldn't wait to get my hands on her.

I pulled out my phone and texted Esther.

Sofia: Is everything ready, bitch?

The reply came in almost instantly.

Esther: Yes babes, the sniper is on the move. He’s tracking your car at the moment, following you. He’s going to end that bitch once and for all.

I smirked, my thumbs flying over the screen.

Sofia: 2 bitches. Please let him know he’s killing Iris and Sandy.

Esther: Ha ha ha ha, now I love you more. Two it is.

"Who are you texting?" my father asked, looking at me suspiciously.

"Esther," I said, tilting the screen just enough so he could see the name. "Are you suspecting me, father?"

"No, Sofia. I’m just tired of your failures. Don’t fail me this time, you won’t like the outcome."

Sandy laughed out loud at that, a shrill, annoying sound. She placed her head on my father’s shoulder, her hand rubbing his chest slowly.

What a whore.

She had no idea that the man she was rubbing up against wouldn't be able to save her when the red dot found her forehead. I turned back to the window, a calm sense of peace washing over me. Soon, Iris would be dead, Sandy would be gone, and I’d be the only one left to pick up the pieces of the Russo empire.

\[ IRIS’S POV \]

"Iris," a familiar voice called out.

I froze, a spoon of food just an inch away from my mouth. That voice... it belonged to a life I thought I’d left behind in the city. I slowly turned around, my heart hammering against my ribs.

"Mira?" I whispered, my eyes wide with shock.

She was standing there, looking perfectly out of place in this quiet town, her expensive clothes and sharp gaze clashing with the scenery. My hand started to shake.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, my voice rising. "No... no, don’t tell me you guys have been following me this whole time!"

"No, Iris, no," Mira said quickly, holding up her hands in a mock gesture of peace. "I actually came alone. My brother is not here. In fact, he doesn’t even know I’m here. I sneaked out of the fortress on my own the moment you left."

I narrowed my eyes on her, not buying it for a second. The Morettis didn't do anything "on their own" without a motive.

"If you really followed me the moment I left, why are you just showing up now?" I snapped. "Why wait days?"

"I wanted to see you calm," she said, her eyes shifting over to Caleb. Caleb didn't even look up; he continued eating, acting as if Mira didn't exist, though I could see the tension in his jaw. "And I can see you’re having good company. So, the second I saw you relaxed, happy, and smiling, I decided to show my face."

I looked from Mira to Caleb and back again. The peace I had felt just moments ago was gone, replaced by a cold wave of dread. Mira wasn't the type to travel all this way just to see me smile. She was a predator even though she acted like a friend, but she’s a Moretti and they’re not meant to be trusted, and the fact that she was here without Salvatore made her even more dangerous.

"You're lying," I said, dropping my spoon back onto the plate with a loud clunk. "You don't do 'relaxed and happy Mira. What do you really want?"

"Iris," Mira said, taking a step closer. Her playful smile vanished, replaced by a look that was far too serious for my liking. "I didn't come here to ruin your picnic. I came to tell you that you’re running out of time. You think these woods and this little town are enough to hide you? You think you’re safe because you crossed a few borders?"

I felt the blood drain from my face. My hands gripped the edge of the table. "What are you talking about, Mira?"

"Your father," she said simply. "He’s not just looking for you anymore, Iris. He’s coming to collect. And he’s not coming alone. He has people with him who don't care about bringing you back in one piece."

Caleb finally looked up then. He didn't look surprised; he looked ready. His eyes met Mira's in a silent, deadly stare that made the air between them feel thick.

"She’s right about one thing, Iris," Caleb said, his voice surprisingly calm, too calm for a boy who was supposed to be a normal student. "We aren’t alone anymore. I’ve been picking up movement on the perimeter for the last twenty minutes."

I looked at Caleb, then back at Mira. The world felt like it was shrinking. The peace I thought I had found was just a thin veil, and it was being ripped apart right in front of me.

"How far?" Caleb asked Mira, ignoring me for a second.

"Close enough that we should stop chatting and start moving," Mira replied, her eyes darting toward the road. "Unless you want to see how a Russo greeting looks these days."

I stood up abruptly, my heart hammering against my ribs so hard it was making me dizzy. I looked at the way Caleb was standing, too still, too ready, and I felt a cold realization wash over me. I shifted back, putting distance between us.

"What are you?" I whispered, my voice trembling. Then, I grabbed my head, my mind racing through every memory of us. "No... no. Don’t tell me you’re also one of the Moretti men."

"What? You didn’t know?" Mira asked, her voice sounding completely unsurprised. She leaned against a nearby table, watching us with a bored expression. "The moment I saw him, I just knew he was one of ours. He has that look."

Caleb shot a deadly glare at Mira, but when he turned back to me, his eyes softened, though they were still filled with urgency.

"Iris, please," he said, reaching out a hand toward me. "I will explain everything to you later, I promise. But I really think we should leave now. We’re out of time."

"Don’t touch me!" I snapped, shifting further back until my heels hit the edge of the porch. "Have you been lying to me this whole time? Our friendship, the school... Was it all a lie?"

"No," Caleb said firmly, his voice cracking just a little. "Everything I told you about the gunshot and your sister is the truth. Everything I felt was real. But the part about my boss... that can wait until you're safe."

"Sofia is my family," I said, my jaw tightening as I looked toward the road. "And if she’s coming here, then let her. Maybe it's time we just have the conversation once and for all. I'm tired of running from ghosts."

Mira let out a sharp, dark laugh. "You still don't get it, do you?"

She walked closer, her eyes locked on mine. "This isn't a family reunion, Iris. Sofia isn't coming with a hug and an apology. She’s coming with a hit squad. And your father? He’s not here to bring you home. He’s here to use you until there's nothing left."

"She's right," Caleb added, his eyes darting toward the treeline. "They aren't coming to talk. They're coming to end the Moretti hold on you, even if it means ending you too."

"No, Mira, you don’t understand," I argued, my voice shaking. "They’re my family no matter what. Sofia is my sister and Lorenzo is my father, even if they planned to send me away."

I paused, a cold thought finally piercing through my denial. But... What if they try to send me off again? Or worse... What if they’ve already sold me to someone else?

Caleb didn't wait for another word. He grabbed my hand, his grip firm and undeniable, and dragged me toward the exit. Mira followed right on our heels, her hand hovering near her jacket.

The moment we stepped outside the restaurant, the world seemed to stop. A convoy of black cars was pulling up, tires screeching against the gravel. My heart dropped. I recognized those cars, I recognized the way they moved. They belonged to the Russo family.

"Fuck, they’re here! Run!" Mira shouted, already sprinting toward the sleek sports car she had parked nearby.

Out of nowhere, Mario and two other men appeared from the shadows of the building, guns drawn but kept low.

"I will be just behind you, Ma'am," Mario called out to me, "how many of Salvatore’s men are here for heaven’s sake. "Caleb, get her out of here! Keep her safe!"

The convoy came to a halt, dust swirling in the air. The door to the lead car opened, and my father stepped out. He looked exactly as he always did, calculated and calm.

"Iris, my dear," he said, a small, practiced smile on his face. "Come over here, honey. Let me take you home."

I stopped dead in my tracks. My eyes filled with tears, the sight of him making my chest ache with a desperate, childish hope. "Dad?" I whispered.

But then, the other doors opened. Sofia stepped out, followed closely by Sandy. My confusion deepened, what was Sandy doing with them?

Then my eyes dropped to Sofia’s hands. She wasn't reaching out for a hug. She was holding a heavy coil of rope, her expression hard and empty of any sisterly love. Behind her, Sandy was smirking, looking at me like I was a prize about to be caged.

The tears finally spilled over, hot and bitter. Mira was right. They weren't here to talk. They weren't here to save me.

They were here to bind me.

"Caleb, go!" Mira screamed from the driver's seat of her car, the engine roaring to life.

Caleb pulled me harder, forcing my feet to move even though they felt like lead. "Don't look at them, Iris! Look at me! We have to move!"