Family Dinner

Family Dinner
Isabella's POV

"She's been running the Kozlovs?" I gaped at Dante. "How is that possible?"

Dante had a stone-hard face. "We all underestimated Sophia's intelligence."

The front door flew open. Luca barged in, followed closely by Marco and Nico. Luca never looked so furious to me. He had lost all of his typical icy control.

"Everyone in the dining room," Luca ordered. "Now."

Like soldiers waiting for orders, we gathered around the table. I took a seat between Dante and a vacant chair. Silently, Nico sat down across from me. Sitting beside him, Marco massaged his temples as if he were suffering from an excruciating headache.

Luca stood there with his hands flat on the table.

"Sophia played us all," he gritted his teeth. "She has been providing our adversaries with information for a full year while posing as our attorney."

"How did we miss this?" Marco enquired.

"Because I trusted her." Luca's voice broke a little. "I introduced her to our family. I made everything available to her.

Nobody spoke. It hurt to see the guilt on Luca's face.

"This isn't your fault," Marco said softly. "She fooled all of us."

"It is my fault." Luca eventually took a seat, appearing worn out. "And now an innocent girl is going to pay for my mistake."

I pictured Elena strapped to that chair. about Sophia's gun being held to her head. Regarding the countdown clock that is approaching zero.

"What's the plan?" I inquired.

The brothers looked at each other. Once more, that quiet exchange. I could read part of it this time, though. They were concerned. Even afraid.

"Sophia knows all our moves," Nico muttered. "If we try a standard rescue, she'll see it coming."

"Then we don't do a standard rescue," Dante remarked. "We do something unexpected."

Marco questioned, "Like what?"

"Like sending Isabella."

Everyone turned to look at Dante as if he had gone insane.

"Absolutely not," Luca replied right away.

"Think about it." Dante bent over. Sophia anticipates that we will arrive with soldiers and firearms. She doesn't think Isabella will enter by herself and give up."

"Because that would be suicide," Marco said.

"Not if it's a distraction." Dante gave me a look. Isabella keeps Sophia occupied by going to the front door. We utilize the hidden basement entrance she informed us about in the interim."

I slowly said, "Sophia doesn't know about the basement entrance," realizing his strategy. "My father never told anyone except me."

"Exactly." Dante gave a nod. "We sneak in from below and take Sophia by surprise while you're talking to her."

Luca gave a headshake. "Too dangerous. Isabella and Elena both perish if something goes wrong.

"If we do nothing, they both die anyway," I stated.

There was silence at the table.

I turned to face each brother. Luca, the leader who was responsible for all decisions. Marco, the mediator who made an effort to see the good in everyone. Nico, the shadowy, silent guardian. Dante, the adventurous one who didn't mind taking risks.

They were so dissimilar from one another. However, as we sat here dealing with a crisis together, I noticed something I had not previously noticed.

They belonged to a family.

A criminal family that is dangerous and complex. Still, a family.

"We need to vote," Marco declared. "All in favor of Dante's plan?"

Dante instantly held up his hand. Nico raised his after a considerable amount of time.

With a sigh, Marco held up his hand. "I don't like it, but I don't have a better idea."

Everyone looked at Luca.

"This goes against everything I believe in," he uttered slowly. "Using an innocent person as bait."

"I'm not innocent anymore," I declared. "Not with everything that has transpired. I'm not bait, either. I've decided to assist.

Luca looked at my face for a long time. I noticed a change in his icy gray eyes. Respect, perhaps.

"Fine," he said at last. However, you flee if something goes wrong. You run and don't turn around, regardless of what happens to Elena or to us. Did you understand?

I wanted to argue, but I knew he wouldn't change his mind.

"Understood."

"Then let's eat." Luca pointed to the food that had been left unfinished on the table. "The deadline is in forty-five minutes. Nobody enters combat hungry.

It was the most bizarre meal I've ever had. Planning a rescue operation for my best friend while seated around a table with four men who had abducted me, I was on the verge of falling into a trap set by a woman who wanted us all dead.

However, I noticed something different as I observed the brothers' interactions.

Luca put the needs of everyone before his own. Marco ensured that everyone had access to water. Without being asked, Nico passed the dishes. Dante made a dumb joke that caused Luca to roll his eyes and Marco to laugh.

They cherished one another. They were a family that loved one another in spite of the risk, the business, and everything else.

And inexplicably, I was joining that family in some way.

On the table, my phone buzzed. Everybody froze.

My phone wasn't there. I had never seen a phone like that before.

Marco questioned, "Where did that come from?"

My hands shaking, I picked it up. The screen glowed with a message.

Hi, Isabella. I learned so much about you from Sophia. I've been anticipating this moment for a very long time.

"Who is this?" I muttered.

There was another message.

I am the one who murdered your father.

The space whirled around me.

And I'm going to kill you too in precisely one hour. Unless you give me what Vincent took. Visit the address below by yourself. Everyone perishes if you tell the Romano brothers.

The four men were staring at me when I looked up.

"What does it say?" Luca made a demand.

I could hardly hold the phone because my hands were shaking so much. since the last message had just finished loading. a picture of the sender of these texts.

Someone I knew.

Someone who had passed away six months ago.

I could see my father's face on the screen.