CHAPTER 88 — THE HOUR

CHAPTER 88 — THE HOUR
DONOVAN’S POV

We left the cave as dawn broke over the mountains. The ridge path was less dangerous in daylight, but it's still treacherous. I kept one hand on Violet at all times, guiding her over icy patches and helping her climb over fallen rocks.

As we neared the town of San Gimignano, we could see smoke rising from the direction of the old church. The narrow streets were empty, but I could feel eyes on us from every window and alley.
The Volterras had already moved into position.

“We’ll go in through the crypt,” Laura said, pointing to a small door hidden behind a statue in the town square.
“There’s a tunnel that leads right under the church.”

I nodded, pulling Violet close. “Stay close to me,” I whispered.
“Whatever happens in there, don’t let go of my hand.”

She looked up at me, her eyes dark with determination. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said, her voice steady.

We slipped through the hidden door into the crypt, the air feels cool and musty with the scent of old stone and incense. Laura led the way with a small flashlight, her movements was so confident even in the darkness.
The tunnel twisted and turned for what felt like miles, then opened into a small chamber directly beneath the church’s main altar.

Through the floorboards above us, we could hear voices, Alessandro Volterra addressing the Gray Circle council, his words smooth and persuasive.

“…the Einsteins have proven they’re no longer capable of leading this organization,” he was saying.
“They’ve let sentimentality cloud their judgment, let outsiders like Violet Lancaster manipulate them for her own gain. But I offer you a better way and strength through unity, power through purpose.”

Violet tensed beside me, but I squeezed her hand reassuringly.
“Let him talk, he doesn't know anything about you” I whispered.
“And besides the longer he speaks, the more time we have to get into position.”

We climbed the narrow stone stairs to the altar’s hidden compartment, peering through the gaps in the floorboards.
The church was packed with the city’s most powerful men and women, all of them listening intently to Alessandro. I wonder how he's able to gather the people in such short notice.
Marco stood beside him, his face pale and defeated with two of Alessandro’s men standing guard.

“Where’s Eleanor?” Violet whispered, scanning the crowd for her mother.

“Over there,” Laura said, pointing to a shadowed corner near the back of the church.
“She’s not bound, looks like she’s there willingly.”

Before we could discuss it further, Alessandro raised his hand for silence.
“And now, to seal our new alliance, I present to you the rightful heir to the Gray Circle, a woman who combines the blood of the Lancasters and the Morettis, who will lead us into a new era of prosperity and power.”

The crowd parted as a figure walked to the front of the church, it's Eleanor Moretti, she's dressed in a dark red gown.
She moved with a confidence, stopping beside Alessandro with a smile that made my skin crawl.

“Thank you, Alessandro,” she said, her voice carrying across the silent church. “For too long, my family has been caught between warring factions and forced to choose sides when all we wanted was peace. But today, I offer you a choice, join us, and share in the power we’ll build together. Or stand against us, and be swept away by the tide of progress.”

Violet started to move, but I held her back. “Not yet,” I said quietly.
“We are going to wait for the right moment.”

That moment came when the church doors burst open and Damien strode in, blood on his face but a grin on his lips. Behind him was Alistair who led a group of a mix of our security team.

“Sorry we’re late,” Damien said, his voice booming across the church.
“Traffic was a nightmare.”

Chaos erupted instantly. Alessandro’s men drew their weapons, but Damien was already moving, tackling two of them before they could fire.
I pushed open the hidden panel in the altar, pulling Violet up beside me as we dropped into the church.
“Now!” I shouted, and our men poured from hidden positions throughout the building, behind pillars, in balconies and even from the organ loft above.

Violet moved toward her mother, but Eleanor stepped back, raising a hand to stop her.
“Don’t come any closer, Violet,” she said, her voice cold.
“You don’t understand what’s at stake here.”

“I understand that you’ve been lying to me my whole life,” Violet said, her voice cracking with teatsy.
“I understand that you chose power over family, just like Justin did. But I still love you, Mother. I still want you to come home.”

Eleanor’s face softened for just a moment, but then Alessandro was beside her, his hand on her arm.
“Don’t listen to her,” he said coldly. “She’s just like the Einsteins, weak and sentimental, not fit to lead.”

Before anyone could react, Laura moved from behind the altar, her gun raised and aimed directly at Alessandro. “Let her go,” she said firmly.

Alessandro laughed, but there was fear in his eyes as he saw how many of his men had already been disarmed or captured. “You think you’ve won?” he said. “I have eyes everywhere, even in your precious Einstein compound.”

“Not anymore,” Rosa’s voice came from the back of the church, and we all turned to see her standing there with a group of men I’d never seen before.
“Your network in Milan has been dismantled. Every safe house, every contact, we know about all of them.”

Alessandro looked around, realizing he was surrounded. His hand moved to his waist, but Violet was faster, stepping forward and disarming him with a move Damien had taught her just days before.

“It’s over, Alessandro,” she said, holding his own gun against his chest.
“Surrender, and maybe we’ll show you the same mercy you’ve shown others.”

He laughed, a bitter sound. “Mercy? There’s no mercy in this world, little girl. Only power and those who are strong enough to take it.”

Before he could say more, my father stepped forward, where the hell did he appears from. “You’re wrong,” he said firmly.