Chapter 190 Explosion In Villa Marchetti

Chapter 190 Explosion In Villa Marchetti
SANCIA

“Listen to me, Sancia. I need you to get all the women and kids into the safe room and stay there with them, you and Dario. With Antonio on the loose, I’m getting a bad feeling, so I’ll be back…”

A loud, deafening explosion suddenly rocked the entire building. It was so loud that Dario woke with a scream. A gut-wrenching fear twisted my insides.

I could barely hear Lorenzo cursing with my ears still ringing, yet somehow, I could still hear the sounds of gunfire.

“Fuck, fuck! Sancia, take Dario and get to the safe room right fucking now. Take your gun. I’m coming, Mia Tigre. I’m coming.”

The phone went dead. I quickly jumped to my feet and picked up a screaming Dario.

“Zitto, mio dolce ragazzo, comportati bene e smettila di piangere: la mamma è qui e ti proteggerà. Zitto, mio dolce ragazzo, comportati bene e smettila di piangere, la mamma è qui, ti proteggerà,” (Hush, my sweet boy, behave yourself and stop crying; Mommy is here, she will protect you.” I repeated softly over and over as I hurried toward our room.

I carefully put him down and smoothed his hair before quickly opening the drawers Lorenzo used to keep his weapons.

I was relieved to see nothing had changed.
I grabbed two handguns and a switchblade. I tucked one gun and the switchblade into my panties, uncaring that the blade was literally resting against my bare ass.

I’ll think about this when we live to see another day. I had just pushed the drawer closed and straightened up when I heard movement. Instinct kicked in before I could think. My body instantly covered Dario, my back to him as I fired toward the door.

“Fuck, it’s me, Signora!” Savio shouted as he rushed inside, his face grim, a machine gun clutched in his hand. Fortunately, he’d ducked before any of my bullets could hit him.

“Come, Signora. I will lead you and Dario to the safe room. Now.”

I quickly scooped Dario into my arms as we followed him down the hall toward the safe room.

The entire mansion was in utter chaos. Screams and gunshots sounded everywhere, and Savio kept exchanging fire with the soldiers while blocking and protecting us with his body.

Dario was now quiet, but his eyes were wide with fear as he listened to the violence around us. I tried to cover his small body with mine, keeping his head tucked into the crook of my shoulder.

My gun was firmly gripped in my other hand, just in case I had to use it.

And then I was really using it. Firing, hiding, and ducking while running with Dario in my arms, Savio beside us and shielding us with his body.

A group of men noticed us and immediately realized who we were, so they started firing.

I quickly lowered myself and hid behind the balustrade while Savio exchanged fire with them.

We were almost in the safe room. We just needed to get out of the open and head toward the staff kitchen.

Then Savio suddenly took a bullet straight through his left thigh.

“Fuck!”

He stumbled, dropping to one knee. Before either of us could do anything, armed men suddenly surrounded us; a crack sounded as Savio was instantly knocked unconscious.

For a few heartbeats, I deluded myself into thinking it was Lorenzo, even though it didn't make sense for him to be here that fast. Not to mention he'll never hit Savio.

But reality hit me pretty fast. I stumbled back in shock, my mouth going dry as I stared at the strange man standing before me.

There was something about him that screamed danger, not in the way the men in the famiglia did, but in a twisted, predatory kind of way that sent pure terror through me.

“Hello, sister-in-law. Or should I say cousin-in-law?” he drawled, grinning widely.

His smile made my skin crawl. “Who are you?” I asked, hugging Dario even tighter.

He gasped dramatically, holding a hand to his chest. “Don’t tell me Enzo didn’t tell you about me. I’m Vince, Abramo’s son. I heard you’re well acquainted with my father?”

I instantly paled, my legs suddenly feeling like jelly.

He smirked. “Guess it is true. I can see why the old fuck wanted to mess with you. If there’s one thing he has, it’s good taste. You’re one nice-looking gal, as the Americans say. A fine-ass bitch.”

“Watch it, Vince.”

A familiar, calm voice cut through the chaos. “I don’t appreciate you talking about my girl like that.”

I was so distracted by Vince’s appearance that I didn’t notice the man standing behind him.

Antonio.

“Hello, Sia.”

My blood instantly froze in my veins as the men parted and let him through.

“Antonio?” My voice shook. “What are you doing here? Where’s Mama? What have you done to her?”

“One question at a time, cara mia,” he replied with a crooked grin. “Your mother is in a safe place, and so is your sister.”

I fisted my hands so hard they ached, taking a step back when he came closer.

“I don’t care what you do to that bitch, but Mama is sick. You know that. What if her health gets worse?”

“I’m here to take you home, precisely because of that. Come with me, and nobody has to get hurt.”

“I’m not fucking going anywhere with you.”

“Your mother and Isabella are already waiting on the plane, Sia. You’re all that’s remaining, so I came to get you. We’re leaving Italy.”

I shook my head. “You’ve fucking lost your mind, Antonio.”

I glanced toward Savio, who was leaning against the staircase, blood soaking through his clothes. He was so still that I wasn’t sure if he was alive or dead.

“I’m married with a son. That won’t change even if I come with you.”

I lowered my voice. “You’ve escaped. Just forget this obsession with me. Let my mother go, leave here, and you can go live your life with Isabella. I’ll even forgive you for betraying Papa.”

“I don’t love Isabella, and I never will.”

His expression hardened. “I know you’re saying these things because that monster has poisoned your mind against me, but after we leave here, you’ll come to love me again as you did before…”

“Take the boy from her.” He nodded toward his men.

I turned to run, but there were men blocking my way. “Don’t do this, Antonio. I am begging you, leave my son alone!” I screamed, twisting as I clutched Dario even tighter.

Dario was already crying, screaming my name when they grabbed him and forcefully pried him from my arms.

“No!” I lunged after them, screaming, but Antonio quickly yanked me back.

I sobbed and struggled in his arms.

“Let him go, Sia. We can’t take him with us to our future home. You’ll have more kids to love and care for later. Our kids.”

His voice softened into something almost sickeningly tender. “Not that bastard son.”

“You don’t know how hurt and angry I feel whenever I see that bastard. The fact that he looks like his beast of a father, doesn’t make it any easier.”

He continued speaking as though he was explaining something perfectly reasonable.

“I tried to love him, but I just can’t. He should have been our son. He should have looked like me or you.”

I didn’t know where I got the strength from, but I screamed and pushed him so hard that he stumbled. The crack of my palm against his face echoed through the house.

“You fucking hypocrite!” I glared at him, tears burning my eyes.

“How dare you call my son a bastard? How dare you call Lorenzo a monster when you’re worse than a monster?”

I shouted, my voice breaking. “You better kill me now, Antonio. Because even if Lorenzo is dead, I’ll never marry you, much less bear your children. Not after everything you’ve done.”

“Fuck it. I think I’m a masochist.” Vince chuckled from where he had retreated into the living room, watching the entire confrontation as though it were some kind of soap opera.

“I’ve never wanted to get slapped by a woman so badly.”

Antonio ignored him and grabbed my shoulder so hard that I cried out.

“Let me go. Stop fucking touching me, you bastard.” I hit him, slapped him, and struggled against his hold.

“You let that monster touch you; why can't I?”

“Because he's my husband, and you’re nowhere near the man he is, so you have no right to criticize him.”

“That bastard doesn’t deserve your love! Have you forgotten everything he’s done to you? To me?”

Antonio shouted, his face twisted with anger. “How can you forgive him and not me?”

He touched my face, his voice suddenly lowered into that calm tone. “I fucking love you, Sia. I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you. Everything I’ve done was so we could be together again. I got rid of the people trying to keep us apart. I wanted us to have the power and money to do whatever we wanted.”

“How fucking dare you say you did it for me?” I replied incredulously, pushing hard against his chest, but he wouldn’t let go.

“You and your father betrayed my father because you wanted power, not because of your so-called love!” I yelled, tears trailing down my cheeks.

“You know what I regret most?”

My voice trembled with hatred. “That I fucking saved you, Antonio. I should have let your brother kill you back then,” I sneered. “If he had, none of this would have happened.”

His face fell. “Tell me you don’t mean that.” He shook me. “I know you don’t mean it. You love me just like I loved you. That’s why you killed for me.”

“I mean every fucking word.” I stared into his eyes. “I fucking hate you.”

“You want to know why I can forgive Lorenzo and love him, but not you?” I hissed.

“Because he never pretended to be what he was not. He'd always shown me his true self, unlike you.”

Antonio’s face hardened. Then he burst into hysterical laughter. It was more like cackling.

“You are such a fool, Sia,” he taunted, his tone patronizing. “Do you honestly think Lorenzo loved you? Do you want to know why he married you?”

“I don’t care about the why. I just care about his feelings for me right now, and I know he loves me in ways you’ll never know because your version of love is nothing but a warped obsession where you hide behind your own sick mind.”

He nodded slowly. “We’ll see if you’ll say the same when you find out that the only reason he married you was for revenge.”

I scoffed. “That doesn’t make sense. I don’t see why Lorenzo would want revenge against me. I didn’t do anything.”

“Wrong.” He smirked.

“You fucking framed him.”

“I did no such thing. You’re just making shit up.” I denied it, but for some reason, I felt coldness seep through my very being.

Antonio laughed before shaking his head.
“The night you killed Orazio at the cinema, you lied to your Papa and told him it was Lorenzo who killed Orazio.”

I shook my head as the memories began flipping through my mind. “No, you told me to say it was…”

I swallowed, trying to recall the name.
“Lucifero! Yes. You said he was already an enemy to our famiglia, that it would make no difference if we framed him because…”

Because he was a monster.

“And Lucifero is another name for…?”

“Lorenzo,” I whispered, shocked.

“Correct.”

Antonio's smile widened. “You finally remember. What you said caused a war between our two famiglias. They didn’t even see us coming, and Lorenzo almost died in that fight.”

That’s why he chose me.

Not because he fell for me at first sight, but because he knew the truth. I blinked, shaking my head as images came crashing through my skull while I tried to remember that wretched day.

My head hurt, my stomach twisted with nausea. And suddenly, I was transported back to that mall. To the bathroom in the cinema.

I could feel Orazio’s hands touching my body as he pressed against me so tightly it was suffocating.

I remembered the sense of dread—the feel of his lips against my neck. I remembered crying, begging him to stop while I trembled.

I remembered his cruel laughter, his mocking voice as he called me a whore and told me to stop pretending because he believed I wanted him.

I remembered Orazio pushing me against the mirror, his hands snaking beneath my dress before he yanked down my panties.

I remembered the fear, and then the rage that came after. I remembered screaming so hard that my fist struck the mirror in the bathroom.

The glass shattered. I remembered the sharp edge in my trembling hand. I remembered Antonio barging into the bathroom. I remembered every single detail.

Orazio’s cruel and vulgar words, the broken glass, and the warm blood dripping from my tightly fisted hand after the first plunge.

I remembered the overwhelming smell of blood. I remember watching in a daze as Orazio bled to death and Antonio shot right between his eyebrows to cover up my crime.

The gunshot was loud, ricocheting between the walls. Shouts and gunshots startled me, and I realized the men around us were suddenly scattered.

Vince and some of the men were exchanging gunfire with some of the Marchetti soldiers. Antonio was dragging me away, one of his men holding Dario, who kept screaming for me.

“Sancia! Sancia?”

Someone was calling me, shouting my name. I whirled back, my heart kick-started in my chest; my blood pumped with adrenaline when I recognized the voice.

Enzo? It was Lorenzo!