Chapter 186: She’s Getting to Me.

Chapter 186: She’s Getting to Me.
Eleanora

But whether it started with honesty or not didn’t change what was waiting underneath it all.

And if I wasn’t careful…

One wrong move might make me lose the only person who ever looked at me like I wasn’t already broken.

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The heels of my boots echoed across the grey pavement as I made my way up the stone steps of the prison entrance, the crisp afternoon air pressing faintly against my coat. I didn’t know why, but everything felt louder today—the buzz of the street behind me, the way my thoughts kept clashing against each other like knives in a drawer.

Maybe it was because I wasn’t as sure as I used to be.

The plan. The objective. The mission my mother had carved into my spine from the moment she taught me how to paint my lips and hide a dagger behind a smile.

I’d wanted this.

To make things right for Dario.

To make Leonardo and Aurora pay for what they did to him. And make Leonardo pay for what he did to me.

At least, I thought I wanted it.

But now, as I passed through the last set of security checks and signed my name into the visitor log, my mind kept flashing with images I didn’t want—Aurora tucking a loose strand behind her ear while laughing at something dumb I said. Her fork hovering mid-air as she made a joke. Her face softening when I offered to split dessert.

God. She was getting to me.

And I hated that it wasn’t entirely a bad thing.

My mum had been working for more than a week now—pulling strings, greasing palms, putting old contacts to work. She said we were almost there. Just a few more days and Dario would be a free man again.

Exactly what I’d worked for.

So why was my stomach twisted in knots?

I let out a low, irritated groan under my breath just as the steel door slid open in front of me. A guard—a bulky, bored-looking man in uniform—gave me a quick nod before leading me through the sterile hallway. No surprise visits like last time. No skipping protocols. My mother only wanted us to go to his cell then so we could take him by surprise.

Now it was just the usual: a thick layer of glass between us, a black plastic telephone receiver, and twenty minutes of staring into the face of a man who still smiled like the world owed him something.

Dario was already sitting there when I entered the visitation room, dressed in regulation orange, one knee bouncing restlessly. His long, dark hair was pulled back in a messy tie, but his jawline remained sharp, and those steel-grey eyes locked onto me the second I stepped in like he was reading the weight of my silence.

He was actually really good looking, but I’d never actually been attracted to him before.

He picked up the phone without waiting.

I did too.

His lips curled into a lazy smirk. “So,” he said, voice rich and cold through the static line. “What’s the update?”

I sat back slowly, wrapping the cord of the receiver around my fingers once before answering. “I think I’ve gained enough trust.”

Dario blinked, then chuckled. “That was quick.”

His eyes narrowed, glinting with amusement. “After me, Aurora became very picky about who she let in. I guess she really wants a sibling after all.”

Something about the way he said it made my stomach tighten.

I didn’t laugh.

I didn’t even smile.

Because somewhere inside, his words scratched at the guilt I kept trying to bury.

“She’s trusting,” I said simply. “Too trusting, maybe.”

“Oh, my sweet little darling…” Dario leaned forward, eyes gleaming with a hunger that made my skin crawl. “Very soon I’ll be out of here, and she’ll be mine again. Just thinking of burying my head in that sweet smelling neck of hers is driving me crazy.”

I crinkled my nose in disgust, as I could feel the irritation crawling up my throat.

“Cooped up in here is definitely making you lose your mind,” I muttered, leaning back in my seat.

He grinned.

“You don’t know the half of it.”

Then—BANG—his fist slammed against the table, making the glass shudder. A guard in the corner shifted but didn’t move. Like they were used to this.

“When I get out,” Dario growled, “and get my hands on that fucking Leonardo, I swear—he’s going to bleed for every second he’s interfered with my plans. I’ll make him suffer. Slow. Loud.”

I held the phone to my ear but didn’t say anything. My gaze dropped to my lap.

I was angry at Leonardo too. For making me feel like a fool for loving him and all.

But…

The thought of him getting hurt stirred something uncomfortable in my chest.

Not guilt. Not fear.

But maybe… something like regret.

And worse—Aurora.

How would she react?

Would she cry?

Would she look at me, with those wide, betrayed eyes, and ask why I didn’t stop it?

I pushed the thought away.

“Hmm.” I hummed in reply as that was the only thing I could think of. 

“So…how’s it going with my release?”

“It’s being handled,” I answered quietly. “Mum’s close. Few more signatures and it’s done.”

Dario exhaled, a slow wicked grin spreading across his face.

“Excellent.”

He tapped his fingers against the glass, slow and steady.

“You’ve done well, Nora.”

My stomach turned at the nickname. He also started calling me that when he wanted to tease me.

I didn’t want praise. I didn’t want his smile. I wanted out of this prison. Out of this whole mess.

But I nodded anyway.

We talked a little more—details, next steps, timing—but my replies were shorter now. Mechanical.

I was thinking too much.

And feeling even more.

A shadow passed by the glass as the guard returned and tapped twice, signaling time was up.

Dario leaned forward, pressing his hand flat against the barrier, like that meant something.

I stared at it, then slowly set the phone down on the hook.

As I stood and turned, his voice barely reached me through the glass.

“Don’t forget what we’re doing this for.”

I paused—but didn’t look back.

Because I wasn’t sure what I was doing this for anymore.