Chapter 152 Retribution

Chapter 152 Retribution

GIOVANNI’S POV

"Arya," I said softly, stopping in my tracks. "It's okay. You're safe now. I'm not going to hurt you."

"You came," she whispered. Her voice was barely audible. "You actually came."

"Of course I came." I took another slow step, treating her like a skittish animal that might bolt at any moment. "I've been looking for you for three months. Did you really think I wouldn't come the second I knew where you were?"

Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I thought… I wasn't sure if you would come."

"I'm here." I took another step. "And I'm taking you home. Both of you."

I was close enough now to see the split lip, it was mostly healed but still visible. 

I didn’t miss the finger-shaped bruises on her arms. Or the way she held the baby protectively, like she expected someone to try to take him.

The rage that had been simmering for months exploded into white-hot fury. 

Marco had terrorized her and reduced her to this fragile, broken version of herself.

My fingers curled into a tight fist and I vowed to tear him into pieces once I saw him. 

"Can I…” My voice cracked. "Can I see her or him? Is it a girl?"

Arya hesitated, then slowly tilted the bundle so I could see the baby's face. “It’s a boy. His name is Dante?”

I saw the tousled dark hair quite like my own and the face of an angel sleeping peacefully despite the chaos surrounding him.

My son. I actually had a son.

The tears came before I could stop them. I dropped to my knees right there in the warehouse, unable to stand under the weight of it all.

"I'm sorry," I choked out, looking up at Arya through blurred vision. "I'm so sorry for everything I did. I’m sorry for driving you away and for not finding you sooner. I'm so."

"Giovanni." She interrupted then cleared her throat. "We don't have time for this right now."

She was right. Apologies could come later, when she was safe.

I stood, wiping my eyes roughly. "Of course. Let's get you to the car. Do you need help walking?"

I reached out instinctively to support her, but she pulled back, her whole body going rigid.

"I can walk," she said quietly.

It was another  knife to the chest. She couldn't even bear my touch.

But I nodded, swallowing the hurt. "Okay. The car's just through the trees. Enzo, can you…"

"I've got a point," Enzo said, already moving ahead to clear the path.

Arya started walking, limping heavily on her injured ankle. I walked beside her, close enough to catch her if she fell, but not touching. 

"Giovanni." She stopped suddenly. "Before we go. There's something you need to know."

I frowned. "What is it?"

"The Riveras are planning something big tomorrow night. I don’t know what it is but…" She shifted the baby in her arms and pulled out folded papers from somewhere in that oversized shirt. "Here, maybe this would make sense to you.”

I took the papers, and unfolded them. My eyes widened at the sight of everything displayed on the map. 

A disbelieving huff left my throat and I blinked twice to make sure I wasn’t imagining this. 

"This is…" I stared at the documents, hardly believing what I was seeing. "Arya, this is their entire operation."

Enzo came back and looked over my shoulder. His eyes widened then he started laughing and cursing in rapid Italian.

I didn’t bother to stop him. This was the golden goose in my hands. 

Arya looked confused. "What's so funny?"

"These aren't just attack plans," Enzo explained, his grin manic. "Look at the bottom section. Those are warehouse locations and access codes. You just handed us the keys to dismantle the entire Rivera operation."

I nodded, a sly smile playing on my lips while my brain raced with ideas. 

This was everything we needed to strike back, and end this once and for all.

"How did you get this?" I asked Arya.

Her eyes suddenly turned bleak, "Marco… I took it from him" She stopped, looking away. "After I killed him."

Even Enzo went still behind me. The smile on my face dropped completely and I didn’t know what to say for a moment.

“You killed Marco?” I asked, my voice coming out as a whisper. 

She turned to face me, a hardness in her eyes now. “Yes, and I would do it again if I had the chance.”

Fucking hell… what exactly did that bastard do to her?

"What happens now?" she asked, interrupting the train of my thoughts. "To me and Dante."

"Now," I said gently, "you go home. Your father is waiting. Your family has been worried sick and you need time to recover."

"And you?" She looked at me directly for the first time, and I saw the question in her eyes. 

What did I expect from her? What did I want?

"I just want you safe," I said honestly. "Everything else… we'll figure out when you're ready. Just… let me help you, please."

She nodded slowly. "Okay."

I guided her toward the car, careful not to touch her but staying close in case she needed support. 

She limped the whole way, wincing with each step, but she didn't ask for help.

At the car, I opened the back door and she climbed in, still cradling Dante protectively.

Before I closed the door, I had to ask. "Marco. What… what happened? Exactly?"

Arya stared straight ahead, her expression blank. "He was going to hurt me, he forced himself on me and I had a knife. So I cut his throat." 

She said it mechanically, like she was reading from a script. "Then I set the house on fire and ran."

She killed to protect herself and our son. And not just anyone but her best friend who had turned into a monster.

The trauma of that was unimaginable. 

“You did what you had to do," I said quietly. "And you survived. That's all that matters."

She didn't respond. She just kept staring at nothing, her arms tight around Dante.

I closed the door gently and stepped back.

Enzo was beside me, his expression grim. "She's going to need help, Giovanni. What she's been through is horrible.”

"I know." My hands clenched into fists. "But she's back and that's a start."

"A big start," Enzo agreed. "Now about these plans, what’s your plan?”

I looked down at the papers still in my hands and a renewed fire burned in my chest. 

"Time for payback," I said.

Enzo's grin was sharp. "I'll start making calls. Before morning, the Riveras won't know what hit them."

"Good." I looked at the car where Arya sat with our son. "But first, we get them somewhere safe. Everything else can wait."

Enzo clapped my shoulder. "Let's go home, fratello."

I was ready to go home and do everything in my power to help her heal from the nightmare Marco had put her through.

And then the Riveras would learn what happened when they tried to destroy my family.