279 - Leon Carter

279 - Leon Carter
Leon Carter

It took eight months of tracking, blood, threats, and silence to finally find a single, precious lead. Riccardo Nicola was in hiding. And now we knew where.

The news hit like a sharp punch to the gut. Not because it was unexpected, I knew he wouldn't stay hidden forever, but because it confirmed what I had feared most since the night of the invasion at my apartment: this had been a dirty setup. An inside betrayal.

The building’s doorman, a soft-spoken man with an easy smile, had sold out. He was paid enough to think he could play a dangerous game between a nearly dead Italian and the devil himself. Gavin confirmed everything after capturing and torturing him until he confessed, piece by piece, to everything he had done.

Literally. Harry and Gavin took care of it. They didn’t just kill the traitor. They wiped out every last relative who shared his rotten blood, we can’t leave anyone behind who might come back for revenge someday against me or my family.

There was no mercy. No apologies.

Now, the day had come.

Riccardo’s hideout was on a secluded rural property, surrounded by dense forest, elite security, and aerial escape routes. But we knew exactly how to handle it and catch that dog. We were going to trap him and keep him locked in until I killed him and ended my personal mission.

I stood over the map, hands resting on the table, eyes fixed on the markers. The cottage in Fernando de Noronha felt like a distant dream now. But what I did there made me stronger. It reminded me why I fight, and for whom.

"Are you ready?" Gavin asked, stepping into the makeshift meeting room in the warehouse that now served as our operational base.

"Always have been," I replied, without taking my eyes off the red dot on the map. "Today he falls. And the war ends."

Gavin hesitated, which was unusual.

"Leon..." his voice was lower than usual. "You should go with Ella. Take her away and let us handle this. Alone."

I slowly lifted my gaze.

"That's not an option, Gavin."

"I know," he sighed, crossing his arms. "But think about it. If you're gone, if Ella’s safe, we can move without fear of distraction. You know how Riccardo is. If he sees the slightest opening, he’ll go after her. And I don’t trust that he doesn’t still have something up his sleeve."

I stayed silent for a moment. Because he was right. And that was the damn problem.

"She’s going to hate the idea," I murmured. "She’ll feel like I’m pushing her away."

"Maybe," he replied. "But you know that’s not what this is. You're just making sure she’s still alive when all this ends."

I closed my eyes for a second. Ella’s smiling face from our family breakfast flashed through my mind. That face is what I see in every battle. The woman who made me more of a man, more human.

"Get the plane ready," I said finally. "But I’ll be the one to tell her."

The decision was made. And even though every fiber of my body screamed to be on the front lines with Frost and Bear, landing the final shot in Riccardo’s chest, I knew deep down, guided by my oldest instinct, that keeping Ella safe was the priority. And always would be.

Frost and Bear were ready. They knew every detail of the plan. Every entry point to the hideout, every blind spot in Riccardo’s security. Gavin and I had spent nights mapping everything with surgical precision. Now it was their turn to do the dirty work while I was forced to protect what was cleanest in my life.

Ella.

The plane was already fueled when we boarded. Perninha and Lola were the first to step in, as if they sensed something delicate was going on. Ella was smiling, her confident look tearing me apart inside. Gavin stayed quiet, and Harry, as always, observed everything. Lessie chatted with Ella about where we were taking them, helping to ease the tension in the air.

Deep down, everyone knew how uneasy I was, but no one said a word.

Hours later, already settled in another safe spot in the world, a secluded beach cottage in Fernando de Noronha, we were surrounded by native forest and comforting silence. The next morning, as we sat down for breakfast, I watched the sunlight touch the wooden porch gently, the sound of waves the only constant noise. Ella sat to my left, cheerful. Her skin golden from the sun, eyes shining as she talked about Olivia and Lucas's wedding, laughing at our over-the-top party ideas.

"I think we could do it in France," she said, laughing. "I’m sure your mother and mine would throw a beautiful party, no matter where it is."

I nodded, smiling, but my eyes were fixed on the phone resting on my knee beneath the table.

Messages started coming in. Encoded. Brief.

"We're in position."

"Movement in the rear. Confirming entry."

"Frost moving in from the side."

My chest tightened, but my face remained a mask of calm.

Ella shifted slightly, raising an eyebrow as she noticed my distraction.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice low, just for me.

I smiled, gently.

"Just work. Gavin's adjusting a shipment. Nothing to worry about, princess."

She nodded slowly, but her eyes lingered on me for a few more seconds. She knew something was off, but loved me enough to respect my silence.

I took her hand under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"There's still one more surprise today," I murmured, kissing the tips of her fingers. "And someone special is about to arrive."

"Someone special?" she smiled, curious. "Who?"

"My mother and the rest of my family. They're on their way. They were flying in, and I’m excited for them to finally know you’re officially my fiancée."

Ella bit her lower lip, emotional.

"It’s going to be real, isn’t it? The wedding. The celebration. All of it."

"It’s always been real. But now, it’s going to be the way you’ve always dreamed."

She leaned in and kissed my cheek slowly. That woman had the power to keep me whole with a single gesture. And that’s why I couldn’t afford to fail.

The phone buzzed again.

"Visual contact. Ready to move in."

I kept my expression calm, finished my coffee as if the world weren’t about to change.

Frost and Bear were in the eye of the storm.

And I, from the outside, carried in my hands the reason for all of it: Ella.

Riccardo better be ready.

Because this would be his last morning free, and the first of his captivity.

The sky was clear, with just a few clouds painted by the morning sun when the helicopter finally appeared on the horizon. The sound of its blades blended with the ocean in the background and the laughter around me. The moment felt light and calm. As if the universe had granted us a pause to breathe. But inside me, everything pulsed with anticipation.

Ella noticed my tension but didn’t say a word. As always, she knew exactly how far to go, when to leave me in silence, and when to pull me back into the world with a smile.

The helicopter landed gently not far from where we were, and everyone was there, Olivia, Lucas, Gavin, Lessie, my uncles, her brothers stood up, curious and excited. Ella held my hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

When the door opened, it was like past and present met in a single breath.

My mother, Laís, was the first to step out. Her dark hair was pinned in an elegant bun, her green eyes full of emotion. Behind her came my father, Henrique, as imposing as ever, but with that spark in his eyes that only appeared when he was around family. And then I saw my youngest sister, Fay.

My sister dashed forward before anyone could react, running across the grass like a bolt of lightning and jumping into the arms of Léo, Ella’s twin brother.

"You’re here!" she exclaimed, as if it were the happiest day of her life. "I’ve waited so long for this, you idiot!"

Léo held her tight, laughing, but there was emotion in his voice when he replied,

"So have I, Fay. Since day one."

And there, in front of everyone, with his cheeks flushed and gaze steady, Léo took her hands and turned to our parents, and Ella’s.

"Mr. Henrique, Mrs. Carter. Dad, Mom," he said with a confident voice, though slightly choked. "I’ve fallen in love with Fay. With your daughter. And today, I want to officially ask for permission to date her. With the respect and honor, she deserves."

My mother couldn’t hold back her laughter, charmed.

"Do you have any idea how much she talks about you, boy?" she teased, then nodded. "If you make her happy, you already have our blessing."

My father smiled as well and gave a nod after subtly exchanging a few words with my father-in-law, some silent conversation only between them. I watched my mother-in-law, Amélie, visibly moved, squeeze Tommáz’s hand.

Fay was crying. She said nothing. She just pulled Léo into a quick kiss and laughed through her tears.

"It’s already been official in my heart for a long time."

Everyone clapped. Even Gavin smiled, and Lessie let out an exaggerated sigh.

But my mother didn’t stop there. After hugging Fay and Léo, she turned to Ella with a mischievous, knowing look. And right beside her, Amélie appeared carrying a large box with great care.

"There’s something we need to do," my mother said. "Something we should have done a long time ago."

"And something we did in secret, like good mothers," Amélie added with a mysterious smile.

Everyone made space around the table, where the remains of our breakfast still lingered. The box was placed in the center with reverence.

"Before anything else," my mother said, in the sweetest voice I had ever heard, "we want to apologize. To both of you. For interfering, for choosing too much, for doing things without asking."

"But..." Amélie added, smiling as she opened the box, "it was done with love. And with the hope that you would have something that lasts forever."

Inside the box, carefully folded, was the dress.

Not just any dress.

It was light, made of flowing fabric, no lace, and yet delicate, perfect for my princess. I didn’t stare at it for long; I wanted to see it on her. But I knew it was Ella’s style, elegant, delicate, and full of personality.

Ella brought her hands to her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears, and when she looked at me, I felt the world slow down.

"Everything’s already prepared," Amélie said. "It’ll be tonight. Just us, the people who matter to you."

She stayed silent for a second, looking at our mothers standing before her. Then she looked at me. And in that gaze, there was everything, trust, gratitude, love.

"I have no words..." she whispered. "Just... thank you. To both of you. For everything."

My mother pulled her into a tight hug.

"Sweetheart, you’ve always been part of this family, and now you’ll finally have a little celebration for your wedding," my mother said, and I stepped closer to her.

"Thank you, Mom, for taking care of everything!" I smiled, and then felt a pat on my shoulder, I turned and saw my father, beaming with pride.

Everyone laughed. And there, between hugs, we began organizing the preparations for our wedding, which would take place in the late afternoon. That would give time for my grandparents and uncles to arrive for the party later.

But while the sun shone over that temporary paradise, my phone buzzed in my pocket with a new message.

"Target secured. He’s with us."

Riccardo Nicola had been caught.

And now, nothing stands in the way of our happiness.