Chapter 58

Sofia's POV

The hull groaned as the rope ladder swung, creaking under Luca’s weight. His shirt was soaked, his hair plastered to his forehead, but nothing dimmed the fury in his eyes. Every pull of his arm was a promise—he was coming for me, and nothing on this ship could stop him.

“LUCA!” I screamed before I could think.

Diego’s grip clamped tighter around my wrist, dragging me back from the railing. “Quiet!” he snapped. “Do you want him shot before he reaches the deck?”

Two guards moved toward the side, rifles raised. Their boots thudded on the planks, their shadows sharp in the lantern light. One crouched, sighting down at Luca’s head.

“No!” I lunged forward, twisting against Diego’s hold. “Don’t shoot him!”

The commanding man—the one whose voice had ordered me brought aboard—lifted a hand. The guards froze instantly. His suit was immaculate, his expression carved from stone. Even with chaos snapping in the air, he held the deck like a king.

“Let him climb,” the man said calmly. “I want to see the look on his face.”

Diego’s jaw flexed. “You’ll regret that.”

The man ignored him, his cold eyes fixed on me. “She already belongs to us. One man’s desperation won’t change that.”

Luca’s boots hit the deck with a heavy thud. He straightened, gun in hand, chest heaving. His gaze darted once to me—taking in Diego’s hand gripping mine—before locking on the suited man.

“Step away from her,” Luca growled.

“Always so dramatic,” the man said. He moved closer, unhurried, like he had all the time in the world. “Tell me, Moretti—how far are you willing to go for this girl?”

Luca raised his gun higher. “Far enough.”

The man’s smile was thin, sharp. “Good. Then we understand each other.”

Guards shifted, guns cocking. The deck swelled with tension, every muscle coiled, every breath loud in the thick fog.

Diego leaned toward me, his voice low, urgent. “Stay behind me. Don’t move unless I tell you.”

I shook my head hard, whispering back, “You’re the reason I’m here!”

“And I’m the only one who can get you out alive,” he hissed.

Before I could argue, Luca fired. The crack split the night, deafening. A guard dropped, his body slamming the deck.

Chaos exploded. Bullets ripped the air. Shouts echoed. The smell of gunpowder stung my throat.

Diego yanked me behind a crate, his body shielding mine as splinters rained. “Stay down!”

“No—Luca—” I tried to move, but Diego’s grip was iron. He shoved me flat, the wood hard against my back as boots pounded past.

Over the crates, I glimpsed Luca—a blur of black, moving fast, efficient, dangerous. He fired again, dropping another man. His eyes found mine through the smoke, burning with determination.

“SOFIA!” he shouted. “Hold on!”

I struggled up, my heart racing, but the suited man stepped forward, calm amid the storm. His hand lifted, and the gunfire stopped as if someone had pulled a plug. Every guard froze, weapons steady, waiting.

“Enough,” the man said, his voice slicing through the silence. “This is not how the game is played.”

Luca aimed at his head. “Game? You think this is a game?”

The man’s smile widened. “Everything is a game. And she—” His eyes cut to me. “—is the prize.”

“Like hell she is,” Luca snarled.

The man spread his arms slightly, daring. “Then shoot me. End it.”

Luca’s finger tightened on the trigger. My chest locked—I thought he might actually do it.

But Diego rose suddenly, blocking the shot. “Don’t!” His voice thundered across the deck. “He’s not the enemy you think.”

Luca’s eyes narrowed, gun steady. “Move, or you go down with him.”

“You kill him,” Diego snapped, “and you’ll never know the truth about why she left you!”

The words froze me. The deck, the guards, even Luca—all seemed to still for a single heartbeat.

“What did you say?” Luca’s voice was low, dangerous.

Diego’s gaze burned. “She didn’t leave because she was scared of your name. She left because of what your family did.”

Luca’s jaw clenched, his eyes flicking to me, demanding answers. “Sofia?”

I shook my head, my chest tight. “Don’t—this isn’t the time—”

“Tell him!” Diego barked. “Tell him why you vanished three years ago!”

“Shut up!” I screamed, my voice cracking. “This isn’t your secret to spill!”

The suited man chuckled, a slow, dark sound. “Ah. So that’s the crack in the armor.”

Diego’s face twisted with rage. “She deserves to know. He deserves to know.”

Luca’s voice cut sharp as steel. “Say it. Now.”

I opened my mouth, my throat burning, but before the words could leave me—another gunshot rang. A guard dropped, blood splattering across the planks.

Every head turned. At the far edge of the deck, Alessandro stepped from the fog, gun smoking, his suit immaculate even in battle. His eyes swept the scene—Diego, Luca, me, the suited stranger—and his jaw tightened.

“Looks like I arrived just in time,” Alessandro said coolly.

Luca didn’t look away from me. “What is he talking about, Sofia?”

I shook my head, trembling. “Not here. Please.”

Alessandro’s gaze cut to the suited man. “You shouldn’t have touched her.”

The man smirked. “And you shouldn’t have let her wander into my hands. She came too easily.”

Alessandro raised his gun higher. “Not anymore.”

The silence before the storm stretched tight. Then—everything erupted at once.

Gunfire ripped the air. The deck exploded with shouts, smoke, blood. Luca grabbed my arm, hauling me toward cover. Diego shoved from the other side, trying to steer me away. Alessandro fired again, dropping another guard.

The ship pitched, waves crashing against its sides. The fog swallowed the horizon, no land in sight.

I stumbled between them, my body torn by too many hands, too many choices. My ears rang, my lungs burned, and through it all the suited man stood untouched, calm, watching me like a predator watching prey.

A bullet whined past my ear. Luca shoved me down, covering me with his body. His voice was raw in my ear. “I’m not losing you again.”

Diego pulled at my other arm, desperate. “You’ll die with him if you stay!”

Alessandro’s voice cut through, sharp and commanding. “Enough! She doesn’t choose now. She chooses when I say.”

The guards regrouped, closing in. Boots thundered, rifles lifted. The ship became a cage of steel and smoke.

And then—the suited man raised a hand. Every weapon lowered instantly.

His smile cut the fog. “You want her so badly?” His eyes swept the three men, then landed on me. “Then she’ll decide which of you lives.”

The words slammed into me, stealing my breath. “What?”

“Simple,” he said smoothly. “Pick one. He survives. The other two die.”

The deck went silent. Even the waves seemed to pause.

Luca’s hand tightened on mine. “Don’t listen to him.”

Diego shook his head, frantic. “He’s bluffing. He won’t—”

Alessandro’s eyes locked on mine, calm, steady. “Choose wisely, Sofia.”

My knees buckled, the world spinning. Three men. Three dangers. Three lifelines tangled around me. And one choice that could destroy everything.

The suited man’s smile widened. “Tick, tock.”

The guards lifted their guns in unison, barrels gleaming.

“Choose,” the man said again. “Or I choose for you.”