Chapter 65

Chapter 65
Sofia's POV

The room was frozen.

Marco’s gun pressed into my temple, his arm steel around me. Luca, Diego, and Alessandro stood across the room, guns raised, rage burning in their eyes. Behind them, Rafael’s soldiers fanned out, rifles aimed at everyone. Rafael himself stepped forward, his smile sharp, his gaze locked on me.

“Step aside, Marco,” Rafael said smoothly. “The girl belongs to me.”

Marco’s laugh was cold. “Not a chance.”

“You really think you can hold her with me here?” Rafael’s voice carried like thunder. “You forget who made you crawl in the first place.”

Marco’s jaw tightened. “And you forget who outlived you.”

Luca growled, his hand tightening on his gun. “Both of you shut up. Let her go.”

“Stay out of this, Moretti,” Rafael snapped. “This is family business.”

“She’s not your family,” Luca shot back. “She’s mine.”

The words crashed into the room. My chest tightened.

Diego snarled. “Not yours. Not anymore.”

“Enough,” Alessandro cut in, his voice sharp. “None of you owns her. And if either of you fires that gun, you’ll have three brothers tearing you apart before you can blink.”

The standoff stretched, everyone’s breath heavy. The only sound was the click of safeties being switched off, one after another.

Rafael’s eyes glittered. “If you want her, Moretti, then take her. Kill Marco. Kill me. Let’s see if you’re man enough.”

Luca’s finger twitched on the trigger.

“Don’t!” I screamed, my body stiff against Marco’s hold. “If you shoot, I die first!”

Marco chuckled darkly. “Smart girl.”

The room erupted all at once.

Gunfire tore the air. Sparks flew. Soldiers poured through the doors, shouting, firing wildly.

Luca dove for cover, dragging Diego down with him. Alessandro fired back with sharp precision, every shot dropping a target.

Marco yanked me backward, pulling me toward the balcony doors. “Move!” he barked at his men. “Cover us!”

“LUCA!” I screamed, reaching out, my wrists raw from the ropes.

His eyes locked on mine through the smoke. “Hold on!”

Bullets shattered glass. The balcony door blew open. Marco dragged me through, firing one-handed behind him. His soldiers followed, covering our escape.

Rafael’s voice boomed. “Don’t let him take her!”

His men surged forward.

Luca roared, rising out of cover, bullets ripping into the guards blocking him. “SOFIA!”

I struggled, twisting, kicking, but Marco’s grip was iron. He shoved me against the railing, the night wind slamming into us. Below, the courtyard boiled with chaos—guards, fire, bullets flying.

“Let me go!” I screamed, fighting against him.

He pressed the barrel harder to my ribs. “Not a chance.”

The balcony shook as another explosion ripped below.

Luca burst through the doors, smoke curling around him, gun raised. His eyes burned wild. “Take your hands off her!”

Marco pulled me tighter, his voice mocking. “Or what? You’ll shoot through her to get to me?”

Diego followed, blood on his face, his rifle ready. “Let her go, Vitale!”

Alessandro stepped in last, his aim steady, calm despite the chaos. “This ends tonight.”

Marco laughed, sharp and cruel. “You think so?”

He dragged me onto the railing itself, balancing us on the edge. The drop below was dizzying—stone courtyard, flames, men fighting. My stomach lurched.

“Stop!” Luca shouted, his voice breaking.

“Then drop your guns,” Marco snapped. “All of them.”

“No!” I cried.

Luca’s eyes locked on mine, pain cutting deep. “Sofia—”

“Do it,” Marco ordered again. “Or she goes over.”

Alessandro’s jaw clenched. He lowered his gun slightly, calculating. Diego cursed under his breath. Luca shook his head violently.

“You’ll kill her either way,” Luca said.

“Not if you cooperate,” Marco lied smoothly.

“Don’t believe him!” I screamed.

Rafael’s voice cut through the smoke from below. “Drop him, Moretti! Shoot him now, before he escapes!”

Marco laughed. “See? Even he knows you can’t save her.”

The balcony cracked as bullets slammed into the stone. One stray shot ricocheted past my face. I screamed, Marco almost losing his grip as the railing groaned.

For one split second, Luca had a shot. His gun lifted. His finger twitched.

“Don’t!” I sobbed.

Marco twisted, dragging me down over the edge. My feet slipped, nothing beneath me but air.

Luca lunged forward, hand outstretched. “SOFIA!”

Time slowed.

Marco’s grip faltered.

And then—another explosion ripped the courtyard. The balcony buckled.

The floor gave way beneath us.

I fell.

My scream split the night as I plummeted toward the chaos below.

When I hit the ground, pain shot through me, the world exploding into noise and light. My ears rang, lungs gasping.

Strong arms caught me at the last second, breaking the fall. I blinked through smoke, heart pounding.

Luca.

He cradled me, his chest heaving, blood streaking his face. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you!”

I clung to him, trembling, choking. “Don’t let go!”

“Never,” he swore.

But the courtyard was hell. Bullets rained, soldiers shouting, fire licking at the walls. Diego fought close, pulling us toward cover, blasting any guard that came near. Alessandro moved like a shadow, his aim never missing, calling orders that cut through the chaos.

And across the flames—Rafael.

His eyes locked on me. His smile sharpened. He raised his gun.

“NO!” Luca shouted, twisting to shield me—

The shot rang out.

But it wasn’t Rafael’s bullet that landed.

It was Marco’s.

He’d survived the balcony fall, crawling from the rubble, gun shaking but steady. His shot slammed into Luca’s side.

Luca staggered, a raw cry ripping from him as blood spread across his shirt.

“LUCA!” I screamed, clutching him as he dropped to his knees, still holding me tight.

Diego roared, spinning, firing at Marco. The bullet hit his shoulder, sending him crashing back.

Alessandro grabbed Luca, dragging us toward the shadows. “Move!”

Rafael’s voice thundered. “Don’t let them escape! Bring me the girl!”

Soldiers closed in. Bullets flew. Smoke choked the air.

Luca’s blood ran hot against me. His grip trembled but didn’t let go. His eyes locked on mine, desperate, breaking. “Sofia… don’t… let me—”

“Stay with me!” I sobbed. “Stay awake!”

Alessandro shouted again, his voice hard. “Diego—cover fire! We need an exit!”

Diego fired wild, his roar echoing. “Move, move!”

The brothers dragged us through the chaos, every step carved in blood, the enemy pressing closer.

Rafael’s soldiers swarmed. Marco struggled back to his feet, blood soaking him, his eyes still locked on me with twisted hunger.

And in the madness, the walls of the estate cracked, flames crawling higher, threatening to swallow everything.

We stumbled into a side hall, collapsing against the wall. Luca slumped, coughing, his hand pressed to the wound. Blood poured between his fingers.

“No,” I whispered, panic tearing through me. “Don’t you dare—”

His eyes locked on mine, glassy but fierce. “I told you… never letting go.”

Then his head dropped forward, his body going limp in my arms.

“LUCA!” I screamed, my voice breaking against the roar of the battle.

The world spun around me—gunfire, fire, Rafael’s laughter echoing through the estate.

And I was left clutching Luca’s bleeding body, surrounded, with no way out.