Chapter 108: Chapter One Hundred and Eight

Chiara

“Hi, bitch.” These words froze me in place.

I turned slowly and found Valentino leaning against a huge rock, a cigarette in hand. She puffed out smoke, dropped it on the floor, and stepped on it.

Had Havizan trapped me? Or was it pure coincidence that she was here? I didn’t know, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

“Did I ruin your little escape plans?” she asked, a cruel smile on her lips.

My fingers curled into fists. They were bleeding, my knees were scraped raw, and my entire body ached from crawling through that damn vent.

But I stood my ground. I wasn’t going to let her see it.

“Continue with your smoke. Act like you didn’t see me.” I brushed her off with my hands.

“I would love to…” She slipped both her hands into her pockets. “But I easily hold a grudge.”

“What?” I have never even known her personally before all this. “Is this about Alessia again?”

“Not really… I had a date fixed, but… it got cancelled because of your stupid stunt.” She kissed her teeth.

What business do I have with that? There was no time. I needed to leave this place so I could go find my brother. I dug my foot into the soft sand beneath my feet.

“I think you smoked the wrong weed.”

“We will see about that…”

I swung my feet, scattering the sand into her eyes.

Then I lunged. I barely reached her before her fist slammed into my jaw, sending me stumbling sideways. I caught myself against the wall and swung back. My fist connected with her cheek.

She staggered.

She chuckled. “Finally!” she muttered. “I get to let out some steam…”

Then she grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall. Pain exploded through my skull.

“This is for messing with Luca Industries.”

She slammed my head again.

I kicked her knee, forcing her to release me, then drove my elbow into her stomach. She grunted. I turned to run. She caught my ankle.

I hit the ground hard.

Before I could crawl away, her boot crashed into my ribs. I curled into myself, protecting my stomach.

“You wanted the head of the Table?” she sneered. “Look at you. You can’t even protect yourself.”

I spat blood onto the floor.

“You should have stayed in that vent…”

I laughed weakly.

“Go to hell!”

Her fist connected with my stomach. Air ceased from my lungs. I tried to fight back, but my body wouldn’t cooperate anymore.

I had nothing left.

The sound of footsteps thundered down the corridor.

The guards appeared first. Four of them, holding guns, then Muiz, followed by Ethan. Havizan was nowhere to be found.

“Trying to run away from your punishment?” Ethan pointed at me.

“I warned you, didn’t I?” Muiz said.

I coughed. “All of you ganged up against me… Did Alessia put you up to this?”

“Pathetic!” Valentino released me.

“Chiara Vincenzo, under the law of the Table Horrixo, you broke the rule the second time. You shall hereby lose a body part!” Ethan voiced out.

Two men stepped forward and grabbed my arms, dragging me upright.

“No! No… no.” I struggled.

One of them twisted my arm behind my back.

“Let me go!”

My heart pounded. The axe appeared in one of the guards’ hands.

“No…”

They forced me down, then pulled one of my legs forward. I kicked desperately. I screamed and thrashed, my head butting the guard on the left. I was weak, but I got a surge of strength.

“Hold her!”

A third man joined to hold me down. I looked at the blade that was lifted above me.

I couldn’t lose a leg or any body part.

“Wait!” I screamed and shut my eyes, bracing for the impact.

The axe came down.

A sickening boom exploded in the air. All the birds in the trees flew away. Something warm splashed all over my face.

I touched it.

Blood.

The axe the man had been holding dropped to the floor. His body followed seconds later beside me.

Nobody moved at first.

Until the second BANG exploded.

The man on my left side dropped, followed by the one on the right.

“What the—” Muiz didn’t get to finish before bullets erupted through the sky.

Valentino grabbed the gun from one of the dead men and opened fire back, retreating. I remained on the floor, too stunned to move.

One by one, more bodies fell.

Ethan’s body followed.

Muiz got shot in the hand.

I realized Valentino was nowhere to be found.

Then the shooting stopped.

It went silent. Even my breathing was loud.

Seeing no bullets had touched me, I tried to get up, then I heard heavy footsteps approaching.

I lifted my head and saw my mother walking forward. Her white suit was immaculate, her gun still smoking in her hand. Men I couldn’t count trailed behind her.

I blinked several times. I was trying to be certain I wasn’t seeing things.

My mother had come for me?

The woman who only cared about Zach and had looked at me countless times as though I were nothing more than a disappointment.

My throat tightened.

“Mother…”

Her eyes moved over my battered body. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t read her expression. She walked toward me. I expected anger, even another slap.

Instead, she extended her hand.

“Get up.”

I stared at it.

My vision blurred.

“K-Kendra…” Muiz called out weakly. Blood pooled around where he lay.

Mother looked at him.

“I gave you a chance, Muiz. You chose wrongly. And you dared try to kill my daughter. Your niece!”

My heart stopped.

She had called me her daughter.

For once, I didn’t know whether I wanted to cry or believe her.

“Are… you going to kill me like Keisha? Devil who hunts her family. You are the worst thing that has ever happened to the Capone family. You and your offspring should all die!”

Mother stiffened. I felt that his words hurt her.

But speaking of offspring, my mind slipped back to Cameron.

“Mother… Cameron is in trouble…”

Her head turned to me.

“Sebastian has him…” I said weakly.

“Fuck!” she cursed.

“Lock him up,” she pointed at Muiz. “Find Cameron now!”

One of them lifted me off the floor. I was too exhausted to fight. My mother was here.

For the first time, I didn’t want to fight her.

It wasn’t about Zach.

It was for me.

Just as the cars came into view, Zach hurried forward, phone in his hand. His face was grim.

“What is it?” Mother asked.

“It’s Cameron, he…” He paused, his eyes shifted to me.

My blood ran cold.

I removed myself from the guards’ hands. The beating, almost losing a body part, didn’t scare me like that stare did.

Mother took the phone from him. Her face turned ashen.

“He what?”

I grabbed and shook him. Zach didn’t speak. It was unlike him.

“Fucking say something, please!” I begged.

“He was in an accident…”

“Which hospital is he at?”

His eyes finally met mine.

“Chiara… they said there was no way he could have survived.”

Everywhere went black.