Page 45 of Wrong Pawn. Right Capo.

Now that the construction of my estate is completed, we can continue to meet and run our operations here while I reach out to my father’s business partners and rebuild his old alliances and legal fronts.

He nods, but I don’t miss the flicker of surprise in his eyes. “She’s with Enzo. He’s responding to the in-house treatment.”

Before he says anything, I beat him to it.

“Leave.” I wave him out, and he obliges without hesitation. When the door shuts, my mind begins to spin.

We’ll have just a short window to kidnap Valente. I know he’s going to be heavily guarded. But they don’t call me the silent precursor for nothing.

Adrenaline surges through my veins, and I take another gulp of the whiskey to calm myself. I’ve suppressed the chaos in me for too long.

It’s time to unleash hell.

Chapter fifteen

Elena

Enzo’s hands are old and frail in mine.

I never envisioned it would get this bad, but after what the doctor called a hypovolemic shock from the massive bleeding in his foot and a ruptured axillary artery in his shoulder, he had to be moved here to the Intensive Care Unit until further notice.

I struggle to keep the tears from slipping down my cheeks.

Just two days ago, his vitals were stable, and today he’s hooked up to all these machines in the ICU.

“I may be an old man, but I’m not dying anytime soon.” Those were the words he told me back at the mansion when he could still speak clearly. I’d shot him a murderous glance at the mere mention of death.

“You don’t deserve all of this,” I sniffle, tears dropping to the bouquet of flowers in my hands. Even when he was under Father’s tight grasp, Enzo still showed me and Bella as much care as he could. Particularly me, since I was the one Father kept involved because of, according to him, my “useful beauty.” He gave me tips on how to survive in this ruthless mafia world… how to deal with being a puppet in it.

He might carry the guilt of not being able to protect his daughter, but I know he was a good father. And I’m sure if his wife and daughter were here, they’d be proud of how much care he’s shown my sister and I.

My sobs become a full-blown breakdown. “And this is what you get...”

He smiles weakly and tries to speak, but no sound comes out. My heart clenches at his broken expression.

One of the guards assigned to watch his room comes in with the nurse.

“Ma’am, I have to administer his medication now,” she says, setting down a tray of IV bags.

“I’ll be back,” I say, lifting his hand to my lips.

Taking one last look, I can see the pain etched into his pale, clammy skin. Unable to bear it, I turn away, hurrying out of the room as quickly as possible.

I swear I’ll never forgive him. Never.

***

Adriano Bellandini.

I’ve always known him as Adrian Cole; thinking of his real name makes me feel like I’m thinking of a complete stranger. After all, he was nothing like the man I thought I knew.

Since my father’s death, I’d told myself I was never going to be invested in a man. I turned to my business instead, pouring my life into making it rise above mediocrity. But the first time I met him, the entire defense I had built around my heart unraveled, and I let him have me.

A tear slips down my cheek.

The same man looked into my eyes and ruthlessly shot the man who had been a father figure to me since my bastard father died. He even threatened to kill me.

I can never forget running to the living room that day and seeing a pile of dead bodies neatly stacked on top of one another. He might as well be a psychopath.