The room was shrouded in an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of labored breathing and the occasional drip of water.
Dimly lit by a single, swinging bulb, the space exuded an atmosphere of desperation and impending doom.
Nicolas' eyes were filled with fury, anger, and determination as he stood before the captured man.
"Who sent you?" Nicolas bellowed, his voice laced with an unforgiving edge.
The man before him was beaten and bloodied as he struggled against his restraints, defiance etched on his face.
It had been a grueling week for Nicolas, a relentless pursuit to uncover the truth behind the attack that threatened Bruno's empire and our lives two weeks ago.
The captive's eyes darted from Nicolas to me as I was there to watch and see firsthand what Bruno did to people who cross him.
There was a flicker of hesitation and fear momentarily clouding his gaze. He knew the consequences of his silence, the pain that awaited him.
Yet, the loyalty to his gang, and his unyielding dedication to their code, he refused to talk or say even when death laughed in his face.
Nicolas, unrelenting in his pursuit, approached the man and asked again.
"I am asking you again. Who sent you?" He circled the man as a predator did to his prey.
His mere presence cast a shadow of intimidation. But still could not break the man to start talking.
"I've endured far worse than anything you can throw at me," the man spat, a defiant glimmer in his eyes. "I will not betray my boss, and I'm not going to say anything to you! Do your best, asshole."
Nicolas's face changed, his patience is wearing thin. He had faced adversaries far more ruthless than this man, yet the resilience displayed before him tested even his formidable resolve.
"You think you can resist?" Nicolas sneered, his voice dripping with anger. "I've seen men break under less pressure. Do you think you can go on with this? Guess what? You cannot. Your end is near, sooner than you expect it."
With those words, Nicolas unleashed a relentless torrent of punishment, a physical and psychological onslaught designed to break man's spirit. Blow after blow rained down upon him, each strike calculated to elicit pain and weaken his resolve.
I watched the scenario, mortified, wishing for Luca to be here to hold my hand.
The room echoed with the sound of agony and desperate pleas for mercy, blending with the stench of sweat and fear.
Nicolas's determination never wavered as he pushed the boundaries of endurance, his own fury mirroring the man's defiance.
Yet, the man refused to say anything. Just as the man's spirit seemed unbreakable, the heavy wooden doors swung open, revealing Bruno's commanding presence.
He strode into the room with an air of authority, his mere presence suffusing the space with an aura of power. I didn't know how he did it, but it was awkwardly admired by me.
The man's eyes widened as fear gripped him, but still, he looked determined never to spill a word to Bruno.
He locked a formidable gaze with Bruno, something he should have never done. You shouldn't show how confident you were to Bruno because he would use it as your weakness to break and rip you apart.
Bruno gave a little laugh, and then that man's eyes held a glint of fear in him.
"Enough," Bruno's voice boomed, cutting through the room like a thunderclap. "Your loyalty to your gang is admirable, but loyalty has its limits, and so does my patience."
At that moment, he unveiled his phone for the man to see.
It was a video that showed his wife and daughter, blissfully unaware of the danger that loomed over them.
They were being watched by Bruno's men ready to shoot them at his command. I felt extremely bad for his family members.
The man's eyes filled up with tears, and his breath caught in his throat as he watched his loved ones, oblivious to the imminent danger. Fear etched deep lines into his face, as he was broken and feared for the life of his lovely family.
"These people's names you want to protect with your life, they have no regard for the sanctity of your family," Bruno spoke with calmness.
"They sent you to strike at me—to disrupt my empire. I'm only going to say it once. The choice is yours. Give me their names and perhaps your wife and daughter may live to see another day or you watch them die right in front of you."
Tears welled up in the man's eyes as he spoke, "Los Sombrosos," he choked out, "The gang that sent me is called Los Sombrosos."
The revelation sent shockwaves through the room, its impact reverberating with a chilling finality.
Los Sombrosos, one of the most feared and elusive gangs in all of Texas, had declared war against Bruno's empire, but it wasn't anything he could not handle. The Los Sombrosos will burn to the ground, and that was a promise.
The captured man fell to his knees, his body racked with sobs as he begged for mercy, pleading for the lives of his wife and daughter.
But his pleas fell to deaf ears, drowned by the currents of retribution that surged through Bruno's veins.
He issued a single command, the man's fate was sealed, and with it, the lives of his innocent family.
A heavy silence settled upon the room, broken only by the sound of Bruno's footsteps as he turned to leave, his face cold as it could ever be.
As I watched this chilling display unfold before me, I couldn't help but question the path I had chosen.
The darkness that enveloped Bruno's world was consuming, sparing no one in its wake.
At that moment, the weight of my own secrets bore down upon me, for I know that my allegiance was divided and I feared that one day, the love I had for Luca would be found out. I needed to act first before it was too late.
Thus, as the world around me prepare for the impending storm, I resolved to gather my courage, navigate the treacherous labyrinth of Bruno's empire, and find a way to safeguard the love I held so dear, to forge a path that led to a future free from the clutches of darkness, where Luca and I can be united without the constant threat.I remembered Luca's words, "I'm going to make you mine and mine alone.”
I froze.
Chapter 5: Whispers of LoveThe words from Luca echoed in my mind, "I'm going to make you mine and mine alone.” That's what he said, and each day I kept faith and hoped that I would wake up every morning to see him by my side.His unwavering devotion filled my heart with warmth, even amid the darkness that surrounded us. I yearned for a future where we could be together, free from the chains that bound us to this ruthless world. But for now, we have to keep it quieter, we didn't want Bruno to find out. Luca, a man of compassion and healing, was a beacon of light in my life. As a doctor, he dedicated himself to alleviating the suffering of others, a stark contrast to the world of darkness and violence I was immersed in. He brought a sense of peace and hope into my existence, reminding me that there was more to life than the twisted machinations of power. I liked feeling his eyes on me when I looked away. He was such a lovable person.One of Luca's passions was photography. He had
Chapter 6: Shadows of Deception"Don't hate the sinner, but the sin."My dad was not a good man, but he tried to instill in me some life lessons and how to live life. There was a verse he always read out to me, "Do unto others what you want them to do unto you," That was life's golden rule, apparently.I have tried to live by that rule. Now, I guess things have gotten out of hand.My guilt of being in a relationship with Luca while I'm betrothed to Bruno was going to come against me. That fear was eating me up.However, things had been going quite well, not until something unfolded, casting shadows over the empire that took Bruno lots of sacrifices to build. I found myself here even though I never wanted to be here. I craved a life of my own choice, but thanks to my father, I was stuck in this web of deception that threatened to unravel everything. Bruno's warehouse was attacked, and many of his workers were killed. His drugs worth over $50k were burnt—an assault orchestrated by Los
Chapter 7: Unveiling My Hidden Skills"A new day starts with darkness. We should learn to start new beginnings using our darkest side. Nothing ever goes as planned in this accursed world. Learn to make things go your way. The weak don't survive here." I think my dad should have been a psychology professor or something like that. Every morning before I started my day, I always remembered one of the quotes he always said to me. Well, life has its way of dealing with me. That was why I was so tired right now to leave my room. In the aftermath of the turmoil that had consumed our lives, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery, uncovering hidden talents that would transform me into a formidable force. The deal I agreed with Nicolas still rang in my head every day. It echoed the thoughts of betrayal to me, but I refused to be a mere pawn in this dangerous game.I delved deeper into the dark underbelly of Bruno's empire, determined to unearth my own potential. I sought guidance from seas
Chapter 8: The Mole Within"Come on, Picco, don't feel sad when you fail or see yourself as weak. You just have to keep looking ahead and question yourself. Then you'll get to know your true purpose. The power in you is greater than what you think. You're born to conquer this world, not to be a pawn in it.”Now, I understand better why my dad always said that to me. The revelation of my hidden skills brought about a transformation within Bruno's empire, but it also cast a spotlight on the treacherous path we were in. The power I now wield had not gone unnoticed, and the hunt for the traitor within our ranks intensified. Nicolas and I had a deal—he doesn't kill me and I help him bring Bruno down. It was a deal I was reluctant to keep because I still needed Bruno by my side for now. As days went on, suspicion grew like a poisonous vine, intertwining with every interaction, and the once solid bonds of trust became fragile threads threatening to unravel at any moment.The unveiling of
Chapter 9: Confronting Truth "You're the only one who can sincerely question or judge yourself." Being in constant denial of the truth has always been the story of my life since I started to stay with Bruno. The thoughts of betraying him left a lingering sense of unease within me. I keep being anxious and worried that one day he will find out what I have been up to and how I always go to see Luca every day."Are you alright?" Luca asked looking at me straight in the eyes. Luca is one person that always reads me and somehow knows what I need at the moment or maybe he can sense something is wrong. Even though he doesn't know the right word to say, he always does something to make me feel a bit better."I don't know, I feel dizzy," I replied"Are you feeling low blood pressure? Do you want to get some food and water?" he asked, extremely worried.As I looked at him, I saw how adorable and lovely he was. I couldn't stress him more by saying no."Of course, please get me something. I'm s
Chapter 10: Luca's Dark Secret"I wonder if we can run away from our past or if it keeps coming back to haunt us. Trying to demise everything we've done to forget it. Yeah, I guess I will find out."As I looked at Luca, I could hear my heart pounding so loudly. It was as if I had a gun pointed at me and I was made to watch my Dad being killed right in front of me. This feeling was the worst I ever had in a while.It was a feeling I dreaded for weeks now. Ever since I first found out his secret. I have tried to forget about it, to pretend that it didn't exist. But it was always there, in the back of my mind, a dark cloud that threatened to rain on our happiness."Luca," I said, my voice trembling. "I need to know the truth. I need to hear it from you, so tell me. Is it true?"He sighed and looked down at his hands. "I know," he said. "I should have told you from the beginning."He took a deep breath and began to tell me his story. He told me about his childhood, about growing up in th
Chapter 11: Bruno's DescentThe mounting pressure was starting to get to Bruno. The war with Los Sombrosos was taking its toll, and he was starting to feel the strain. He was becoming more and more paranoid, and his temper was getting shorter and shorter.I could feel the tension in the air. It was like a thick, heavy blanket that was suffocating me. I could see it in Bruno's eyes, the way they were darting around, never settling on anything for too long. I could hear it in his voice, the way it was always raised, always on edge.Things are getting tense and something was about to happen. I just didn't know what it was.Bruno has been acting strange for weeks now. He was always on edge, always suspicious. He was quick to anger, and he seemed to be constantly looking over his shoulder.I tried to talk to him about it, but he would just brush me off. He said that he was just stressed out, that the war with Los Sombrosos was becoming what he never expected.I felt it was more than that.
Chapter 12: A Desperate EscapeI couldn't believe I was finally safe. I have been running from Bruno with Luca. He was the only person who could protect me, and I was so grateful to have him in my life.We are staying in a small apartment in Dallas, and we were both trying to rebuild our lives. It is hard, but we are doing it together. We are both determined to create a new life for ourselves, away from Bruno.One night, we were sitting in the living room when we heard a knock at the door. I froze. Immediately the thought of Bruno came to my mind. I have become very paranoid, has he found us? I was so stressed out..."Be careful, love," I said.Luca went to answer the door, and I held my breath. I could hear him talking to someone, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. Then, I heard him say my name."Isabella," he called. "It's okay. It's just me."I let out a sigh of relief and went to the door. Luca was standing there, and he smiled when he saw me."Are you okay?" he asked.I