Chapter 27

POV: Enzo

The tension in the room was suffocating. Tony paced near the table, his hands running through his hair as if trying to shake off the weight of suspicion. Vince leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed, his glare unrelenting. Isabella sat beside me, her eyes darting between them, worry etched across her face.

The map lay open in front of us, its faded markings hinting at more secrets than we could unravel. The silence broke as Tony slammed his fist on the table.

"We're wasting time," he growled. "We know the Morettis' hideout now. Let's move before they have a chance to regroup."

"And walk right into another trap?" Vince shot back, his voice laced with venom. "We're supposed to trust you to lead the charge? After everything?"

Tony's jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he'd snap. "I'm trying to fix this!" he spat. "But you-"

"That's enough!" I interrupted, stepping between them. "We don't have time for this. If we fall apart now, the Morettis win without even lifting a finger."

Tony glared at Vince, but he backed off, albeit reluctantly. I turned back to the map, tracing the lines and symbols with my fingers. Something about it didn't sit right.

Isabella leaned in closer, her voice soft but steady. "This symbol here," she pointed, "it's not a location. It's a cipher."

We worked together, decoding the markings. Slowly, a message began to emerge. My blood ran cold as the meaning became clear.

"It's a trap," I said, my voice low. "They're not just waiting for us. They're planning to eliminate us all the moment we step foot near the hideout."

The room fell silent as the weight of the revelation sank in. Vince's hand instinctively went to his weapon, his eyes narrowing at Tony, who avoided his gaze.

As we sat in the suffocating silence, Tony's hands trembled slightly. His usual defiance was gone, replaced by something I couldn't quite read-guilt.

"Tony," I said, my voice firm. "What aren't you telling us?"

His head snapped up, his eyes wide. "I've told you everything I know."

"No," Isabella said, her voice unexpectedly sharp. "You haven't."

Tony exhaled heavily, sinking into a chair. "You want the truth? Fine." He looked around the room, his gaze lingering on me. "The mole it's someone I trusted. Someone close to the Romanos."

Vince's hand tightened on his gun. "And you knew this whole time?"

"I didn't know who," Tony said quickly, his voice rising. "Not until recently. But yes, I was working with the Morettis."

The room exploded into chaos. Vince lunged forward, and I barely managed to hold him back.

"Let him talk!" I shouted.

Tony's voice cracked as he continued. "I didn't have a choice! They threatened my family. My wife my kids. If I didn't help them, they were as good as dead."

"You think that excuses betraying us?" Vince barked.

"No, I don't," Tony said, his voice breaking. "But I never wanted this. I tried to protect all of you while keeping my family safe. I swear."

Isabella's face was pale, her expression torn. She looked at me, then back at Tony. "If that's true, then why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"I thought I could fix it," Tony admitted. "I thought I could stop them before it came to this."

Isabella turned to me, her eyes filled with desperation. "What do we do now, Enzo?" she asked, forcing me to choose between trusting Tony or standing with Vince.

The forest surrounding the Morettis' hideout was eerily quiet as we approached. The tension between us was palpable. Vince kept his distance from Tony, his hand never straying far from his weapon. Isabella walked beside me, her shoulders tense.

Tony led the way, his movements purposeful but hesitant. Something about him felt off, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

As we neared the clearing, Tony stopped abruptly. He turned to face us, his expression unreadable.

"Stay close," he said, his voice clipped.

It happened so fast that none of us saw it coming. The first explosion shook the ground beneath our feet, sending us sprawling. The second came moments later, cutting us off from each other.

"Enzo!" Isabella's voice was frantic as she scrambled toward me.

I pulled her behind a tree just as gunfire erupted around us. Vince was shouting, but his words were lost in the chaos. I caught sight of him clutching his side, blood seeping through his fingers.

"Tony!" I yelled, scanning the area.

But Tony was gone.

"He set us up," Isabella whispered, her voice trembling.

Before I could respond, figures emerged from the shadows, their guns trained on us. We were outnumbered and outgunned, and there was nowhere to run.

As the assassins closed in, Isabella's hand tightened around mine. "What now?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. I looked into her eyes, knowing this might be the end.