Chapter 28

POV: Enzo

The cold air sliced through the trees as we crouched, our bodies tense with anticipation. The assassins were closing in, their footsteps growing louder with each passing second. Isabella's grip tightened around her weapon, her eyes locked onto the shadows ahead.

I could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on us, the knowledge that Tony had betrayed us now a bitter, suffocating truth. The explosions had scattered us, and now we were cornered.

"Stay low," I muttered to Isabella, my voice barely a whisper.

She nodded, her jaw set in determination. We had no choice but to fight.

The first man appeared out of the shadows, and without hesitation, I took him down. Isabella moved fluidly beside me, her movements precise and deadly. She didn't hesitate, didn't flinch. For a moment, it felt like old times-like we were in sync, as if nothing had changed. But the betrayal hung heavily between us.

We fought like animals, driven by the need to survive. Each shot rang out, each blow we landed felt like it might be our last. Isabella took down another assassin, her eyes sharp, her movements efficient. I couldn't help but admire her, even as the fight raged on.

Then, just as I was about to strike the final blow, one of the attackers lunged at me, his knife aimed straight for my throat. I barely had time to react. My instincts kicked in, but I was too slow. The blade scraped across my cheek, a sharp pain exploding in my head.

Before I could do anything else, Isabella was there, her hand grabbing the assassin's arm and twisting it with a precision I hadn't expected. The blade clattered to the ground as she slammed him into the dirt.

"Not today," she muttered, her voice steady but full of intensity.

I blinked, stunned by how quickly she had saved me. A rush of gratitude flooded through me, followed by a deep sense of regret. All this time, I had questioned her loyalty, when it was never in doubt. She had proven herself-again.

"Thanks," I rasped, my voice hoarse.

Her lips tightened into a thin line, but there was a flicker of something-maybe forgiveness-in her gaze. "We're not out of this yet," she replied, her tone all business.

We both paused, breathing heavily, our hearts still racing.

Then we heard it-a faint sound, almost drowned out by the battle. A faint echo of something that shouldn't be here.

A hidden passage.

As we carefully approached the hidden entrance, the realization hit us-we were about to walk straight into the Morettis' lair. But this was our only chance.

Vince's grunting breath reached my ears first, followed by the sound of footsteps-slow, deliberate, but still coming toward us. He was stumbling, injured but determined.

"Vince, what the hell are you doing here?" I demanded, my voice sharp.

He collapsed against a nearby tree, clutching his side where blood seeped through his fingers. "You think I'm just going to let Tony get away with this?" His voice was thick with pain, but there was a fire in his eyes that I couldn't ignore.

"Vince, you're hurt-"

"I don't care," he interrupted, his voice low but resolute. "I'll take him down. I'll take all of them down. The Morettis, Tony-no one gets away with this."

I could see the pain in his eyes, but it wasn't just physical. There was betrayal there too, a bitterness that ran deeper than his wounds. And that bitterness was fueling him.

"We need you to be ready for what's coming next," I said, my voice softer now. "You can't push yourself too hard."

"I don't need your pity, Enzo," he snapped, shaking his head. "What I need is to make this right."

I didn't have time to argue with him, but the look on his face made it clear that he wasn't going to stop. He wasn't going to let this go.

But as he tried to push off the tree, his face twisted in pain, and he crumpled to the ground.

"Vince!" Isabella shouted, rushing to his side.

He tried to wave her off, but his body betrayed him. Blood soaked through his shirt, and it was clear that he had pushed himself past the point of no return.

"We don't have time to waste," Vince gritted out through clenched teeth. But as he spoke, his eyes fluttered shut, and his body went limp in Isabella's arms.

The hidden passage led us deep into the earth, and the air grew thick with dust and stale air. It was claustrophobic, the walls closing in around us with every step we took.

We couldn't stop now. The Morettis were only a few feet away.

We found our way into a small, dimly lit room. The walls were lined with crates, and the floor was covered in broken glass and discarded papers. It was a makeshift storage room-nothing glamorous, but it served its purpose.

But it wasn't the mess that caught my attention. It was what we found on a nearby table.

Documents. Photos. A ledger.

I sifted through the papers quickly, my heart sinking with every word I read. The Morettis were not only planning an assault on the Romanos' territory, but they were preparing for something much bigger. They had infiltrated deeper into our ranks than I had ever imagined.

Then, I spotted something else-a file with a name I never thought I'd see again.

Tony.

My mind raced as I flipped open the folder. There, in black and white, were details of his movements. His communications. His connections.

He'd been working with the Morettis for far longer than he'd let on.

But the biggest shock came as I turned the page.

The Morettis had an even darker plan-one that involved taking out me, Enzo Romano, once and for all.

Before I could process it, Isabella's voice broke through the silence.

"Enzo, there's someone here," she whispered urgently.

I turned, just as a figure stepped out of the shadows, hands raised in surrender.

"You don't have to kill me," the man said, his voice shaky. "I can help you."

My hand tightened on my weapon as I studied him. Was he telling the truth? Or was this another trick?