Chapter 10: The Last Night

Elena Vitiello POV

Tomorrow.

After three years of waiting, surviving, and pretending, tomorrow was finally here.

The realization should have filled me with excitement.

Instead, it felt strangely quiet.

Like standing in the eye of a hurricane.

Everything was calm.

But I knew destruction was coming.

I spent most of the morning acting normal.

That was the hardest part.

Not packing.

Not lying.

Not hiding.

Pretending.

Pretending this wasn't my final day as Elena Moretti.

Pretending I wasn't counting hours.

Pretending my heart wasn't racing every time I looked at a clock.

The estate buzzed with activity around me.

Meetings.

Deliveries.

Security briefings.

The machine kept moving.

Nobody realized one of its most important pieces was about to disappear.

Around noon, I walked through the gardens.

The weather was cold.

Clouds hung low above the estate.

The fountain in the center of the courtyard sprayed silver water into the air.

I remembered standing here on my wedding day.

Twenty-two years old.

Hopelessly in love.

Certain that if I loved Dante enough, eventually he would love me back.

I almost laughed.

Young Elena had been an idiot.

A romantic.

A dreamer.

The woman standing here now was none of those things.

"You look like you're saying goodbye."

I froze.

Dante.

He stood several feet away with his hands in his pockets.

Watching me.

Again.

"Maybe I am," I said.

"To the flowers?"

"To the illusion."

"What illusion?"

"That this place was ever home."

Something flickered in his eyes.

Pain.

Confusion.

Maybe both.

"You've been saying things like that a lot lately."

"Maybe I'm finally being honest."

The wind shifted.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Dante stepped closer.

"Did I do something?"

The question nearly broke me.

Not because of what he asked.

Because he still didn't know.

Three years.

Three years and he still didn't know.

"You should really stop asking that question."

"Why?"

"Because one day you're going to hear the answer."

"Then tell me."

"No."

His jaw tightened.

"Why not?"

"Because it won't matter until you figure it out yourself."

I turned and walked away.

For once, he didn't follow.

That evening, the final pieces fell into place.

My suitcase was hidden.

My documents were ready.

My flight left tomorrow night.

Everything was prepared.

Everything except my heart.

At dinner, Dante barely touched his food.

I noticed.

So did everyone else.

The Underboss was distracted.

That alone was enough to terrify half the table.

Sofia spent most of the evening talking.

Nobody listened.

Not even Dante.

"Did you hear what I said?" she asked eventually.

"What?"

The irritation in his voice stunned everyone.

Including her.

"I asked if you're coming with me tomorrow."

"Where?"

"The charity event."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to."

The answer was blunt.

Cold.

Final.

Sofia stared at him.

I stared at him too.

This wasn't normal.

Nothing lately was normal.

Dinner ended shortly after.

By midnight, the estate had gone quiet.

I stood in the master bedroom.

One final night.

One final lie.

One final performance.

The door opened.

Dante walked in.

He loosened his tie and stopped when he saw me standing beside the window.

"Can't sleep?"

"Not really."

"Neither can I."

I nodded.

Silence settled between us.

Heavy.

Awkward.

Different.

"Elena."

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember our wedding?"

The question caught me completely off guard.

"Yes."

"You looked happy."

I laughed softly.

"I was happy."

"Why?"

There it was again.

The confusion.

The inability to understand something so obvious.

"Because I loved you."

His eyes locked onto mine.

Neither of us looked away.

"Past tense," he said quietly.

Not a question.

An observation.

I didn't answer.

Because some truths were too dangerous to say aloud.

Especially now.

Especially tonight.

Dante looked away first.

"Goodnight, Elena."

"Goodnight, Dante."

He climbed into bed.

I waited until his breathing deepened.

Until the room fell silent.

Then I looked at him one final time.

The man I had loved for almost half my life.

The man who never noticed.

The man who would destroy cities to find me once I was gone.

He just didn't know it yet.

"You signed the papers," I whispered into the darkness.

"And tomorrow, I'm finally going to make you live with it."

Outside, rain began to fall.

Inside, Dante Moretti slept peacefully.

And less than twenty-four hours remained before his entire world disappeared.