Chapter 37: Don't Trust Dante

Elena Vitiello POV

"Don't trust Dante."

The words seemed to suck all the oxygen from the room.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

Even the gunfire outside suddenly felt distant.

My eyes remained locked on the handwritten note.

Three simple words.

Three devastating words.

"What is this?" I whispered.

Dante looked genuinely confused.

"I don't know."

"That's convenient."

The words escaped before I could stop them.

Pain flashed across his face.

Real pain.

But after everything that had happened...

How could I know what was true anymore?

"Elena," my mother said quietly.

"Look at me."

I did.

"Lorenzo wanted this."

"Wanted what?"

"Doubt."

"Confusion."

"Fear."

"He's been doing it for twenty years."

"Don't let him do it now."

I looked back toward the note.

"But what if it's true?"

"It's not."

The answer came from Dante.

Immediate.

Certain.

"Then explain it."

"I can't."

"Exactly."

"Because I didn't write it."

"That doesn't mean it's false."

"No."

"It doesn't."

Silence.

Heavy silence.

Then Marco suddenly spoke.

"Actually, it does."

Everyone turned toward him.

"What?"

"The handwriting."

"What about it?"

"I've seen it before."

The room froze.

"Where?" Dante asked.

"Lorenzo's personal journals."

"Same handwriting."

"Same pen pressure."

"Same slant."

"Same style."

Hope flickered inside me.

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"The old creep wrote it himself."

"Why?"

"Because he's a manipulative psychopath."

"Fair point," an agent muttered.

Nobody disagreed.

Then the lights flickered.

Once.

Twice.

And Lorenzo's voice returned.

"Three minutes remaining."

The countdown.

I'd almost forgotten.

"Damn it," Dante growled.

"We need another plan."

"Maybe there isn't one," an agent replied.

"There is always a plan."

"Not against someone like Lorenzo."

"Especially against someone like Lorenzo."

My mother suddenly stood.

"I know where he is."

The room froze.

"What?"

"The tunnels."

"What tunnels?"

"Beneath the property."

"There are dozens."

"Escape routes."

"Storage chambers."

"Hidden exits."

"Lorenzo loved contingency plans."

Dante immediately understood.

"He's not outside."

"No."

"He's beneath us."

"Exactly."

A horrible realization settled over everyone.

The siege.

The gunmen.

The threats.

All distractions.

Lorenzo wasn't attacking.

He was waiting.

Waiting for panic.

Waiting for mistakes.

"How do we get to him?" Marco asked.

"Through the wine cellar."

"Of course it's a wine cellar."

"He's Italian."

"Fair."

Dante grabbed a rifle.

"We're ending this."

"No."

The word came from me.

Everyone looked up.

"What?"

"I'm going too."

"Absolutely not."

"I'm done hiding."

"Elena—"

"No."

"This started because of me."

"No, it started because Lorenzo is insane."

"Close enough."

Dante opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

Because he knew.

He knew I wouldn't stay behind.

"Fine."

"That was easy."

"I'm tired of losing arguments with you."

"Good."

"It's not good."

"Feels good to me."

For a brief second...

A smile appeared.

Tiny.

Fragile.

Then reality returned.

The group moved quickly.

Downstairs.

Past broken furniture.

Past shattered glass.

Into the old cellar.

The air grew colder.

Darker.

Heavier.

Rows of ancient wine racks lined the walls.

Dust covered everything.

Except one section.

"There," my mother whispered.

A hidden door.

Barely visible.

Concealed behind wooden shelves.

"Found it."

The door opened slowly.

A narrow tunnel stretched into darkness.

"This is a terrible idea," Marco said.

"The worst," Dante agreed.

"Good."

"Why good?"

"Because Lorenzo loves good plans."

"He never expects terrible ones."

Nobody had a response to that.

The tunnel twisted downward.

Deeper.

Far beneath the estate.

The sounds of gunfire vanished completely.

Only footsteps remained.

And breathing.

And fear.

After several minutes...

The tunnel opened into a massive underground chamber.

And there he was.

Lorenzo Moretti.

Sitting alone.

Waiting.

Exactly as my mother predicted.

A single lantern illuminated the room.

His expression remained calm.

Almost amused.

"There you are," he said softly.

"I've been waiting."

Weapons immediately pointed toward him.

Federal agents.

Moretti soldiers.

Everyone.

Lorenzo didn't seem concerned.

"It's over," Dante said.

"Is it?"

"Yes."

"Interesting."

Lorenzo slowly stood.

Then looked directly at me.

"Before you kill me, Elena..."

"There's one thing you should know."

"I don't care."

"You will."

"No."

"Your father didn't die protecting your mother."

The room froze.

"Stop talking," Dante growled.

"He died protecting you."

My entire body went cold.

"What?"

"Uncle."

"Ask yourself a question."

Lorenzo ignored Dante completely.

"Why would a man sacrifice himself for a wife he believed was already safe?"

"Because he wasn't protecting her."

"He was protecting his daughter."

"A daughter hidden inside another vehicle."

The chamber became silent.

Dead silent.

"No."

"Yes."

"He's lying," Dante said immediately.

"Maybe."

Lorenzo smiled.

"Or maybe the final truth is still waiting for you."

Then suddenly...

A timer began beeping somewhere in the darkness.

Everyone froze.

"What is that?" Marco asked.

For the first time all night...

Lorenzo genuinely smiled.

"My last contingency plan."