Chapter 31: The Assassination Attempt
The moment had finally arrived.
Isla had waited years for this—trained for this.
Antonio DeLuca, the man who had slaughtered her father, was within her reach.
She stood in the shadows of the grand DeLuca estate, dressed in black, her heart pounding as she gripped the knife strapped to her thigh.
This was her chance.
Do it, Isla. End this.
---
A Deadly Opportunity
Antonio was in his private study, just as she had predicted. The guards stationed outside the door were temporarily gone, likely on their scheduled rounds.
Isla moved swiftly, slipping inside before anyone could notice.
The room smelled of cigars and expensive whiskey. Antonio sat at his massive oak desk, flipping through files, completely unaware of her presence.
Her fingers tightened around the dagger's handle.
She had to strike now.
Isla took a step forward, her breath steady—
But before she could move, a deep voice filled the room.
"I was wondering when you'd finally come for me, Romano."
Her blood ran cold.
Antonio didn't look up, but the smirk on his lips told her everything.
He knew.
He had always known.
Before she could react, the doors burst open.
---
Interruption and Chaos
Dante stormed in, his gun raised, his eyes locked on her with pure betrayal.
"Isla," he breathed, his voice dark and full of unspoken rage.
Her heart clenched.
This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to be here.
But he was.
And now, she was trapped between the man she had sworn to kill—and the man she could no longer deny she loved.
Antonio leaned back in his chair, chuckling. "What a beautiful mess you've made, son."
Dante's jaw tightened. "Shut up."
His gun was still aimed at Isla. Not at Antonio.
She felt her stomach twist.
He wasn't going to kill her.
But he wasn't going to let her kill his father either.
"Move, Dante," she said, her voice steady, even as her hands trembled.
He took a step closer instead. "You're not killing him."
She clenched her teeth. "He murdered my father."
Dante didn't flinch. "And what do you think happens after you kill mine? You think you'll walk away? That I'll let you go?"
His voice was low, full of quiet warning.
He wouldn't let her go.
Even now, even after everything, Dante still wanted her.
She could see it in his eyes—the same hunger, the same obsession.
But it didn't matter.
Nothing mattered except Antonio's death.
Her grip on the dagger tightened. "I don't care what happens to me. I came here for one thing."
Dante exhaled harshly. "And I came here for you."
Her breath caught.
Antonio laughed again, shaking his head. "How poetic."
Then, before she could blink, he moved.
A gun appeared in Antonio's hand, aimed directly at her heart.
And everything happened at once.
Dante lunged forward—
A gunshot rang out—
And Isla felt the world shatter.
---
A Choice That Changed Everything
Pain exploded in her side, sharp and burning. Isla stumbled backward, gripping her waist.
Blood.
Dante turned, his expression dark and lethal, and without hesitation, he fired.
Antonio's body jerked as the bullet ripped through his shoulder, hitting his right hand man sending him crashing back against the desk.
The old man groaned, his hand clutching his wound. "You—" and he ran
But Dante didn't care.
He turned back to Isla, catching her before she collapsed.
His hands pressed against her wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Stay with me," he ordered, his voice raw.
She coughed, pain lacing through every inch of her body. "You… stopped me."
Dante's jaw clenched. "I saved you."
Her vision blurred.
He had saved her.
Not his father.
Her.
The realization hit her harder than the bullet wound.
Dante loved her.
And now, she didn't know if she could still kill Antonio—because doing so would mean losing Dante forever.