It had been three days since the incident at the café. And ever since then...The Romano mansion had changed completely.The usual loud chaos, teasing, laughter, music, and constant movement inside the house had disappeared. The mansion now felt strangely quiet. Heavy.

Everyone was busy with their own thoughts. Elana had practically locked herself inside her room after that night. Sofia stayed unusually silent too, understanding the seriousness of the situation.

Albert remained occupied handling security matters with Donato, while Aravi and Nonna constantly tried to maintain normalcy inside the mansion despite the tension lingering everywhere.

And Donato...Donato had become colder these past three days. More alert. More dangerous. He barely smiled. Barely rested. Because if Nico truly was connected to Lucas...Then this was not a coincidence anymore.

This was planning. Careful planning. That morning, when Enzo entered the Romano mansion, he immediately sensed something was wrong. The silence itself felt unnatural.
Normally, someone would be arguing, laughing, shouting, or running around the living room.

But today...Nothing. No music. No chaos. Just tension hanging heavily in the air. Enzo frowned slightly while removing his coat. His instincts sharpened instantly.Something had happened. He looked around the empty living room carefully before pulling out his phone, ready to call Donato.

That was when he spotted Kiara descending the staircase slowly. The moment her eyes landed on him, she walked directly toward him without greeting him first. And that alone made Enzo uneasy immediately. Because Kiara always greeted him warmly.

Always smiled first. But today her face looked troubled. Confused. Upset. "You knew about Elana's boyfriend, right?" she asked directly the moment she stopped in front of him. Enzo blinked once. Caught off guard by the sudden question.

"Yes..." he answered slowly. "Why?"

Kiara's expression hardened slightly."Then how did you let her date a Lucas man?"

Everything inside Enzo froze instantly. His eyes widened sharply. For one second, he genuinely thought he had heard wrong. "What?" he asked immediately. His voice dropped low. Confused. Dangerously serious. "What are you saying, Kiara?"

Kiara looked directly into his eyes. "The man Elana is dating," she said carefully, "he's Lucas's man."

Enzo stared at her in complete shock."Lucas's man?" he repeated slowly, disbelief written all over his face.

"Yes," Kiara nodded. "Ro found out three days ago."

Enzo's heartbeat quickened instantly. "No..." he muttered automatically while shaking his head slightly. "No, that's impossible."

Kiara frowned. "You didn't know?"

"No, I didn't," Enzo answered immediately. For the first time in a long while, a genuine panic crossed his face. "I checked his background myself," he said quickly. "I investigated him before Elana even started meeting him seriously."

Kiara remained silent, listening carefully. "I only found out he was some businessman's son," Enzo continued frustratedly. "He helps his father in business. Clean records. No criminal connection. Nothing suspicious." His jaw tightened. "I didn't find any connection between him and Lucas."

Kiara sighed heavily. "Ro saw them together himself" she said quietly. "He recognized Nico immediately." Enzo's expression darkened slowly. "He said he saw him before during one of Lucas's business deals." Silence fell between them. A dangerous silence.

Enzo slowly looked away, his mind already working rapidly. That meant one thing. Either Nico had hidden himself extremely well... Or Lucas had planned this long before any of them realized.

His jaw tightened harder and harder with every passing second. "So after Donato brought her home..." he asked quietly, his voice much lower now, "what happened?"

Kiara sighed softly. "She cried," Kiara answered honestly. "A lot." Enzo closed his eyes briefly. That alone hurt him more than it should have. Kiara continued slowly, "She thought Donato shouted because she hid the relationship from the family.

Kiara shook her head sadly. "She completely broke down." Enzo looked away immediately. Guilt crawled through his chest painfully. Because he had checked Nico himself. He remembered it clearly.

The moment he realized Elana was spending more and more time with that man, he had investigated him quietly. He had not wanted to interfere unnecessarily if the man was harmless. And the report looked clean. Too clean. Now he realized why. Lucas had hidden him well. Very well.

Enzo clenched his fists tightly. "What if..." his voice came out rough now, "what if Donato hadn't recognized him?" Kiara stayed silent. Because both of them already knew the answer What if Lucas had used Nico to get close to Elana? To use her? Manipulate her? Hurt her?

The thought alone made Enzo feel physically sick. His breathing deepened heavily as anger slowly rose inside him. Not toward Elana. Toward himself. "How the hell did I miss this..." he muttered harshly under his breath.

Kiara looked at him quietly. For the first time, she saw genuine fear in Enzo's eyes. Fear for Elana. Not a normal concern. Not brotherly protectiveness. Something much deeper.

Without saying anything more, Enzo turned immediately and headed upstairs. Fast. Almost rushing. Kiara watched him go silently before following slowly behind him. The hallway upstairs was quiet. Too quiet.

Enzo stopped in front of Elana's room. For one second, he simply stared at the closed door. Then he knocked softly. "Eli?" he called gently. No response. He tried again. "Elana baby... it's me."

Silence. Then finally...A broken sniffle came from inside the room. Enzo's chest tightened painfully at the sound. God. She had been crying this entire time. "Eli," he whispered softly while resting one hand against the door, "please open the door.

The moment Elana heard his voice clearly from outside...Her crying grew worse instantly. Because Enzo was different. Donato's shouting had hurt her deeply. But Enzo...Enzo seeing her like this somehow felt unbearable.

Inside the room, Elana sat curled up on the floor beside her bed, hugging her knees tightly while tears continuously rolled down her cheeks. She felt stupid. Embarrassed. Used. And worst of all...Unsafe.

The realization that Nico had approached her with hidden intentions made her skin crawl now. Every conversation suddenly felt fake in her memory. Every smile. Every compliment. Every meeting. And that broke something inside her.

Outside meanwhile, Enzo's expression slowly shattered hearing her cry harder. He hated this. Hated hearing her like this. Hated that he had failed to protect her. Because in his mind, this was his fault too. If only he had checked better.

If only he had investigated deeper. If only he had noticed sooner. if only he told his feeling sooner. Then maybe Elana would never have gone through this. "Eli baby..." his voice cracked slightly now. "Please open the door."

Inside the room, Elana buried her face deeper into her knees. "No..." she cried weakly. Enzo closed his eyes painfully. "I just want to see you once," he whispered desperately. "Please."

But Elana immediately shook her head aggressively despite him not being able to see her. "No!" she shouted suddenly. Her broken voice echoed through the hallway. "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU!" Enzo froze. "I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO ANYONE!" she cried harder. "JUST GO AWAY!"

The pain in her voice hit him brutally. Behind him, Kiara stopped silently at the end of the hallway, watching everything quietly. Enzo lowered his head slowly. For the first time in years...His own eyes started burning.

Because hearing Elana cry like this genuinely broke him inside. He leaned his forehead lightly against the door and closed his eyes tightly. "I'm sorry," he whispered brokenly. Inside the room, Elana's crying softened slightly hearing that.

But it still continued. And outside her door...Enzo remained standing there helplessly, realizing that for the first time in his life, there was absolutely nothing he could do to fix her pain immediately.
____

The atmosphere inside Lucas's office was suffocatingly dark. Heavy black curtains covered the massive windows completely, blocking every trace of sunlight from entering the room. Only the dim golden lamp near the desk illuminated the office faintly, making the shadows around the room appear even more threatening. Lucas sat behind his desk with a cigarette between his fingers, his face cold and terrifyingly calm.

Meanwhile, Nico sat across from him looking completely terrified. Sweat continuously rolled down from his forehead despite the room being cold. His hands trembled slightly. Because for the first time since joining Lucas...He understood exactly what kind of danger he had stepped into.

Donato Romano knew about him. And that alone was enough to destroy a person's life.
"B-Boss..." Nico swallowed nervously before speaking again. "Donato found out that I'm working with you." The moment those words left his mouth---

Lucas exploded. "HOW?" he roared furiously while slamming his hand violently against the desk. Nico flinched hard in fear. "HOW THE HELL DOES HE KNOW YOU'RE WORKING FOR ME?!" Lucas shouted again. His furious voice echoed throughout the office. "You were my secret man!" Lucas continued angrily. "Even my own men don't know you work for me, so HOW THE HELL did Donato Romano find out?!"

Nico looked down fearfully before answering in a shaky voice. "B-Boss... I-I think he remembered me from the meeting..." Lucas narrowed his eyes dangerously. "What meeting?"

"The years ago," Nico answered quickly. "The business meeting between you, my father, and some other business mans and Donato Romano." Lucas froze slightly. Nico continued nervously. "I was there with my father that day. I thought Donato wouldn't remember me after all these years but..." he swallowed hard, "...he recognized me immediately the moment he saw me."

Lucas cursed loudly under his breath and stood up abruptly from his chair. "UGHHH!" He ran an angry hand through his hair while pacing around the office like a furious predator. "I TOLD your fucking father not to bring you there!" Lucas snapped. His eyes burned with rage. "But nooo..." he mocked bitterly. "'I want my son to learn things from you, sir. Whether it's business or the mafia world.'" Lucas scoffed coldly.

"Now look what happened." He turned sharply toward Nico. "Our entire plan is about to fail because of that stupidity." Lucas's jaw clenched dangerously. "He's fucking Donato Romano," he muttered darkly. "That bastard never forgets faces." Especially enemy faces. And enemy associates.

Fear settled deeper inside Nico hearing that. Because everyone in their world knew exactly who Donato Romano was. Ruthless. intelligent. Patient. And terrifying when angry. "B-But boss..." Nico quickly tried reassuring him, "don't worry. Even if he found out about me, his sister is still under my control."

Lucas stopped moving. Nico continued carefully. "I'll talk to Elana. She'll listen to me." A small confident smile appeared on his face slowly. "And then we'll continue our plan." Lucas stared at him silently for a few moments before finally walking back toward his desk slowly.

"You better do that," he said quietly. Dangerously quietly. "Because if you fail..." his eyes darkened, "...I won't guarantee your life anymore." Nico's throat dried instantly. "That fucking Donato Romano will kill you himself if he finds out what you were actually planning." Lucas leaned back against his chair coldly.

"But if you complete your task...A slow smirk appeared on his face. then I'll protect you."

Nico looked up instantly. "I'll make you disappear from the face of the earth," Lucas continued smoothly. "New identity. New life. Somewhere Donato Romano will never find you."

A dangerous hope appeared in Nico's eyes. "You'll live peacefully for the rest of your life." Nico nodded immediately. "I will, boss," he said firmly now. "I'll complete the work no matter what."

Lucas smirked darkly."That's what I expect from you." The office fell silent for a moment. Then Nico hesitated before asking carefully, "But boss...Lucas looked at him. "Why are you specifically targeting his sister?" Nico frowned slightly. "You could hurt anyone in the Romano family. We already targeted his wife and bestfreind before. We can target others too."

His confusion grew. "Then why specifically Elana?" For a few seconds... Lucas remained silent. Then slowly---A terrifying smile appeared on his face. Cold. Cruel. Broken. "Because," he said softly, "I want to destroy his sister the same way he destroyed mine."

Nico froze. Lucas's eyes darkened completely now. "I could kill Elana Romano easily," he continued casually. "But death would be too easy." His voice turned colder with every word. "No..."I want to ruin the Romano name." I want to destroy their reputation." I want their precious society respect to shatter completely."

His smirk widened darkly. "And that work will do his sister with you I want to destroy his sister so badly..." he whispered almost insanely, "...that she has no option left except ending her own life." A chill ran through the entire room. Even Nico felt disturbed for a second hearing the madness in Lucas's voice.

But then slowly...He nodded. "Consider your work done, boss," he said confidently. Lucas smiled. And then both men started laughing quietly inside the dark office. A laugh filled with cruelty. Revenge. And destruction.

_____

The soft afternoon light filtered through the sheer curtains of Elana's bedroom, casting pale golden patterns across the silent room. She lay motionless on her bed, dressed in oversized sweatshirt, staring blankly at the ceiling while exhaustion settled heavily beneath her eyes. Her mind felt tangled and painfully loud. Donato's furious voice still echoed inside her head. Enzo's worried face outside her door. Nico. Everything felt messy and suffocating.

For the first time in years, the Romano mansion did not feel comforting to her. It felt heavy. Her phone suddenly vibrated beside her. The sound made her flinch. She turned her head slowly toward the bedside table, her expression instantly darkening the moment she saw the name glowing on the screen.

Nico.

Anger rose immediately inside her chest. Without hesitation, she cut the call. Silence returned for barely two seconds before the phone started ringing again. Her jaw tightened. She declined it once more. Again. And again.

The constant vibration began irritating her nerves. Her fingers curled tightly around the blanket as frustration built inside her chest. "Why haven't I blocked him yet..." she muttered bitterly under her breath. She grabbed the phone, ready to block his number permanently, but before she could, a message notification appeared.

Elana please save me, your brother will kill me.

Her fingers froze. A deep frown formed on her face as she reread the message twice. Before she could process it fully, the phone began ringing again. This time her thumb hovered uncertainly over the screen. Something inside her hesitated. After a few tense seconds, she finally answered. The moment the call connected, Nico's frightened voice rushed through the speaker.

"Elana, please... please just listen to me once. Please don't cut the call." His breathing sounded uneven, panicked.

Elana sat up slowly against the headboard, her expression cold despite the confusion slowly creeping into her chest. "What do you want, Nico?" she asked sharply.

On the other side, Nico exhaled shakily, as if relieved she had answered at all. "I just wanted to know if you're okay," he said quickly. "Your brother didn't hurt you, right?"

Her brows pulled together immediately. "What do you mean my brother didn't hurt me?"

"Because your brother's men are behind me," Nico said in a terrified voice. "They're trying to kill me, Elana. I'm hiding right now. I got scared thinking maybe Donato hurt you too because of me. That's why I called. Are you okay?"

Elana's confusion deepened. Why would Donato hurt her? That thought alone sounded absurd. Still, Nico sounded genuinely terrified. His voice trembled convincingly enough to make uncertainty slowly creep into her mind. But she did not know it was all an act. Every bit of fear in his voice was carefully crafted. Every shaky breath calculated.

Her eyes hardened again as anger resurfaced. "Why are you pretending?" she snapped. "Of course my brother is after you. You lied to me."

"What?" Nico sounded startled. "Elana, what are you talking about?"

"You work for the mafia Lucas," she said coldly. "Don't deny it anymore. Donato brother saw you with him."

The moment Elana accused him, the l ine went silent for one long second before Nico spoke again, his voice trembling with perfectly crafted disbelief. "Elana... what are you saying?" he whispered hoarsely from the other side of the call. "Lucas? Mafia? I-I don't even understand what your brother told you."

Elana's fingers tightened around the phone. She was sitting upright on the bed now, her messy hair falling around her pale face, eyes swollen from days of crying. Anger and confusion twisted painfully inside her chest. She wanted to hate him. Wanted to believe Donato immediately. But Nico's voice sounded so frightened, so desperate, that doubt slowly started poisoning her thoughts.

"Don't lie to me," she said sharply, though her voice shook slightly. "my brother saw you with Lucas. He recognized you immediately. You approached me with some hidden motive."

"What? No!" Nico almost shouted in panic. His breathing sounded uneven, rushed, like a terrified man cornered. "Elana, listen to me carefully. I DO NOT work for Lucas. Yes, I saw him once. Just once. My father took me to a business meeting years ago. That's all. Your brother was there too."

Elana frowned deeply. Nico continued before she could interrupt, his voice cracking intentionally at the perfect moments. "It was only a business meeting, Elana. Nothing else. Neither me nor my father work for him. Please believe me." His tone softened painfully. "Your brother misunderstood the situation."

Elana closed her eyes tightly. Her mind instantly replayed Donato's furious expression from the café. The terrifying rage in his eyes. The way he had dragged her out without letting her explain anything. Then his harsh voice in the mansion.

YOU WILL NEVER MEET THAT MAN AGAIN.

For the first time in her life, her brother had shouted at her like that. And now Nico sounded genuinely terrified. "Please," he whispered again, lowering his voice as if scared someone might hear him. "Please just give me one chance to explain everything face to face. I swear on my life, Elana, I never lied to you."

Elana's breathing became uneven. On the other side of the line, Nico smirked silently. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew soft-hearted people like Elana always broke under guilt and emotional pressure. "I-I'm scared," he whispered weakly, pretending his voice was shaking. "Your brother's men are searching for me everywhere. I don't even know what to do anymore."

Elana's brows pulled together instantly. "What do you mean they're searching for you?"

"They'll kill me," he said immediately. "Donato Romano won't spare me if he thinks I'm connected to Lucas. I've been hiding since three days." His breathing became louder through the phone, fake panic dripping from every word. "And all I could think about was you." He paused softly. "I was scared maybe your brother hurt you too because of me."

Elana's expression shifted completely at that. Confusion. Fear. Guilt. Her heart began wavering dangerously. Nico understood immediately that she was softening. Perfect. "Please believe me," he whispered emotionally. "I would never use you. Never. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Elana."

She swallowed hard. A painful silence stretched between them. Outside her bedroom window, the evening sky had already started darkening, cold wind brushing softly against the curtains. But inside the room, Elana felt trapped between two worlds.

Her family. And the boy she thought she trusted. "You really don't work for Lucas?" she asked quietly, almost helplessly.

"Never," Nico answered instantly without hesitation. "Believe me Please. I love you." And that single lie changed everything.

The words made her chest tighten. For several seconds she remained silent, thinking. Then finally she asked quietly, "Where are you?"

A dangerous satisfaction crossed Nico's face on the other side of the call, though his voice remained weak and frightened. "I'm hiding at a friend's place," he said softly. "Please come meet me once. I'll explain everything. I don't want to lose you."

Elana looked toward the window, her thoughts spiraling. A part of her screamed not to go. But another part---the softer, emotional part---remembered the boy who made her laugh, who listened to her endless talks, who stayed on calls with her late at night until she fell asleep. The boy who looked at her like she mattered.

And that part wanted answers. That was the right thing to do. She needed closure. Needed answers. Needed to hear the truth directly from him. "Send me the address," she said finally.

Nico smiled slowly in victory, though she could not see it. "I will." The call disconnected.

"I don't care anymore whether you are Lucas's man or not," she whispered softly to herself while wiping her wet cheeks. "I'm ending this today anyway." Her voice shook badly. "Yes... that's right. I should meet him once and end everything properly."

She nodded slowly to herself as if trying to convince her own heart. Because despite everything... Despite the doubt... Despite the fear...A painful part of her still wanted to believe Nico. That maybe everyone was wrong.

That maybe her brother had misunderstood the situation. That maybe this could still be fixed. And that tiny hope became the biggest mistake of her life. Elana took a deep breath, got off the bed slowly, and moved toward her wardrobe. Her movements were hesitant, almost guilty, like somewhere deep down she already knew she should not be doing this.

Outside her bedroom door, the Romano mansion remained peaceful and unaware. No one knew that Elana Romano was about to walk directly into a trap.

_____

Elana carefully opened her bedroom door and peeked outside. The hallway was silent. No footsteps. No voices. No guards nearby. Her heartbeat quickened nervously. Slowly, she stepped out and quietly closed the door behind her. She looked toward the living room downstairs. Empty.

A small breath escaped her lips. "You can do this, Elana," she whispered softly to herself while clutching her phone tightly. "You just have to go and come back before everyone returns home." She started walking toward the mansion exit carefully, almost guiltily, like a child sneaking out after breaking rules. But the moment she reached the middle of the living room---

"Where are you going, Elana?"

The sudden voice made her freeze completely. Her breath hitched. She turned quickly. Kiara stood near the staircase, looking at her with slightly raised eyebrows and folded arms. She was dressed casually in comfortable home clothes, her hair loosely tied, one hand holding a glass of water.

Elana's shoulders dropped instantly. "Kia..." she exhaled nervously. "Y-you're here? Didn't you go to the office?"

Kiara slowly walked toward her. "I did," she answered softly. "But I came back. I have a headache."

"Oh..." Elana nodded awkwardly. For a few seconds silence stretched between them. Then Kiara asked again calmly, "You didn't answer me. Where are you going?" Elana looked away briefly. "Um... I-I'm just going to meet my friend."

Kiara stared at her carefully for a moment before nodding slowly. "Okay. Let me ask Ro first if it's alright for you to go out." She immediately reached for her phone. But Elana quickly stepped forward and grabbed her wrist lightly. "Kia, please," she said hurriedly. "You know how angry brother is right now. He won't let me go anywhere."

Her voice became smaller. "It's been four days since that incident. I've been locked inside my room the entire time. I just need to go out for a little while." Kiara hesitated. Elana quickly continued before she could refuse.

"My friend just called me... her mother is sick and she's alone at the hospital." The lie rolled smoothly off her tongue despite the guilt clawing at her chest. "Please let me go. I'll come back before brother or anyone else returns home."

Kiara frowned slightly. "But Elana... Ro told me not to let you go anywhere. It might be dangerous outside."

"I know," Elana said quickly. "But nothing will happen. I'll take one of the guards with me. I'll just meet her and come back immediately. Please." There was desperation in her voice now. Kiara looked at her silently for several seconds. Something felt wrong. Very wrong.

Her instincts were screaming at her to stop Elana. To call Donato immediately. To not let her leave the mansion. But Elana looked so emotionally exhausted standing there. So trapped. And Kiara understood that feeling too well. Finally, she sighed softly.

"O-okay," she said reluctantly. "But please come back before Ro or any family member returns home."

Relief instantly flooded Elana's face. "I will," she promised quickly. "Don't worry." Then before Kiara could change her mind, Elana hurried toward the exit. Kiara stood there silently, watching her leave. The mansion doors closed behind Elana.

And suddenly the uneasy feeling inside Kiara's chest became even heavier. Her fingers tightened unconsciously around her phone. Her mind kept telling her the same thing over and over again. Stop her. Don't let her go. But she ignored the feeling. And that became her biggest mistake.
****

What do you think will happen now? 🤔 Whatever happens, I am sure you'll enjoy it. Please tell me how the chapter is? And don't forget to like🫡❤️ thank you.