"E-Elena... please...Enzo's broken voice echoed through the abandoned place like the cry of a dying man. "Please... baby... open your eyes..." His hands trembled violently as he cradled Elena's limp body against his chest. Blood stained his shirt, his hands, his arms--her blood. His Eli's blood.

"No... no, no, no..." he whispered shakily, his breathing becoming uneven. "Don't do this... please don't do this to me..." Elena's head rested weakly against his arm, her body frighteningly still. The side of her dress was soaked red. Blood continued slipping slowly between Enzo's fingers no matter how tightly he pressed against the wound.

And it terrified him. It terrified Enzo more than death itself. Because for the first time in years, he was helpless. Completely helpless. "Baby, look at me..." he begged while brushing her bloodstained hair away from her pale face. "I-I'm here... your Enzo is here..."

His voice cracked horribly. "I won't leave you ever... do you hear me? Never...j-just open your eyes p-please. But Elena didn't respond. Didn't move. Didn't even open her eyes. The sight shattered something inside him completely. Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face as he pulled her closer, almost desperately, like if he held her tightly enough she would stay.

"You wanted to hear me say it, right?" he cried breathlessly. "Y-you wanted me to say it..."His forehead pressed against hers. "N-now I'm saying it..." His entire body shook violently. "I love you..."A sob ripped from his chest. "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, ELENA..." His scream echoed through the huge empty place. "PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES..."

Behind him, Donato and Albert stood frozen. Completely frozen. Neither of them could process what they were seeing. Just hours ago everything had been normal. Elena was safe. At home. Protected. So how? How did this happen? How did they fail her?
____

Few hours earlier...

The car slowly disappeared from the main road as Elena stood alone in front of the abandoned street Nico had sent her. Silence surrounded the entire area. Not normal silence. The kind that made your skin crawl.

The narrow street looked deserted, old buildings standing lifeless on both sides. Broken streetlights flickered weakly above her while cold wind passed through the empty road, making the loose strands of her hair move across her face.

Elena stared at the building in front of her uncertainly. This... didn't look like someone's house. It looked abandoned. Her fingers tightened around her phone. A strange uneasiness settled heavily inside her chest. "Should I leave?" she whispered to herself nervously.

Her instincts screamed at her to turn around. To go back home. To call Donato. To leave before something bad happened. But then Nico's frightened voice from the call echoed inside her head again---"Your brother's men will kill me..."

Elena bit her lip anxiously. What if Donato had really misunderstood everything? What if Nico was innocent? What if she left and something happened to him because of her silence? She took a shaky breath and slowly turned around, almost deciding to leave---But froze.

A few men were walking toward her from inside of the place. Her heartbeat instantly quickened. The men looked rough, dressed carelessly, tattoos visible on their necks and hands. Their expressions carried the kind of confidence that immediately made Elena uncomfortable.

The tallest one stopped directly in front of her. "You are Elena?" he asked flatly. Elena swallowed nervously before nodding slowly. "Y-Yes..." The man stepped aside slightly and pointed toward the building. " lets go Inside. Don't worry, we're Nico's friends."

Something about his smile felt wrong. Very wrong. But Elena forced herself to stay calm. "O-Okay..."

"Good girl," another man muttered quietly with a smirk.

Elena immediately looked away from him uncomfortably. "Don't be scared," she whispered to herself internally while trying to steady her breathing. "Just go inside... listen to Nico once... and end everything." Yes. That was why she came here. To end this relationship properly. No more confusion. No more hiding. No more tension between her and her family.

She took one deep breath and slowly walked toward the entrance. Behind her, the men exchanged amused smirks before following silently. The old metal door creaked loudly the moment Elena pushed it open. And instantly---A heavy smell of alcohol, cigarettes, and something rotten hit her face so strongly that she almost stepped back.

Her nose wrinkled immediately. The inside was dimly lit, dirty, and messy. Broken bottles were scattered across the floor. Empty alcohol cans covered one side of the room. Smoke lingered heavily in the air, making the entire place suffocating.

Elena's heartbeat began speeding up again. This was not a normal place. This was not where someone hid for safety. Fear slowly crawled up her spine. "Nico?" she called softly while stepping further inside. No response. Only silence. A terrible silence.

She turned around slightly, only to realize the men who came behind her had already closed the door. The loud click of the lock echoed through the room. And suddenly---Elena no longer felt nervous. She felt trapped.

"N-Nico..." Elena called again, her voice quieter this time, uncertain. A second later, another door inside the abandoned building opened. And there he was. Nico walked out casually as if everything was completely normal. A smile immediately appeared on his face the moment he saw her.

"Thank God you came, Elena," he said quickly while walking toward her. "Are you okay? Did your brother hurt you?" His voice carried fake concern. Fake fear. But Elena still had not fully realized it yet.

"Nico... what is this place?" she asked while looking around uncomfortably, completely ignoring his question. "Why are you hiding here? What kind of place is this?"

Nico sighed dramatically and rubbed the back of his neck. "What did you expect?" he asked. "That I would hide at my house? No. This place is safe. Nobody knows about it. Your brother's men won't find me here."

Elena looked around the dirty room again. The smell. The alcohol. The men standing behind her silently. Everything about this place felt wrong. Very wrong. And those men...The way they stared at her made her skin crawl. A strange fear slowly began rising inside her chest.

Nico noticed her expression and immediately smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Elena," he said softly while stepping closer. "They won't do anything. They just look dangerous. They are here for my safety."

Elena forced herself to nod slightly, though her instincts were screaming at her to leave. "Why are you standing?" Nico asked casually. "Sit." He pointed toward the old sofa placed in the middle of the room. The sofa itself looked dirty and worn out.

Elena immediately shook her head. "No... I'm okay," she said nervously. "I-I just came to tell you---" But Nico interrupted her instantly. "Elena, sit first," he said firmly this time before grabbing a glass from the table beside him. "Drink this."

He extended a glass of juice toward her. Elena frowned and stepped back slightly. "No. I don't need anything," she said coldly. "I didn't come here for this." Her fingers tightened around her bag as she finally gathered courage.

"I just came to tell you that I don't care who you are anymore," she said firmly. "I just want to end everything here. Whatever relationship we had... it's over." Nico's smile slowly disappeared. "I liked your company, Nico," Elena continued honestly. "But I don't love you. I never will." For the first time, her voice became softer. "I love someone else."

Nico stared at her silently. For a few seconds, he said nothing. The room became unbearably quiet. Then suddenly---"What are you saying, Elena?" he asked dramatically while placing a hand over his chest. "I love you. No... you can't leave me." He acted like a desperate man begging for love.

But the next second His entire expression changed. Completely. The fake sadness vanished from his face Then suddenly---He laughed. A loud, strange laugh. Elena frowned in confusion. The laughter slowly grew darker. Creepier. Almost insane.

"What?" he asked mockingly. "Did you really think I would beg for you like that?" Elena stared at him confused. Fear slowly started tightening around her heart. "Oh God," Nico muttered while shaking his head in amusement. "How dumb are you?" His words hit her sharply. "You are a mafia sister," he continued while smirking, "and still act this impulsive."

His eyes darkened dangerously. "You came here," he whispered slowly. "You came here without a single security guard.",Elena's breathing stopped for a second. The reality of the situation finally began sinking into her mind. Her eyes slowly moved toward the men standing around the room.

Five grown men. And Nico himself was heavily built. A cold shiver ran down her spine. "W-What are you saying, Nico?" she asked quietly. Now she was truly scared. Not weak. Elena Romano was not weak. She could fight. She knew self-defense. But six men at once? In a closed abandoned building? Fear slowly spread through every vein in her body.

Nico stepped closer to her with a cruel smirk. "Well," he said calmly, "I'm saying you were right." His eyes gleamed dangerously. "I am Lucas's man." Elena froze completely. "And I entered your life with a motive," he continued. "A motive to destroy Donato Romano."

The world around Elena suddenly felt silent. Cold. Heavy. Like the ground beneath her feet had disappeared. Her heartbeat thundered painfully inside her chest as she stared at Nico in absolute horror. And Nico only smiled wider after seeing fear finally appear in her eyes.

The moment Nico's words finished, Elena moved. Fast. Her survival instincts exploded awake instantly. She grabbed the glass bottle lying on the nearby table and smashed it directly into the face of the man closest to her.

A scream echoed through the room. Before the others could react, Elena kicked another man hard in the stomach and pushed him backward with all her strength. "You bitch!" one of them shouted angrily. Elena did not stop. She fought wildly. Desperately.

Years of Romano training finally showed. One man tried grabbing her arm, but Elena twisted his wrist painfully before elbowing him straight in the jaw. Another rushed toward her only for Elena to punch him with enough force to stagger him backward. For a second---Pure chaos filled the room.

Nico stood near the wall watching everything with amusement, almost entertained by the scene unfolding in front of him. A dangerous smirk rested on his face. "Well," he muttered slowly while watching Elena fight like a wildcat, "she definitely is a Romano."

But numbers eventually began overpowering her. One of the men grabbed her hair harshly. Elena screamed and kicked him away, but another punched her directly in the ribs. Pain exploded through her body. A sharp gasp escaped her lips. Still---She kept fighting.

Blood slowly trickled from the corner of her mouth. Her breathing became heavier. Another man struck her shoulder hard enough to make her stumble. Then---Crash. Her head slammed against the edge of the table. A painful ringing filled her ears instantly.

Warm blood began running down the side of her forehead. Her vision blurred for a second. But Elena still tried standing again. Still tried escaping. Still tried fighting. Fear and adrenaline were the only things keeping her conscious now.

"MOVE!" she screamed while shoving another man away desperately. She almost reached the door---Almost. But one of them caught her arm and dragged her backward violently. Elena cried out in pain. Nico watched the entire thing with bored eyes now.

The amusement slowly disappeared from his expression. "This is getting repetitive," he sighed lazily. He slowly stood up from his chair. The room immediately became quieter. All the men stepped aside slightly. Nico calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out an injection.

Elena's eyes widened in horror instantly. No.No no no---Nico looked at the syringe almost lovingly before smiling creepily. "It's time to end this, Elena Romano," he whispered darkly. Fear finally fully consumed her.

Elena tried struggling harder. "LET ME GO!" she screamed while fighting the man holding her. But before she could free herself---Nico moved behind her swiftly and injected the needle deeply into her arm. Elena screamed painfully. The syringe fell from Nico's hand. Within seconds---Her body weakened.

The strength in her legs disappeared completely. Her vision blurred violently. "N... no..." she whispered weakly. The room began spinning around her. Voices became distant. Dark. Heavy. And then---Everything went black. Her unconscious body collapsed limply into the men's arms.

Nico crouched beside her unconscious form and brushed her hair away from her bloodied forehead coldly. "Take her to the room," he ordered casually. Then his eyes darkened dangerously. "And do what I told you." The men smirked wickedly before lifting Elena unconscious body and carrying her deeper inside the abandoned building.
____

Meanwhile...At Romano Mansion. Kiara paced anxiously inside the living room. Her fingers trembled around her phone as she tried Elena's number again. Switched off. Again. And again. Still switched off. Fear slowly tightened around her chest. "It's been more than one and a half hours..." she whispered nervously. "Where are you, Elena?"

She looked toward the mansion entrance repeatedly. Any moment now--- Donato. Albert. The others. Everyone would return home. And Elena was still missing. Oh God. If Ro found out she allowed Elena to leave---Kiara closed her eyes anxiously. "He's going to be furious..."

Her breathing quickened. "What do I do?" Then suddenly---A name flashed inside her mind. Enzo. Without wasting another second, Kiara immediately dialed his number. The call barely rang twice before he picked up.

"Ki-"

"Enzo!" Kiara interrupted immediately, panic filling her voice. "Elena isn't home. She said she was going to meet a friend and would return in half an hour but it's been over one and a half hours and she still hasn't come back!" Her words rushed out breathlessly. "Please... can you check where she is? If she doesn't return before Donato and the others come home it's going to become a disaster."

Enzo instantly straightened from his seat. "What?" he asked sharply. His expression darkened immediately. "But Kiara... when Donato clearly said Elena shouldn't leave the mansion, why did you let her go?" Even while speaking, Enzo was already grabbing his car keys and moving quickly toward the exit.

"I didn't want to!" Kiara cried anxiously. "But she insisted. She said her friend's mother was sick and alone in the hospital. I believed her..." Fear entered her voice completely now. "Please, Enzo... I'm getting scared."

Enzo's jaw clenched tightly. "Okay," he said quickly while entering his car. "Don't panic. I'll find her." He immediately started the engine. "I have tracking access to every Romano phone. I'll check her last location." Before Kiara could respond, he cut the call.

The next second, his fingers moved rapidly across his phone while speeding out of the mansion gates. "Please be safe, Eli..." he whispered under his breath. Then suddenly---The tracking location appeared. And Enzo froze. His eyes widened in disbelief the moment he recognized the area.

"What the hell..." he muttered darkly. His grip tightened painfully around the steering wheel. "Eli... what are you doing there?"

_____

The men dragged Elena deeper inside the abandoned building and threw her onto an old bed inside a filthy room. The door slammed shut behind them. Everything around her felt heavy. Blurred. The injection had completely destroyed her senses. Her head spun painfully while her body felt numb and weak, like she no longer had control over it.

But somewhere inside that haze---Fear still existed. Pure terrifying fear. Elena slowly regained partial consciousness after a few minutes, but she could barely move properly. Her limbs felt weak. Her vision remained unfocused. Then--- She felt hands on her. Not one. Many.

Her body instantly stiffened in horror. "N-No..." she whispered weakly while trying to move away. But her body betrayed her completely. The men laughed around her. Somebody grabbed her wrists. Another touched her face roughly.

Elena tried pushing them away weakly, but her strength was disappearing second by second. Her mind felt empty. Like floating air. Then suddenly--- Click. A camera sound. Another click. Another. Her heart stopped. No...No no no

She heard Nico's voice from somewhere near the door. "Finish the task," he said coldly. "After that, do whatever you want." The men laughed darkly. Elena's breathing broke. She tried speaking. Tried begging. Tried fighting. But her body refused listening to her. The drug made her limbs heavy. Her thoughts broken.

Then she heard footsteps leaving the room. "Bye. Enjoy, boys." Nico's voice. The door shut behind him. Her breathing turned shaky. Time passed painfully.

She felt disgusted. Broken. Terrified. The clicking sounds continued nonstop while the men surrounded her cruelly. Tears rolled endlessly from her eyes as panic consumed her completely. Then after some time---The touching stopped. The camera sounds stopped too.

Elena's breathing shook violently. One of the men cursed. "She's barely conscious," he muttered. "Make her fully awake first. Otherwise where's the fun?" The others laughed loudly. That disgusting laughter echoed through the room like knives cutting through her skin.

Someone roughly forced her awake again. And suddenly---Elena screamed. Loudly. Desperately. Fear exploded inside her fully this time. She shoved one man away with surprising strength and stumbled off the bed. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed hysterically.

The men immediately grabbed for her again. But Elena fought wildly despite her weak body. She kicked one in the stomach. Scratched another. Tried running toward the door. but then Her eyes caught something. A gun tucked into one man's belt.

Without thinking, Elena lunged toward him and snatched the gun with trembling hands. The men froze briefly. Elena pointed the gun at all of them desperately. "LET ME GO!" she screamed while shaking violently. "OR I'LL SHOOT!" But the men only laughed. Slowly, Cruelly

They began circling her. Like predators trapping prey. "You think you can shoot?" one mocked. Another suddenly lunged forward. The gun was ripped from her hands violently and thrown across the room.

"No!" Elena screamed before trying to run again. One man grabbed her arm. Elena kicked him hard and stumbled toward the door desperately. Hope flashed in her eyes. She reached the handle Then---Bang. The gunshot exploded through the room. Elena froze.

A sharp burning pain tore through her stomach. Her eyes widened in shock. For a second she could not even understand what happened. Then slowly---Warm blood began spreading through her clothes. A broken gasp escaped her lips. And her body collapsed weakly near the door.

The men froze too. "Shit---"

"You idiot!" one shouted angrily.

"I didn't mean---"

____

Outside the abandoned building. Enzo's car stopped violently. The moment he stepped out, something felt horribly wrong. The entire area was silent. Too silent. He looked at the abandoned structure with dark eyes. Then--- Bang. A gunshot. Enzo's entire body froze.

"Elena." Without wasting another second, he kicked the main door open forcefully and stormed inside with his gun already drawn. The hall was empty. But then he heard noise from one of the rooms deeper inside. Movement. Voices. Enzo immediately moved toward it.

His breathing became heavier with every second. Then he kicked the room door open violently---And froze. The world around him stopped. Elena was lying on the floor near the door.

Blood everywhere. Her body weak and motionless. The men turned toward him in shock. But Enzo saw nothing except her. Rage exploded inside him so violently that his vision blurred red. He did not think. Did not hesitate. Bang. One bullet straight into a man's head. Bang. Another body dropped lifelessly.

Another tried reaching for his weapon. Bang. Dead. A third attempted running. Enzo shot him mercilessly. Blood splattered across the walls. The remaining two men escaped through the back while grabbing the camera in panic.

But Enzo barely noticed. Because all he could see---Was Elena. His gun slipped slightly from his fingers as he rushed toward her. "E-eli..." His voice broke completely. He dropped to his knees beside her trembling body. Blood stained her clothes.

Her breathing was weak. Painful. Her eyes were barely open. Enzo carefully lifted her into his arms like she would break completely if held too tightly. And for the first time in years---The dangerous Enzo Romano looked terrified. Completely terrified.

"Eli... baby... look at me..." he whispered shakily while pressing his trembling hand against her wound to stop the bleeding. His entire body shook violently. "No no no no..."

E... Enzo..."That single broken whisper nearly destroyed him.

"I'm here," he said immediately, tears filling his eyes. "I'm here, baby. Nothing will happen to you. Do you hear me?" Elena weakly clutched his shirt. And Enzo felt his heart breaking into pieces seeing how terrified she looked.

"Stay awake," he begged shakily while pressing harder against the wound in her stomach. "Please, Eli... don't close your eyes. Look at me. LOOK AT ME, BABY!" His voice cracked completely. Blood kept soaking through his hands. Too much blood. Way too much.

Panic consumed him entirely. "Elena!" he shouted again while shaking slightly. "Talk to me! Curse at me! Yell at me! Just don't go quiet!" Elena's lips trembled weakly. Her fingers barely held his shirt anymore. And that terrified Enzo more than anything.
____

Meanwhile---Just half an hour earlier...The moment Donato returned to Romano Mansion and did not find Elena anywhere downstairs, something inside him immediately turned wrong. Dangerously wrong. The mansion felt strange. Too silent. Too tense.

And Kiara's nervous face made his instincts sharper instantly. "Where is Elena?" he asked calmly at first. Too calmly. Kiara froze. "She... she went to meet her friend," she answered hesitantly.

Donato's expression changed immediately. The air around him turned heavy. "When?" he asked coldly. Kiara swallowed nervously. "A-about one and half hour ago..." That was enough. Donato's jaw clenched so tightly it looked painful.

Without wasting another second, he immediately called Elena. Switched off. Again. Switched off. Again. Still off. His blood began boiling violently. Albert, who had just entered behind him, immediately sensed something was terribly wrong.

"What happened?" he asked sharply.

"Elena is missing." Those three words changed everything instantly. Donato did not shout. Did not panic outwardly. Which was even more terrifying. He immediately opened the tracking system connected to every Romano family phone. Albert came beside him.

The location appeared. An abandoned area outside the city. Both men froze. Then rage exploded inside them. Without another word---They ran. Kiara tried calling after them, trying to explain Enzo had already gone there too, but neither Donato nor Albert stopped long enough to listen.

Within minutes---Both cars stopped violently outside the abandoned building. Both brothers froze. For one horrifying second, their hearts stopped beating. Then they ran. Fast. Donato kicked the entrance door open violently while Albert rushed beside him with his gun already drawn.

The building looked abandoned. Empty. But then---A scream echoed from another room. Enzo's voice. "Elena! NO! BABY PLEASE!" Both brothers rushed toward the sound. Donato violently kicked the room door open. And froze. Everything froze. The room smelled like blood, alcohol, smoke, and death.

Three dead bodies lay across the floor. Blood stained the walls. Furniture was broken everywhere. And in the middle of all that horror---Enzo sat on the floor holding Elena tightly in his arms while crying completely broken. Elena's body looked lifeless. Blood covered her clothes.

Her head rested weakly against Enzo's chest. And Enzo---The man who laughed during torture. The man who smiled while killing enemies. The dangerous Enzo Romano--- Was sobbing. Actually sobbing.

"Eli... please..." he begged brokenly while trembling violently. "Please open your eyes. Baby, I'm here. look at me."

Albert felt his legs weaken instantly. "No..." he whispered in disbelief.

Present scene...

Donato stood completely frozen near the door. His mind refused processing the scene in front of him. His little sister. His Elena. Covered in blood. Broken. Terrified. For a second---He could not breathe. Then suddenly his eyes landed on the state of the room.

Elena's torn condition. The men. The blood. And realization hit him like a bullet. Someone touched his sister. Someone tried destroying her. Something dark and horrifying entered Donato's eyes instantly. A level of rage none of them had ever seen before.

Donato stared at his sister's motionless body in Enzo's arms, and for the first time in years, fear swallowed him whole. Not mafia fear. Not enemy fear. This was something worse. The fear of losing family. His breathing became heavy as flashes of the past slammed into his mind one after another---

Elena laughing loudly in the mansion. Elena annoying him for shopping money. Elena sleeping on his shoulder during movie nights. Elena crying after he shouted at her. And now--- This. Broken. Bleeding. Lifeless. "No..." Donato whispered unconsciously while taking one slow step forward. "No..."His hands clenched tightly beside him.

Nico. That name burned inside his chest like poison. Albert finally snapped out of his shock and immediately crouched beside Enzo. "We need to take her to the hospital NOW!" he shouted.

But Enzo looked completely shattered. Almost gone mentally. His arms only tightened around Elena. "She's cold..." he whispered in horror. "Albert... why is she cold..."

"ENZO!" Albert grabbed his shoulder harshly. "LOOK AT ME!" Enzo finally looked up. And Albert's heart broke seeing him. The dangerous, fearless Enzo---Was crying like a terrified child.

"She'll survive," Albert said firmly despite the fear in his own voice. "Do you hear me? Elena will survive." Enzo nodded immediately like a desperate man clinging to hope. "Yes... yes..." he whispered shakily while looking down at Elena again. "You heard him, baby? You'll survive..." He kissed her forehead repeatedly.

Donato suddenly turned away for one second and punched the nearby wall with full force. The loud crack echoed through the warehouse. Blood immediately coated his knuckles. But he didn't even feel it.

Because rage had already taken over every part of him. Lucas had crossed the line. This was no longer mafia rivalry. This was personal now. Very personal. And somewhere deep inside, Donato Romano silently promised himself one thing---Nico would beg for death before this ended.

Thoughts 💬