Chapter Twenty Two

The hum of the SUV's engine vibrated through the seat, a constant drone that should have been comforting in its monotony but only heightened Sarah's growing sense of dread. The man sitting beside her hadn't said a word since they had dragged her into the car, his face emotionless, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses even though the sun had long since set. The other man, the driver, occasionally glanced at her through the rearview mirror, but his expression revealed nothing either.

"Where are you taking me?" Sarah's voice broke the silence, but it was met with nothing but the low rumble of the engine and the faint whir of the city passing by.

She leaned forward, trying again. "Who are you working for?"

This time, the man beside her tilted his head slightly, a small acknowledgment of her presence, but still no words. He didn't need to speak. The silence itself was heavy, pregnant with menace.

Sarah's mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle of her situation. She thought back to Adrian's voice, his warning echoing in her mind: Running only makes it worse. Had he known this was coming? Was he involved in this? Or was this something even Adrian hadn't anticipated?

Her thoughts swirled back to Rossi. His appearance had been sudden, calculated, and dangerous. Rossi had always been a ghost in the underworld, a figure spoken of in hushed whispers, and yet now, he had stepped out of the shadows. But why? And what did Rossi want with her?

She had no answers, only questions and a gnawing fear growing deeper by the minute.

The SUV turned off the main road, the streetlights disappearing as they plunged into a more secluded part of the city. Sarah looked out the window, the familiar streets fading into industrial wasteland, warehouses and abandoned buildings looming like skeletal remains of a forgotten war. Her pulse quickened. This was not a place anyone wanted to be.

She thought of Marco and Antonio, left behind in the wreckage of the car. Was Marco still unconscious? Had Antonio survived the blood loss? Guilt twisted in her stomach. She had left them. Or rather, she had been taken, ripped away from them when they needed her the most. And now, wherever they were taking her, she had no way of knowing if she would ever see them again.

As the SUV slowed down, Sarah's stomach churned. The vehicle came to a stop in front of a massive, dilapidated warehouse. The building loomed over them, its windows broken, graffiti covering its walls. It looked abandoned, the kind of place where people disappeared without a trace.

The man in the passenger seat turned to her, finally breaking his silence. "Out."

Sarah hesitated for a split second but realized there was no point in resisting. With a sharp breath, she stepped out of the car, her legs shaky. She glanced around, hoping to see something—anything—that might give her a clue as to what was happening.

The man pushed her forward, and she stumbled slightly, but kept her footing. As they walked toward the warehouse, the creaking of the rusted doors being pulled open echoed in the night. Inside, the darkness was thick, oppressive. Her eyes struggled to adjust as they moved deeper into the building, the air cold and damp.

Suddenly, a light flickered on, harsh and bright, illuminating a figure standing at the far end of the room. Sarah squinted, trying to make out who it was. As she stepped closer, her breath caught in her throat.

It wasn't Rossi.

It was a woman.

Tall, poised, and dressed in a tailored black suit, the woman exuded a cold authority that sent chills down Sarah's spine. Her hair, jet-black and slicked back, glistened under the fluorescent light. Her lips, painted a deep crimson, curved into a smile that was anything but friendly.

"Sarah Parker," the woman's voice was smooth, almost melodic, but there was a sharp edge to it. "I've been waiting."

Sarah's mouth went dry. "Who are you?"

The woman stepped forward, her heels clicking ominously against the concrete floor. "My name is Elena Rossi. And if you're wondering, yes, I'm related to that Rossi."

Sarah's mind reeled. This was Rossi's sister? She had never heard of Elena before. Rossi's name had been whispered in underground circles for years, but never his family.

Elena's smile widened as if she could read Sarah's thoughts. "I prefer to work from the shadows, unlike my dear brother." She paced around Sarah, her eyes scrutinizing her as though she were an insect pinned to a board. "But sometimes, even I have to step into the light."

Sarah swallowed hard, trying to find her voice. "What do you want with me?"

Elena stopped, standing inches from her now, her presence suffocating. "It's not about what I want, Sarah. It's about what you can offer."

Sarah frowned, confusion cutting through her fear. "What are you talking about?"

Elena's voice dropped to a whisper, her breath cold against Sarah's ear. "You have no idea what you're caught up in, do you? You're a pawn in a game that started long before you even knew who Adrian DeLuca was."

Sarah's heart pounded. A pawn? In what game? Her entire life had been turned upside down the moment she met Adrian, but now it seemed there were deeper forces at play, ones she hadn't even begun to understand.

Elena stepped back, her eyes gleaming with something dark and dangerous. "But don't worry. Soon, you'll understand everything. And when you do…" She smiled that same chilling smile. "You'll wish you had stayed away."

Sarah's head spun. She was drowning in questions, in the terrifying realization that she had been blind to the real players all along.

And then, as if to twist the knife even deeper, Elena added, "Adrian won't save you this time."

The lights in the warehouse flickered ominously, plunging the room into darkness once more. And in that moment, Sarah knew that whatever was coming, whatever secrets Elena held, they were far worse than anything she had imagined.