chapter 23

Blood was still drying on the streets, but war didn't wait for the dead to be buried.

Valentina and Lorenzo weren't just playing defense anymore.

It was time to strike first.

And this time, there would be no mercy.

---

A Storm Brewing

The Rossi estate was a battlefield of whispered conversations and hurried footsteps. Everyone knew something was coming, but only a few knew the full extent of it.

Valentina stood in the war room, staring at the map of the city spread across the table. Red markings circled Dante's former territories—territories that were now being contested.

"They think we'll wait," she murmured.

Lorenzo leaned against the table, arms crossed. "They think wrong."

She traced her finger over the map. "Moretti is making moves. He wants Dante's ports, and if we let him take them—"

"We won't." Lorenzo's voice was final.

Valentina looked up at him, her pulse quickening at the dark certainty in his gaze. He wasn't just planning to stop Moretti.

He was planning to end him.

A slow smile curled on her lips. "Then let's make sure he never gets the chance."

---

The Trap

The docks reeked of salt, rust, and the lingering scent of gasoline. The night was thick with fog, the air humming with tension.

Moretti's men were already there, waiting, thinking this would be an easy takeover.

They were wrong.

Valentina moved like a shadow, her gun cold in her hand. She and Lorenzo had positioned their men perfectly—silent, hidden, waiting for the moment to strike.

"Showtime," Lorenzo whispered in her ear.

A shiver ran down her spine.

Then the first gunshot rang out.

Chaos erupted.

Men shouted, bullets flew, and the docks became a war zone. Valentina moved swiftly, taking down one of Moretti's men before he even saw her coming.

Lorenzo was a force of nature, ruthless and efficient. Blood splattered against the concrete as he cut through their enemies, his blade glinting under the dim dock lights.

But Moretti wasn't here.

Which meant—

"It's a fucking setup," Valentina hissed.

Lorenzo turned just as the sound of screeching tires echoed through the air.

A convoy of black SUVs barreled toward them.

Moretti had baited them.

---

The docks exploded into chaos. Gunfire rained down from the SUVs as men poured out, weapons blazing.

Valentina ducked behind a crate, breathing hard. Lorenzo was beside her, blood smeared across his cheek.

"Motherfucker came prepared," he growled.

Valentina reloaded. "So did we."

She popped up and fired, hitting one of Moretti's men square in the chest. He dropped instantly.

Lorenzo moved with lethal precision, taking out two more.

But they were outnumbered.

And then—

A grenade rolled across the concrete.

Valentina's eyes widened. "Lorenzo, MOVE!"

He grabbed her and threw them both behind a shipping container just as the explosion tore through the docks.

Heat and smoke filled the air.

Valentina's ears rang, but she was already pushing up, gun raised.

Moretti's men were closing in.

And there was only one way this would end.

---

No Way Out

They fought like demons, but the numbers were against them.

A bullet grazed Valentina's arm, but she didn't stop. Another man lunged for her, and she drove her knife into his gut, twisting it before yanking it free.

Lorenzo was a whirlwind of destruction beside her, but even he wasn't untouchable. Blood dripped from his side where a bullet had torn through.

Moretti's men were closing in, herding them toward the edge of the dock.

No escape.

Then—

A slow clap echoed through the smoke.

Valentina's grip on her gun tightened.

A tall figure stepped forward, flanked by armed guards.

Moretti.

He was alive.

And he was smiling.

"Brave, but stupid," he mused. "You really thought you could take me down that easily?"

Valentina's pulse hammered, her mind racing.

Lorenzo took a step forward, despite the wound at his side. His voice was dark, lethal.

"You should've stayed hidden, Moretti."

Moretti chuckled. "And miss the chance to kill the two biggest thorns in my side? No, I had to see this for myself."

He gestured lazily, and his men lifted their guns.

Valentina's breath caught.

Shit.

This wasn't just a trap.

It was a fucking execution.