Elena's Final Betrayal

Chapter 48: Elena's Final Betrayal

The air was thick with tension inside the DeLuca mansion. Isla sat on the edge of the leather couch in Dante's office, her fingers gripping the armrest tightly. The war with Nico had escalated over the past few days, forcing Dante to strengthen his defenses. The DeLuca estate was surrounded by armed men, security had tripled, and everyone was on edge.

But none of them saw the betrayal coming from within.

Elena had always been a thorn in Isla's side. The woman despised her from the very start, seeing her as nothing more than an outsider who had poisoned Dante's mind. But hatred was one thing—betrayal was another.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted Isla's thoughts. Before she could respond, the heavy wooden doors swung open, revealing Luca. His face was grim, his usual calm demeanor replaced with unease.

"Where's Dante?" he asked.

"In a meeting with the capos," Isla answered, standing up. "What's wrong?"

Luca hesitated before stepping inside, closing the door behind him. "We have a problem. A big one."

Her stomach twisted. "What kind of problem?"

He exhaled sharply. "Elena. She's made a deal with Nico."

The words hit Isla like a punch to the gut.

"She what?"

"She's been feeding him intel for weeks," Luca continued. "And now she's handed over security details of the estate. Nico knows our weak points."

Isla's pulse pounded. "How do you know this?"

Luca's jaw tightened. "One of our men overheard her speaking with someone on the phone. We traced the call. It was Nico's right-hand man."

Her mind raced. If Elena had given Nico access to the estate's security layout, that meant an attack was imminent.

"We need to warn Dante," she said, already moving toward the door.

Luca caught her arm. "There's more. Elena doesn't just want Dante dead—she wants you dead."

Isla froze.

Luca's expression darkened. "She blames you for Antonio's death. She thinks you manipulated Dante, turned him against his father. In her mind, you're the reason the DeLuca empire is collapsing."

A cold chill ran down Isla's spine. She had expected people to hate her. She had expected enemies. But she hadn't anticipated Elena aligning herself with Nico, the very man who wanted to destroy everything Dante had built.

A commotion outside drew their attention.

Gunshots.

The estate was under attack.

Luca swore, pulling his gun. "It's happening. Nico's men are here."

Isla didn't waste time. She grabbed the pistol Dante had given her weeks ago and followed Luca down the hallway. The sound of rapid gunfire echoed through the corridors, and the air smelled of gunpowder and blood.

As they turned a corner, they came face-to-face with three armed men. Luca fired first, dropping two of them instantly. Isla aimed for the third, squeezing the trigger. The bullet struck him in the chest, and he collapsed with a grunt.

"Stay close," Luca ordered.

They moved swiftly through the mansion, taking down any intruders in their path. The sounds of battle raged outside—shouting, screaming, the roar of engines as men fought to defend the estate.

Then, amid the chaos, Isla saw her.

Elena.

Standing at the top of the grand staircase, dressed in black, a gun in her hand.

And it was pointed directly at Isla.

"Elena," Isla called, raising her own weapon.

Elena's lips curled into a sneer. "You have no idea how much I've waited for this moment."

Isla's grip tightened on the gun. "You don't have to do this."

"Don't I?" Elena laughed bitterly. "You destroyed everything, Isla. You turned my Dante against his father. You made him weak. And now, I'm going to make things right."

Her finger hovered over the trigger.

Isla didn't hesitate. She fired first.

The bullet grazed Elena's arm, making her scream and drop the gun. Isla took the opportunity to lunge forward, tackling her to the ground. They struggled violently, fists flying, nails digging.

Elena was strong, fueled by rage, but Isla had something more—survival instinct.

With a final, desperate push, Isla flipped Elena over, pinning her down. She grabbed the fallen gun and aimed it at her head.

"Elena, stop," Isla panted. "This isn't going to bring Dante back."

Elena glared at her, chest heaving. "You don't understand. I loved my Dante."

"He was not in love with you," Isla shot back. "And deep down, you know that."

Tears glistened in Elena's eyes, but the hatred remained.

A voice interrupted them.

"Move, Isla."

Dante.

He stood a few feet away, gun in hand, his face unreadable. Blood splattered his black suit, his knuckles bruised from the fight outside.

Isla hesitated.

"Dante, she—"

"Move."

His voice was low, dangerous.

Isla swallowed hard and stepped aside.

Elena laughed weakly. "So this is how it ends?"

Dante didn't answer. He simply raised his gun and pulled the trigger.

The shot echoed through the hall.

Elena's body jerked before going limp, blood pooling beneath her.

Isla exhaled sharply, her hands trembling.

Dante lowered his gun, his dark eyes locking onto hers.

"She was never going to stop," he said simply.

Isla understood that. But it didn't make it any easier to watch someone die.

Dante took a step closer, his hand reaching for her. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "No."

He cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing against her skin. "Then it's over."

But they both knew it wasn't.

Nico was still out there. And this war was far from finished.

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End of Chapter 48