Chapter 19

Elena turned toward Luca. Her heart pounded in her chest, but there was something freeing in the finality of the choice she was about to make.

"You're right," she said, her voice steady, her resolve firm. "I can't keep living under Don Vincenzo's shadow. He's right—I've already made my choice."

Luca's eyes gleamed with triumph. "You've made the right choice, Elena. Come with me. We'll rebuild this empire. Together."

But as Elena took a step toward Luca, she felt something inside her falter. She paused and looked back at Don Vincenzo, her heart aching with the weight of what she was leaving behind. His cold eyes locked onto hers, the silence between them speaking volumes.

It wasn't just the empire he had built—it was the love, the loyalty, the bond they had shared in the beginning. She had been more than just a pawn to him, hadn't she?

But now it didn't matter. She had made her choice. The price of freedom was high, and she was willing to pay it.

"I'll never forget what you've done for me, Vincenzo," Elena whispered, her voice breaking, though she knew he wouldn't hear the sincerity in her words. "But I can't stay here anymore."

With that, she turned and walked toward Luca, leaving Don Vincenzo in the shadows of his empire. The decision was made. There was no turning back now.

Luca's eyes darkened with satisfaction as he reached for her hand. "It's just the beginning, Elena. Together, we'll make sure Don Vincenzo's reign ends."

As they left the mansion, Elena looked back only once, her heart heavy with the weight of her choice. The world she was stepping into with Luca was uncertain, dangerous, and full of shadows. But it was her choice, and she had taken it—no matter the consequences.