Chapter 40%
Darius didn’t move. He just stood there, staring at me as if trying to piece together a puzzle he had only just realized existed.”
“Valeria…”
A sharp, nauseating pain shot through my head, and for the briefest moment, fragmented images flickered in my mind. Blurred, broken memories that I couldn’t fully grasp, like trying to hold onto smoke.
“I said leave.” My voice came out harsher than I intended, but I didn’t care. I grabbed my phone again. “I’m calling the police.“}
His jaw tightened. His eyes lingered on me for another second before he finally exhaled.}
“Fine.”
Dorotheo pouted. “Mister, are you leaving?”
Darius hesitated before nodding. “Yeah, buddy. I have to.”
“Will you come back?”
My chest constricted.§
Darius glanced at me, his expression unreadable. “I don’t know.“}]
And with that, he turned and walked past me, stepping out the door.
Dorotheo waved happily, “Bye, Mister!“}
As soon as the door closed, I locked it, my hands trembling so hard I could barely function.
Before I could catch my breath, my phone rang.
Lorenzo.
The moment I answered, his voice came through, cold and sharp. “I saw him.”
My stomach turned to ice. “Saw…?“}
“The CCTV, Valeria. He was in the house.“}
I swallowed hard, my pulse erratic. “Lorenzo, I—“}
“I’m coming back,” he cut in. “We’re leaving tonight.“}
I stiffened. “Leaving?“}
“I’m taking you and Dorotheo away. Away from Darius.“}
I gripped the phone tighter, my chest tightening.
“The police will be there soon,” Lorenzo added. “Stay inside.“}
¡ nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Okay.“}
I didn’t trust Darius. I couldn’t.
But as I looked down at my son, who had fallen asleep in my arms with the happiest smile I had ever seen on his face, I couldn’t ignore the single, terrifying thought that refused to leave my mind.
What if Lorenzo had been wrong??
***2
Hours passed, and the house remained silent. The only sound was Dorotheo’s steady breathing as he slept peacefully in my arms. I had barely moved, afraid that any sudden motion would wake him, but exhaustion was creeping in. Just as I was about to close my eyes, a sharp knock echoed through the house.”
I tensed.
My phone buzzed with an alert. The security app displayed a live feed from the CCTV camera.
A delivery boy stood at the front door, holding a small package. His uniform looked standard, his stance casual–nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
I exhaled slowly, careful not to wake Dorotheo as I placed him on the couch. Brushing a few strands of hair from his forehead, I stood up, my steps light as I made my way to the door.
I barely hesitated before unlocking it
The moment it swung open, something cold and metallic pressed against my forehead.”
My breath hutched #
A gun
The barrel was firm against my skin, its icy touch sending a wave of terror crashing over me.
“Dan’t scream “I
I could hear the blood pounding in my ears, but I didn’t move. My body remained still, every muscle frozen in place, but my mind–my instincts–reacted instantly. B
Then, without thinking, I moved.
It was fast Too fast &
Before I could fully process what I was doing, my hands were already in motion. My fingers clamped down on his wrist, twisting it at an unnatural angle A sharp, sickening crack filled the air
“Fuckkk!”
The man let out a strangled howl, his grip on the gun loosening as pain overtook him. The weapon slipped from his grasp, but before it could hit the ground, I caught it in one smooth motion &
It felt natural in my hands.
Too natural.
There was no hesitation, no uncertainty in my grip. I didn’t fumble I didn’t tremble. My body knew exactly what to do, as if I had done this a hundred–no, a thousand times before.N
Before he could recover, I drove my knee into his stomach. He doubled over with a choked gasp, his body folding in on itself. Seizing the opening. I pivoted, twisting my weight into a powerful kick that sent him sprawling onto the pavement with a loud, painful thud
The gun remained steady in my grasp as I pointed it at him. My breathing was controlled, my stance unshaken.
The realization should have terrified me.
But it didn’t.&
The man groaned, clutching his ribs as he scrambled backward, one hand fumbling inside his pocket. I saw his fingers close around something–a phone. His breaths were ragged as he quickly pressed a number.N
Then I heard the words that sent a cold chill down my spine.
“She’s… She’s still the same!” His voice was frantic, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed. “Victoria Moretti! Deadly and ready to kill–W
Istiffened
My fingers clenched around the gun, my mind suddenly spinning.
Victoria Moretti?
A sharp, blinding pain shot through my skull. My breath faltered as my vision blurred, a flood of images crashing into my mind.
A gun in my hands. Blood on my knuckles. A name spoken in fear–Victoria. Valeria.N
I gasped, stumbling backward as my head throbbed violently. The pain was unbearable, as if something inside me was trying to claw its way to the surface.
Victoria Moretti
That name–my name?”
The man took the opportunity to flee, his footsteps fading into the distance, but I barely registered it. My entire body felt numb, my chest tightening as the fragmented memories pulsed in my mind.
I stood there, gripping the gun so tightly that my knuckles tumed white. My entire world was spinning, my pulse pounding like a war drum against my ribs.
Who the hell was 17%
